Chess Scotland Noticeboard

[admin]

I have been asked to post this from Mike Truran. If there is any interest in this, please can you get back to me and I'll pass on



As some of you will know already, the 4NCL have recently been working to develop the idea of a 4NCL Northern League in response to the comment often made in the past that the 4NCL's choice of locations for its weekends has not always been conducive to northern teams playing in the 4NCL.

After various discussions with the Barcelo and De Vere hotel/conference centre chains we have now been able to secure weekends for a 4NCL Northern League on the same terms and conditions as our other 4NCL venues as follows. Within the constraints of venue availability, venue willingness to host us, coordination with other 4NCL weekends etc we have tried to get an equitable geographical spread between the north-west and the north-east:

6/7 November 2010: Barcelo Redworth Hall (nr Darlington)
15/16 January 2011: De Vere Wychwood Park (nr Crewe)
19/20 February 2011: Barcelo Majestic Hotel (Harrogate)
26/27 March 2011: De Vere Wychwood Park (nr Crewe).

These weekends are the same as those already booked for rest of the 4NCL for the 2010/2011 season to avoid the 4NCL taking up too many weekends in an already crowded chess calendar. We envisage all 4NCL teams (Divisions 1, 2, 3 and the Northern League) coming together at the fifth and final weekend on 30 April-2 May 2011 at the 4NCL's Hinckley Island venue (between Coventry and Leicester) for what would hopefully be a memorable and spectacular coming together of chess players from across the country.

As regards format etc:

1. The Northern League would have a similar format to existing 4NCL Division 3 (six boards, no female player requirement, Swiss system, FIDE rated, ECF graded etc etc). There would be two matches a weekend as with the rest of the 4NCL.
2. Rules, entry guidelines etc would be the same as the 4NCL. You might want to visit these links for the 4NCL's rules and entry guidelines for the 2009/2010 season for an idea of what playing in the Northern League would entail: http://www.4ncl.co.uk/0910_rules.htm and http://www.4ncl.co.uk/0910_announce.htm
3. Our current thinking is that the Northern League would be combined with the current 4NCL third division for the fifth and final weekend, with match and game points carried forward from the first four weekends. Promotion places to Division 2 would be from the combined Northern League/Division 3 league for those teams that wanted it.
4. As with the existing 4NCL, rules around the composition of teams would be as relaxed as possible. Teams can be existing clubs and teams, amalgamations of two or more clubs and teams, groups of friends, junior teams etc etc etc.

My purpose in emailing you is to gauge the level of interest for a Northern League that we would get . deally we would need at least 12 teams from across the north to get things started (and if we did so, we could probably guarantee a prize fund of at least £1,000 to provide some further interest and incentive) - but by the same token if there is minimal interest in the idea, then the sooner I know the better so that I can cancel venue bookings in good time so as to give the venues a decent chance of finding alternative bookings.

[paul roberts]

I would be interested in principal in playing in venues further north. I agree with the point that recent choices of venues have been made it very difficult to participate. Even Telford or West Bromwich presented their own problems as the last flight on a sunday evening was around 2000/2030. The game on sunday could potentially be a 7 hour session finishing at 1800....

[GN]

[admin]

Guys,

Thanks for the feedback, I'll pass it on to Mike

Andy

[JR]

I agree with GN, too far to travel and too expensive.

Good idea in principle though.

[Craig Pritchett]

Please also pass on to Mike that a truly northern (English) venue would really be somewhere like Newcastle to Darlington area. Both these centres are easily reachable from Scotland and London area via rail (and road). Newcastle also has a sizeable airport.

Currently the 4ncl focuses on venues within relatively easy reach of London area and since that's what the majority of the existing punters really want (they come from there or thereabouts), I can't really see much change in the near future!

[Mike Truran]

4NCL Northern League entry guidelines here:

http://www.4ncl.co.uk/1011_announce.htm

Hopefully there will be enough interest from Scottish players to enter a team or two?!

Please feel free to get in touch with me on 01993 708645 if you would like a chat about the new league.