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Date: 12 Oct 2008 14:53:03
From: OlimpBase
Subject: FIDE, let Ulster Chess Union in!
Let me start with a brisk question. Imagine your are brilliant chess talent
originating from Northern Ireland. Which federation will FIDE allow you to
play for? The home one? Obviously not, that one isn't FIDE member. Great
Britain, UK? None of these actually exists. England? They won't accept your
application. The answer actually is Ireland. Yes, different federation,
different country. An obvious absurd, but not for FIDE bureaucracy who
consistently express their fear of avalanche of requests from partly
recognized quasi-states once Ulster's application would be accepted. Indeed,
contemporary FIDE rules do not allow non-IOC federations be admitted, but
there have been many in the past who had once been accepted and nobody ever
have thought of kicking them out. Guernsey, Jersey and Faroe Islands are
just a few examples standing in stark contrast with Northern Ireland's
impotence.

read more at http://www.olimpbase.org






 
Date: 13 Oct 2008 18:08:42
From: John Savard
Subject: Re: FIDE, let Ulster Chess Union in!
On Sun, 12 Oct 2008 14:53:03 +0200, "OlimpBase" <[email protected] > wrote, in
part:

>England? They won't accept your
>application.

What chess federation do people from Scotland and Wales play in that is
recognized by FIDE?

John Savard
http://www.quadibloc.com/index.html


 
Date: 12 Oct 2008 13:16:22
From: Offramp
Subject: Re: FIDE, let Ulster Chess Union in!
On Oct 12, 1:53 pm, "OlimpBase" <[email protected] > wrote:
> Let me start with a brisk question. Imagine your are brilliant chess talent
> originating from Northern Ireland. Which federation will FIDE allow you to
> play for? The home one? Obviously not, that one isn't FIDE member. Great
> Britain, UK? None of these actually exists. England? They won't accept your
> application. The answer actually is Ireland. Yes, different federation,
> different country. An obvious absurd, but not for FIDE bureaucracy who
> consistently express their fear of avalanche of requests from partly
> recognized quasi-states once Ulster's application would be accepted. Indeed,
> contemporary FIDE rules do not allow non-IOC federations be admitted, but
> there have been many in the past who had once been accepted and nobody ever
> have thought of kicking them out. Guernsey, Jersey and Faroe Islands are
> just a few examples standing in stark contrast with Northern Ireland's
> impotence.
>
> read more athttp://www.olimpbase.org

The Irish rugby union and cricket teams field players from the entire
island of Ireland. The chess team would be following that same course.
Those teams are multi-denominational, I should add.
At the Beijing Olympix the UK team used a rather ridiculous monicker:
Team GB. That, in modern terms, would exclude Northern Ireland, which
is part of the UK but not a part of Great Britain.

Another thing to remember is that the province of Northern Island
consists of 6 counties of the province of Ulster. Donegal is in Ulster
but it is in Eire, not the United Kingdom.

Confused? You won't be after .....


  
Date: 13 Oct 2008 12:54:14
From: Offramp
Subject: Re: FIDE, let Ulster Chess Union in!
On Oct 13, 7:11=A0pm, [email protected] (John Savard)
wrote:
> On Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:16:22 -0700 (PDT), Offramp
> <[email protected]> wrote, in part:
>
> >The Irish rugby union and cricket teams field players from the entire
> >island of Ireland. The chess team would be following that same course.
> >Those teams are multi-denominational, I should add.
>
> Basically, though, since the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
> are under two different governments, with some degree of hostility to
> each other, this is not highly practical.

AFAIK they have been playing in this cross-border way ever since the
respective teams were founded, almost certainly over a 100 years ago,
and there has never been a problem.
It has probably solved more problems than it has ever created.


  
Date: 13 Oct 2008 18:11:51
From: John Savard
Subject: Re: FIDE, let Ulster Chess Union in!
On Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:16:22 -0700 (PDT), Offramp
<[email protected] > wrote, in part:

>The Irish rugby union and cricket teams field players from the entire
>island of Ireland. The chess team would be following that same course.
>Those teams are multi-denominational, I should add.

Basically, though, since the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
are under two different governments, with some degree of hostility to
each other, this is not highly practical. It makes more sense to regard
Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom - which is one state with
one currency, one Parliament, and one foreign policy. If Scotland and
Wales get their own teams, Northern Ireland is no different, and sets no
precedent different than they do.

John Savard
http://www.quadibloc.com/index.html