Sad State of Affairs

Is how Peter Parr characterised the Grade Match competition fiasco in his column today in the SMH. Mr Parr's remarks are further to his comments on Chesschat where he had earlier stated:

Four teams qualified for the round robin final. Sydney Academy caught up St. George with two matches (8 games) remaining. St. George contacted the NSWCA with their suggestions for a better way to pair the teams in the last two rounds. The NSWCA agreed. [emphasis mine]

There is nothing wrong with making a suggestion. The problem in this instance is that the NSWCA then proceeded to make an ex parte decision to change the draw. That is, without properly consulting with the other clubs. As a result the Sydney Academy of Chess team withdrew from the competition.

Let's hope that next year, and for the sake of chess, the NSWCA will learn to communicate better.