13 May 2008.

MEMO TO ASSOCIATIONS

Player Rating System

As you will be aware Real Sport withdrew their support system for IMR, Website and Ratings at the end of last year.

Some considerable time has been spent on trying to resolve:

1. A temporary solution to ratings for 2008 and
2. A Permanent solution for a rating system that would be owned and operated by TTNZ.

It has now been found that the options for a temporary quick fix solution, have been found to be too costly for TTNZ to entertain. One was to piggy back on to the OTTF system, but making changes to that system to accept input from the Tournament Play system operated throughout NZ has not been possible, and conversely the cost of amending the tournament play system to cater for the OTTF is too high. Two other options, a totally separate temporary system and a reformatting of tournament files from the tournament system to cater for the OTTF also involved a cost TTNZ cannot afford.

The Board has therefore decided that there will not be any rating system for 2008.

While mindful of the fact many players will be upset by this, it is also the Board’s wish that we develop a fully automated system which will interface with tournament control systems in use in New Zealand.

By courtesy of the OTTF ratings person use is being made of NZ player’s ratings on the OTTF system and these are now displayed on the web site. Unfortunately we have just discovered a mistake, where by a number of players have been omitted. This will be corrected as soon as possible. The corrected list will have approx. 409 men and 160 women.

Discussions and investigation is ongoing for a permanent system, and the expectations are, subject to funds being obtained from a Trust, that TTNZ will have its’ own rating system by years’ end.

Unfortunately this also raises a few questions which will be asked by players;

• How will seedings be made for National tournaments.

The Technical Committee will use the rating list on website. Players not on list shall be assessed and inserted in appropriate place. For New Zealand players they will be assessed against association rankings and results of all tournaments which have been submitted to TTNZ and received by Technical Committee. As in the past the TC have power to change seedings where ratings are not appropriate.

• Cut off point for Graded events

Players who already appear on the rating list will hold their rating and position. Players who are not on list shall be assessed for rating first, then eligibility next.

• Association Championships

Tournament controllers who have used TTNZ ratings in past will do so again and assess any non rated players by using their own knowledge or obtain from the players own association.