What is on Agenda?

[kiwinurse]

What is on the WCDFs agenda in checkers this year?Havent heard of any pending matches or qualifiers,regards Jan

[rich beckwith]

Jan,

Good question, but the answer is that no one has submitted any definative bids to host such events, so there is nothing to report yet. Part of the problem, with regard to WQT event, is that we have no clear word on WMSG event either. (Wales has facilities to play, but with no hospitality, unlike what we had in Beijing.). There is still time here, and these WCDF-event questions need to be sorted out by next month.

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Richard ... ICHF ?

[kiwinurse]

Thanks Richard, just a shame its not sorted out earlier,as airlines start doing reasonable deals from now,regards jan

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Thanks, Richard !

I know that WCDF is very serious and responsible organisation and on February 2nd after deadline we'll have an answer on all questions.

Respectfully,

Alex Moiseyev

[Alex_Moiseyev]

I know that WCDF is very serious and responsible organisation and on February 2nd after deadline we'll have an answer on all questions.

Less than 16 hours left until deadline. After then we'll know what, where and when.

Many thanks in advance to WCDF for hard work.

[Alex_Moiseyev]

[Alex_Moiseyev]

10 hours 42 minutes left until deadline.

[Alex_Moiseyev]

7 hours left until deadline.

[rich beckwith]

Much behind-the-scenes discussion has been occurring here with all 2012 WCDF events. I was even working on alternate WQT bid, but then we received this update from FMJD a few days ago:
***
World Mind Sport Games (IMSA event)

Unfortunately, we still can not give You all details. We can expect this event on August, probably in Cardiff or Strasbourg. It will be one week event with about 100 places for draughts and about 40-50 for 64 and Checkers each.

The cost of stay will have to paid by the participants. In our main tournament (100) players can expect reasonable prizes....
***
In my atlas, Strasbourg is in France on German border -- the other (Cardiff) is in Wales. We (WCDF) are also working on offering prizes as well. I don't know the August dates.

[Alex_Moiseyev]

I can hardly wait to see Alex's next few posts.

John, for me as 3-moves World Champion, it is extremely important and crucial make sure that endorsement and qualification process for my title run smoothly, properly without any problems.

I can't play in QT but I want to make sure that other people have this chance and don't miss it. It is World Checkers and Draughts Federation responsibility to provide me the best opponent every two years.

However, if QT will have Olympic statue, then I will definetely play to defend my title and support American team.

I don't know the August dates.

Cross fingers it doesn't hit into ACF National dates

***
World Mind Sport Games (IMSA event)

... In our main tournament (100)

It is not main indeed, just FMJD discrimantion policy.


Regards,

Alex

[Danny_Alvarez]

Richard so they have no timetable of when the details will be released???

this is leaving it till the last minute, is it not?

cheers
Danny

[kiwinurse]

This is what makes it so hard for people to attend,no date,maybe cardiff or France......sometime in August,and it goes on.Everything is airy fairy,no definates.If we are to attend checker matches we need longer notification to attend.The cost alone is prohibitive,but if the date was given early people could save to attend.
Why is it taking so long to organize?

[Hugh Devlin]

Hi All,
Let me explain some things here. The World Mind Sports Games are organised by the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) and not the WCDF.

According to WIKIPEDIA …The International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) is an institution of the world governing bodies for contract bridge, chess, draughts (checkers), and go, namely the World Bridge Federation (WBF), World Chess Federation (FIDE), World Draughts Federation (FMJD), and International Go Federation (IGF). IMSA is a member of Sportaccord (formally the General Association of International Sports Federations) and was founded 19 April 2005 during the GAISF General Assembly. It is based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Poker and xiangqi (Chinese chess) are affiliated sports; as of summer 2011, the International Federation of Poker (IFP) and World Xiangqi Federation (WXF) have observer status in the association. Xiangqi competition was included in the first Games and duplicate poker under the auspices of the IFP will be included in the second.

Long term, it hopes to establish "World Mind Sports Games by analogy with Olympics, held in Olympic host cities shortly after Winter or Summer Games, using Olympic Games facilities and volunteers”. The constituent World Bridge Federation incorporated several quadrennial world bridge championships in the World Mind Sport Games because it considers the WMSG a "stepping stone on the path of introducing a third kind of Olympic Games (after the Summer and the Winter Olympics)".

As you know the 1st WMSG’s were held in China 2008 (the same year as the Olympic Games) and the plan has been to organise the 2nd WMSG’s in Britain during 2012 (the same year as the Olympic Games) just as discussions are already at an advanced stage to holding the 3rd WMSG’s in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 2016.

These games require two things - sponsorship money and a venue capable of hosting an event of this scale (remember Beijing had 2,700 entrants!). Problems have arisen regarding the staging of the 2nd WMSG’s this year mainly because of a lack of available sponsorship money. There was much discussion ongoing last year about it being held in Manchester, England. However, this appears to have failed on the basis of finance, and other venues have been considered since then, both within Britain and outside of it. Because of the lack of finance / sponsorship the IMSA have had to look at the possibility of holding it on a smaller scale in 2012, with reduced numbers in each category. It now seems that the original number of overall places available for Draughts is being reduced from 300 entrants to 200 entrants, with about 40 places being available for Checkers in 2012. (This number is similar to what we had in Beijing, and is the result of negotiations between the WCDF and FMJD during the past few months). The final number of places and medals are yet to be finalised by IMSA, but we are hoping for a second set of medals to run a separate women’s event this year. Due to the lack of sponsorship it appears that players will have to fund their own travel and accommodation costs.

The IMSA have now narrowed down the options to just two cities – Cardiff (Wales) and Strasbourg (France), and they continue to state the games will be held in August 2012. I believe the exact dates will relate to the venue chosen. In view of the timescale I believe an announcement by IMSA is imminent.

What this effectively means is that these games will be held on the basis of an Olympic (Mind Sports) Games, with Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals for the winners in each Mind Sport, and there will be a table of medals won by each country. Like Beijing (2008) players will be subject to the rules of Olympic Games - all entrants will represent their country, and countries will be defined as in the Olympics (e.g. Great Britain is one team and not England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland individually).

All of this has implications for the game of checkers. While the WCDF have yet not made any decision, it would be my personal opinion that the WMSG (2012) should double as the Qualification Tournament (2012) as it did in 2008. All national organisations have already made plans for their national championships this year e.g. US National Ty, British Open, Irish Open, Danish Open, German Open, etc. However when it comes to participation in major International events there is a danger that a separate WMSG (2012) and QT (2012) will take entrants away from each other and result in decreased entries to both. This would have major implications for Checkers. The WCDF have been seeking more places for our game at major Mind Sports events in the future aimed at improving the status and visibility of Checkers. To be offered places that we cannot fill would be disastrous in our attempts to be taken seriously and damage the image of Checkers.


In the above quote the reference to “in our main tournament (100)” must be taken in light of this being taken from a 100 square board communication.

I will relay any news updates as they become available. Hugh

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Hugh, thanks for update.

I am not asking and worry about WMSG at all, I simply asking about Qualification Tournament where WCDF is in charge. I am tired to hear the same news from WCDF:

1) Maybe WMSG in Cardif
2) Maybe WMSG not in Cardiff
3) Maybe link QT to existing Nationals

It seems like WCDF continues waiting and waiting news from FMJD and IMSA. It is time to make decision.

If I don't hear an exact news about QT until April 1st - then I consider that this cycle WCDF fails to provide me an opponent and I will pick opponent on my own. In this case WCDF may not to worry about man title and should only take care of Woman and Youth titles.

This is my deadline.

After April 1st, If WCDF doesn't inform us about QT 2012 dates and venue, I will not play match with so-called "WCDF opponnent"

Alex