7. Motion 2012-G Class Certificates Amending Motion (Chris Mallon)

Update to the Class Certificates regulations
Moved Chris Mallon, Seconded Lyle Craver

Modify Handbook Section 738 (Rating Categories, Titles, and Certificates).

1. Modify the title of the section from “Rating Categories” to “Rating Classes”
2. In section b)i., replace “category” with “class”
3. In section b)iii., replace “only CFC ratings count” with “only CFC regular ratings count”
4. Add section b)vi., “Titles and Classes are not awarded to Foreign players or members.”
5. Add section b)vii., “Rating Floors are used only as the minimum required published rating to achieve titles or classes, and do not prevent a member’s rating from dropping below the rating floor for that member’s title or class.”
6. Add section b)viii., “At any time, should a member’s published, established regular rating exceed 100 points above the rating floor for a title, they will achieve that title even if they do not have sufficient norms.”

Commentary: This is mostly housekeeping, and also to clear up some confusion regarding the intent of rating floors. The new section b)viii. allows us to award classes and titles to those who achieved them prior to the creation of the database in 1996 and may not have sufficient norms on record.

I forgot to include this. Here is the existing text:

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Section 738. Rating Categories, Titles and Certificates.

a) The CFC officially recognizes the following titles, rating classes and CFC rating floors: National Master (2200), National Candidate Master (2000), Class A (1800), Class B (1600), Class C (1400), Class D (1200), and Class E (1000).

b) To achieve standing for any class or title, the player must:
i. Have at some point had a published CFC rating above the minimum rating floor for that category or title
ii. Have in three separate tournaments achieved a norm, which is a performance rating at least 100 points above the rating floor
iii. For the purposes of these norms, only CFC ratings count, and the player must have played at least five games.
iv. Matches may not be used as a norm.
v. An event can be used as a norm for multiple classes - for example, a 2300 performance event can be a norm used by the same player for Class A, National Candidate Master AND National Master.

c) Certificates. The CFC will provide, free of charge, certificates to those who achieve the title of National Master or any higher title that the CFC chooses to award. Certificates for lower titles or classes are not automatically provided, but may be requested. The CFC Executive is empowered to set a fee for this service not to exceed $10 including shipping.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lyle Craver

Update to the Class Certificates regulations
Moved Chris Mallon, Seconded Lyle Craver

Modify Handbook Section 738 (Rating Categories, Titles, and Certificates).

6. Add section b)viii., “At any time, should a member’s published, established regular rating exceed 100 points above the rating floor for a title, they will achieve that title even if they do not have sufficient norms.”

Commentary: This is mostly housekeeping, and also to clear up some confusion regarding the intent of rating floors. The new section b)viii. allows us to award classes and titles to those who achieved them prior to the creation of the database in 1996 and may not have sufficient norms on record.

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Hi Chris:

I favour your b)viii) only if it specifically states that it is for use ONLY re certificate requests re " achievement prior to the creation of the database in 1996 ". Otherwise there becomes two tests for achievement of the certificate, as I understand it: either the three norms; or a rating in excess of 100 points above the certificate floor. This would be a bad idea.

Could you and the seconder so request the Chair to amend your motion?

Bob A

Practically speaking is it even possible to achieve a rating without performing above that rating?

Why is it a bad idea to have two tests for the certificate?

I am listed on the 'TDLIST' as having had a lifetime high of 1905 which was largely achieved on the basis of a tournament where I (normally in the 1650-1800 range) beat two masters, drew to an Expert and lost to an "A" player. Before that tournament result was published I played in another event where I lost the maximum amount of rating points to two juniors (two brothers) so more than half of the 130 point rating gain was given back before the magazine's publication date.

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Originally Posted by Christopher Mallon

Practically speaking is it even possible to achieve a rating without performing above that rating?

Why is it a bad idea to have two tests for the certificate?

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Only with the rating bonus points is it possible to achieve a rating without performing at that rating (some weird scenarios, mind you).

I don't see a huge issue with having the two tests for norms, cause in most cases really, if you manage to achieve a rating 100 points above the floor, you're most generally going to either have the norms, or at least get the norms rather quickly. Some fluke tournaments happen.

Is the issue the difference between "publishing" in the past newsletters vs them being live in the database? The database or exact numbers is probably the best way to take it, regardless of when official publishing has happened.

I don't see where this fits in to article 738 in the handbook. Here is the version on the website, is there a missing amendment?

738. CFC Life Masters. The CFC will issue a "Certificate of Chess Master" for each player who achieves a CFC rating of 2200 or above for 24 consecutive regular tournament games. Players who have achieved this performance in the past can request their certificate from the CFC business office, by providing satisfactory evidence of their performance to the CFC business office. [see Motion 2003-01; 02-03GL3, December 2002]

The handbook hasn't been updated for the original motion approved in the last meeting, which is why I quoted the existing text in Post #2.

Thanks Chris, I missed that. Now having read it, would you mind confirming that I understand it correctly so that I can deal with any appeals? In fact, I received one this evening already.

The new article 738 does away with the 24 game rule. The new rule is retroactive.

There are 2 ways to get a class certificate:

a. At any point, even if only once, a player achieves a post-event Regular rating (not provisional) at least 1 point above the floor for his/her class. Matches may count; or

b. Three times in a lifetime achieved a Performance Rating 100 or more points above the floor for his/her class in events of at least 5 games. Matches may not count.

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Originally Posted by Paul Leblanc

There are 2 ways to get a class certificate:

a. At any point, even if only once, a player achieves a post-event Regular rating (not provisional) at least 1 point above the floor for his/her class. Matches may count; or

b. .....

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I was the only governor voting against this motion. I feel it is helpful if I say why.

The first standard for getting a certificate in my view is much too low, and lessens substantially the meaningfulness of the certificate. If absolutely everyone can get it, is it worth much?

The second standard requiring 3 norms was in my view a tough but not impossible test ( even I got an A Class Certificate under it! ). It meant that you achieved something of meaning, at least that's the way I viewed it.

I hope in future some time, this issue will be revisited, with a different result that time.

This is not sour grapes, but opening up a further future debate on this issue, when the circumstances may be right.

Bob A

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Originally Posted by Paul Leblanc

Thanks Chris, I missed that. Now having read it, would you mind confirming that I understand it correctly so that I can deal with any appeals? In fact, I received one this evening already.

The new article 738 does away with the 24 game rule. The new rule is retroactive.

There are 2 ways to get a class certificate:

a. At any point, even if only once, a player achieves a post-event Regular rating (not provisional) at least 1 point above the floor for his/her class. Matches may count; or

b. Three times in a lifetime achieved a Performance Rating 100 or more points above the floor for his/her class in events of at least 5 games. Matches may not count.

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This is correct, except in a. the rating must be at least 100 points above the floor, not 1 point.

The old Section 738 was eliminated 3 months ago so definitely nobody should be trying to "sneak through" under that rule, although getting the online handbook updated would be helpful too.

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Originally Posted by Bob Armstrong

I was the only governor voting against this motion. I feel it is helpful if I say why.

The first standard for getting a certificate in my view is much too low, and lessens substantially the meaningfulness of the certificate. If absolutely everyone can get it, is it worth much?

The second standard requiring 3 norms was in my view a tough but not impossible test ( even I got an A Class Certificate under it! ). It meant that you achieved something of meaning, at least that's the way I viewed it.

I hope in future some time, this issue will be revisited, with a different result that time.

This is not sour grapes, but opening up a further future debate on this issue, when the circumstances may be right.

Bob A

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Added on further info: The motion is that option a. is to be 100 points above the floor, not 1 point as Paul wrongly stated. Though this is at least a somewhat decent standard now, my position that it should be harder than that, and that " b " should be the sole option, still stands. The three norms ( performance rating above 1900 ) are harder to do than merely incrementally, against weak opposition, slowly building one's rating to 100 points above the floor. The performance standard demands some wins against stronger players in the one tournament. But this argument was soundly rejected, and I will leave it to any future review of the section, should that ever happen.

Bob A

I don't see where it says 100 points:

b) To achieve standing for any class or title, the player must:
i. Have at some point had a published CFC rating above the minimum rating floor for that category or title

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Originally Posted by Paul Leblanc

I don't see where it says 100 points:

b) To achieve standing for any class or title, the player must:
i. Have at some point had a published CFC rating above the minimum rating floor for that category or title

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That's to achieve it via norms. 3 norms at floor+100 and achieve a published rating above the rating floor, OR achieve a published rating of floor+100

There is no "AND" between i and ii in the text.
I had mentally substituted the word "or" when I read it.
To make the wording foolproof, I recommend re-organizing the presentation slightly to link i and ii with the word "and". I think that is just an editorial change that would not affect the validity of the motion.

More likely part b) should be split up a little bit.