FIDE players’ licensing: ultimate cash-grab on horizon?
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
If FIDE gets its way, then very soon national chess federations (ncf) might become little more than servile pawns whose ultimate purpose will be to provide tens of millions of euros into FIDE’s coffers. Apparently it is not enough that the rating fees that FIDE charges, as well as national dues, are enough to balance the FIDE budget…FIDE appears to be looking to make a profit while not increasing/improving or providing new services beyond what already is in place.
Directly below is a letter from the Royal Dutch Chess Federation to FIDE’s PB (Presidential Board). This letter is signed also by 9 other national chess federations (ncf) and essentially puts a blocker on FIDE’s most recent attempt to re-invent ”players’ licences”. It is expected that many other ncf’s will follow these countries’ example. Canada included.
Future FIDE logo??
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Dear Board Members,
On 25 January 2013 all national chess federations received an email from FIDE in which Regulations on Registration & Licensing of Players were announced. These Regulations were proposed by the Qualification Commission (although not all members of the QC had knowledge of this proposal) and had been approved by the Presidential Board.
These regulations imply that each NCF should register his players with FIDE by providing information such as the player’s name, gender, place and year of birth, photo, passport number, FIDE ID number (if any). This system should be effective from 1 July 2013. There were penalties announced for organizers who allowed non-licensed players to compete in FIDE-rated tournaments.
In 2011 in Krakow a proposal to introduce a license system for players including a license fee was removed from the agenda after objections by the Chess Federation of the Netherlands. In 2012 in Istanbul a proposal of this kind was not included in the agenda of the General Assembly.
It is highly peculiar, to say the least, that the PB takes such a wide-ranging decision now, without consulting the EB or the GA of FIDE.
The proposed regulations are bureaucratic, expansive and impracticable for the national federations and for FIDE. Indeed, FIDE is at this moment implementing a license system for arbiters, who should have received a license card before this year. It is now February and no-one has seen such a card yet. If FIDE is not equipped to distribute cards to a relatively small group of arbiters in due time, how will it distribute cards to tens of tousands of players? But this is only a practical quibble compared to our real objection.
The proposed regulations for players are not only bureaucratic, but the system is also an intrusion into the private sphere of players. Something we oppose wholeheartedly. Furthermore, these regulations have been passed by the PB without giving a thought to what it would entail for national federations. For, the introduction of such a licensing system would require national federations to hire extra staff, and this in a time in which many federations are faced with diminishing revenues and budget cuts due to the economic crisis.
The federations that support this letter reject the decision of the Presidential Board to introduce the proposed license system for players. These federations will not cooperate in the introduction of such a system and will not send FIDE the requested information mentioned in the decision of January 2013.
The federations, supporting this letter, urge the PB to withdraw its decision concerning the license system of players on short notice.
signed
Herman Hamers
FIDE Delegate KNSB
The National Chess Federations of the following countries support this letter:
Bulgaria Czech Republic Denmark Germany Netherlands Poland United States of America Spain Slovakia Switzerland
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FIDE’S NEW REGULATIONS:
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RESPONSE FROM USA CHESS FEDERATION PRESIDENT:
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