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Last update: Monday October 27, 2008 15:32
Welcome to the home page of the 2008/9 National Club Championship. The report and photos from the 2007/8 event can be found by clicking the link on the right.
You could be a member of a club that’s entered before, or you could just have clicked onto this link out of curiosity and know nothing about the tournament. Whichever the case, please read on.
If your club hasn’t entered any of these events before, why not give it a whirl? We will do our best to minimize the travelling in the early rounds if that is your preference, or give you a trip outside your area if you would like to visit “foreign parts”. We will also look to avoid pairing clubs that play in the same local league. Whilst games are usually played at the weekend, there is still time to fit matches in around county games and congresses. Usually clubs have 6 to 8 weeks in which to play each round, so there isn’t a commitment to play frequently.
There have been a number of changes in personnel this season. I taken over as Chief Controller and will be the “court of appeal” for any decisions made by section controllers on the competition rules and Geoff Jones has been appointed Event Arbiter and will deal with any issues regarding the Laws. Mike McNaughton has “retired” from the Major section (many thanks Mike for your sterling work running sections for several years); that said, we haven’t lost Mike completely, he will be taking entries for the Rapidplay. Welcome on board to Alan Jex, who will be running the Major. Guy Greenland & Geoff Jones, who took over the Minor & Open respectively last year, have decided they are mad enough to continue.
A review of the existing rules has been undertaken; this hasn’t resulted in any major changes. However, as an experiment, aimed at assisting small clubs who may have problems fulfilling the grading criteria due to the grading spread of their members, teams made up of players from more than 1 club will be accepted in the U100 section.
The entry form for the event contains the main rules in a condensed version and may be downloaded here. The full rules may be found here.
The format of the Rapidplay will change, with 2 sets of prizes. In addition to the existing “Handicap” concept, there will also be prizes for the teams achieving the best outright scores before taking any Handicap into account. This will hopefully address the comment made by a number of clubs/players that they do not feel it is worthwhile entering highly graded teams in the event. The entry form for this will be published nearer the event.
If anyone has any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me –
Email –
Tel – 0116 2609012
Snail Mail – 105 Central Avenue, Syston, Leics LE7 2EG
The Finals will take place on 12th July 2009 at venues to be announed.
Prizes: Winners of each main competition will receive £100. Winners of each Plate competition £50. Runners-up to receive a free entry for the following year.
Entry Fee:
Major & Open Tournament £25 (Corporate Vice Presidents £22 - how to become a CVP)
Minor Tournament £20 (CVPS £18)
U100 Tournament £20 (CVPS £18)
Top
1. In these Rules all references to the National Chess Club Championships or to ‘The Competitions’ shall be construed as referring to any of the Open Chess Club Championship, the Major Chess Club Championship, the Minor Chess Club Championship and the u100 Grade Championship, (the ‘sections’ of the Competitions) and any plate tournaments thereof.
2. The competitions are open to chess clubs in Great Britain. For the purposes of these Rules, a chess club is defined as a group of players who play in a competitive team tournament or meet regularly to play chess.
3. The English Chess Federation reserves the right to refuse entry without explanation and return the entry fee.
4. A team will be disqualified if the fee is still outstanding by the end of the first round. No team shall be eligible if the club represented has failed to pay any arrears of fees for an earlier season.
5. Each team shall be representative of one, and only one, chess club. This rule shall not apply to the u100 section. A club may enter more than one team in one or more sections of the Competitions.
6. Teams shall be six-a-side in the Open Championship and five-a-side in the Major Championships and four-a-side in the Minor and u100 Grade Championships.
7. Each player in a club’s team, except as mentioned above, must be a
bona fide active member of that club, taking a full part in normal club activities.
For the purpose of this rule, a bona fide active member is one who regularly
represents the club in competitive matches outside this competition.
If a player does not satisfy the conditions of the previous paragraph but is
considered by the club to be a bona fide member taking a full interest in club
affairs, the Controller may waive this condition provided that the club so requests
in writing before the player’s first match in this competition. Such request
must be accompanied by sufficient information to support the claim.
Exceptionally, in the Open Section only, but not in its Plate contest, it is
required that every player must have played at least twice for the club concerned
in a standard play team event within the UK during the twelve months prior to
his/her first match in the Open Section.
A player may play for different teams in different sections of this competition
but having played once for any team in a particular section is ineligible to
play for any other team in that section. A Championship and its Plate Tournament
in the same year constitute one section.
Should the opposing teams wish to challenge the eligibility of a player, the
Controller must be notified in writing not later than the third day (Sunday
not counted) after the match is played, a copy of such notification being sent
to the opposing Match Captain. The Controller may instigate an investigation
without having received a complaint.
8. A player who does not have a published grade will be allocated a grade by
the Controller. Before the player’s first match, it shall be incumbent
on the Match Captain to check with their local grader and make any other necessary
enquiry, so as to provide the Controller with details of the grade he/she last
had, if any, and other relevant facts. Failure to clear an ungraded player in
advance with the Controller may, at the discretion of the Controller, lead to
the player concerned being declared ineligible (see rule 16). Ungraded players
will start being re-assessed by the Controller after their first match.
The Controller is empowered to declare a person ineligible to continue playing
in a section if he/she is satisfied that the player’s current playing
strength clearly exceeds the grading limits.
Teams shall be played in order of current playing strength.
No ungraded player shall play on top board in any section, other than the Open,
unless the Controller’s explicit prior permission has been obtained. This
shall not vitiate the requirement to play teams in order of current playing
strength.
9. Grading limits
In the Major Section the ECF grades (or other effective ratings) of the individual
players must all be under 200 (2200 Elo) and the average grade of the players
in the team must be under 160 (1880 Elo), treating any grade under 110 as 110.
In the Minor Section the ECF grades (or other effective ratings) of the individual
players must all be under 160 (1880 Elo) and the average grade of the players
in the team must be under 125 (1600 Elo), treating any grade under 75 as 75.
In the u100 Grade Section the ECF grades (or other effective ratings) of the
individual players must all be under 125 (1600 Elo) and the average grade of
the players in the team must be under 100 (1400 Elo), treating any grade under
50 as 50.
The most recently published over-the-board grading list shall be used. Rapidplay
grades shall not be considered for this event.
10. (a) The competitions shall normally be run on the “knock-out”
principle. The Controller has the discretion to change the format by agreement
with the teams.
(b) Early rounds will be zoned to minimise travelling as far as practicable.
In the later stages teams must be prepared to travel considerable distances
or to play by telephone.
(c) The eight teams in the Open performing best over the last three years will
be seeded and these teams will be indicated in the pairing issued for round
1.
(d) The Controller will notify the dates for the completion of rounds in the
competition.
(e) The home captain shall offer the visiting captain at least three weekend
dates to include a Sunday, within seven days of receiving the notice of pairing,
failing which the visiting captain shall inform the controller who may reverse
the draw unless the home captain can give a good reason for the delay. By mutual
consent matches may be played mid-week.
(f) If the match is not played within the period prescribed by the Controller
the home side shall be deemed to have lost unless that club can prove to the
satisfaction of the Controller that failure to play the match was caused by
default of the visiting side or by circumstances beyond the reasonable control
of both clubs, and that there was good reason for the failure of the home side
to report the circumstances at the proper time. If satisfied with the explanations,
the Controller may give such directions as he/she considers appropriate for
the match to be played.
(g) The Finals of all the Club Championships will be held at a date and venue
to be announced. It is a condition of entry that one representative of each
team in the Finals shall remain for the subsequent prize giving ceremony.
11. (a) Where clubs are more than 100 miles apart the team which is drawn to
play away can insist on an intermediate venue provided it is prepared to make
all the arrangements and that all expenses, if any, of obtaining a suitable
venue shall be shared by the teams concerned. The actual venue must be agreed
to by both clubs and should be as near the half-way point as is consistent with
the ease of travelling for both teams. In default of agreement the Controller
shall determine the venue.
(b) Where clubs are more than 250 miles apart (as the crow flies), or a sea
passage intervenes, the match may be played by telephone provided both teams
agree. However, the semi-finals and finals matches must be played over the board.
All Telecom charges shall be shared by the clubs concerned. Umpires shall be
appointed by both teams and, except as detailed in these Rules, the ECF Rules
for Telephone Matches shall apply.
12. The rate of play will be 40 moves in 2 hours followed by all moves in 30 minutes. Where DGT electronic clocks are used, the rate will be 40 moves in 100 minutes, followed by all moves in 20 minutes with an extra 30 seconds for each made move. Other rates may be mutually agreed. The time limit for telephone matches will be determined by the Controller.
13. The FIDE laws of Chess at the start of the season shall apply, including Article 10 in regard to quickplay finishes and Appendix D for quickplay finishes in the absence of an arbiter. If an independent Arbiter needs to be consulted, a fee of £5 must be sent to the Controller with full details.
14. Team lists should be exchanged before the toss for colours. The winner of the toss shall take white on the odd boards.
15. Smoking is banned in the playing room at all times.
16 The penalty for playing an unqualified or ineligible player shall be the loss of that player’s game and the deduction of half a point from the score made by the team in the match. In the Major, Minor and u100 Grade Sections if the average grade of the players in the team is not within the limit for the competition the team shall be deemed to have lost the match in question.
17. In the event of a tie the result shall be determined by ‘Board Count’, i.e. the winner shall be the team whose total board numbers of games won shall be the lower (subject to any action taken by the Controller under these rules) but if, in a match in which action is taken under Rule 16, that match score is then tied the team playing the larger number of unqualified or ineligible players shall be deemed to have lost. If both teams are equally at fault the other provisions of this Rule shall apply. If board count fails to resolve a tie then the elimination rule shall apply, i.e. the winner shall be determined by disregarding the results of as many of the lowest boards as necessary to secure a result. If all games are drawn the tie will be resolved by an immediate Rapid-play replay, each side having 30 minutes for all moves, with the same players and same opponents but with colours reversed.
18. Both clubs shall send to the Controller to arrive not later than the third day after play (Sunday not counted), a full score as at the close of play showing which team had the first move and number of each board together with the names of the players and their grades where known. Both teams shall also confirm that their players were eligible under these rules.
19. All letters and notices relating to these competitions shall be sent by first class mail or e-mail.
20. A decision and interpretation of these Rules by the Section Controller may be appealed against to the Chief Controller. A fee of £10 shall accompany the appeal to be refunded if the appeal is successful. This appeal must be sent within 72 hours of the Section Controllers decision. The Chief Controller may refer the decision to the Tournament Chief Arbiter. The decision of these officers is final and binding on all parties.
21. Any team which withdraws from a Competition or defaults a match will be required to pay all costs incurred by their opponents in the cancelled match and unless they can show that it was due to circumstances entirely beyond their control will forfeit prize money already won.
22. For those clubs which state no later than the conclusion of the first round
that they wish to participate, Plate Tournaments will be held for clubs eliminated
in the first round of each section. All the foregoing Rules shall apply to the
respective Plate Tournaments. A club receiving a bye into the second round of
a Championship has the option of remaining in that Championship or entering
the relevant Plate Tournament, such option to be exercised by written notice
to the Controller before the date prescribed for the completion of the first
round. If no notice is received the club is deemed to have elected to remain
in the Championship.
Open