Final standings in abandoned leagues

[LawrenceCooper]

I'm none the wiser on the points raised above

You should be wiser. Team events which manage to play fewer that eight games will not get norms. For precisely eight, a concession will be offered which may be of some value.

It is obviously too early to make full rules for the season being extended by more than six months, but if that looks a plausible outcome there will be updates.

Hi Nick,

I read the information about the number of games required for norms but didn't see any specific information about extensions beyond a year. Your note is therefore useful in acknowledging the specific point that I was interested in.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Yes, I read it as did Loz, ie no provisions (yet) for extended league seasons. Maybe the possibility will be added. Arguably it doesn't much change the case for finishing this season over next season, since the other possibilities for resolving this season are still worse for potential norm makers.

[Nick Grey]

Isthmian League was complete in 62-63. Last time not was War.

[John Sargent]

The London Chess League's intention is to suspend play (if League nights and matches are forced to cease), and resume the current season as and when it is safe to do so, pushing back the start of the next season if that is what is required.

Obviously, predicting exactly how this would work is difficult at best, primarily because we don't know how long the suspension would be for, so details of how this will work is TBC.

[Adam Raoof]

I do not think that leagues will be in a much stronger position with regard to this outbreak when the new season starts... and I am an optimist!

[Roger Lancaster]

Isthmian League was complete in 62-63. Last time not was War.

For those whose memories don't stretch back that far, the Great Freeze began in the closing days of December 1962 and persisted until March. That certainly caused major problems, by comparison with which the postponement of football matches was [except, perhaps, to the most committed fans!] relatively trivial. But the key difference is that the 1962-63 disruption occurred earlier in the sporting year, leaving more weeks to make up for lost time.

[David Sedgwick]

The London Chess League's intention is to suspend play (if League nights and matches are forced to cease), and resume the current season as and when it is safe to do so, pushing back the start of the next season if that is what is required.

Obviously, predicting exactly how this would work is difficult at best, primarily because we don't know how long the suspension would be for, so details of how this will work is TBC.

When will there be an official statement on the London League website?

[MartinCarpenter]

I would have thought that most leagues will wish to complete their 2019 - 2020 programmes if at all possible.

If it becomes feasible to play again in June and July, then postponed games could take place then.

I'm genuinely curious - would most people actually want to do this?

You always get far fewer players in summer leagues than winter.

[Mick Norris]

I would have thought that most leagues will wish to complete their 2019 - 2020 programmes if at all possible.

If it becomes feasible to play again in June and July, then postponed games could take place then.

I'm genuinely curious - would most people actually want to do this?

You always get far fewer players in summer leagues than winter.

Good question; I'd actually assume the summer leagues wouldn't take place this year

I think it is more likely that the winter league season will be postponed until September/October with a view to finishing by mid-December

You can then find a way to shorten the next season e.g. don't play matches home and away, just play each team once, or have smaller divisions with fewer teams and fewer fixtures

Or you could be radical, and switch to seasons being played over a calendar year, with a summer break; you could do this with the county championships and have the union stages starting January 2021, with the national stages from, say, early October

[Ian Thompson]

I would have thought that most leagues will wish to complete their 2019 - 2020 programmes if at all possible.

If it becomes feasible to play again in June and July, then postponed games could take place then.

I'm genuinely curious - would most people actually want to do this?

You always get far fewer players in summer leagues than winter.

You're right under normal circumstances. But why do many people not want to play over the summer?

One reason might be that people want a break from playing chess; this year they will have had an enforced break. Another reason might be going away on holiday. That might not be possible this year. I, for example, have no intention of booking any foreign travel until I'm reasonably certain it won't get disrupted.

[David Sedgwick]

I would have thought that most leagues will wish to complete their 2019 - 2020 programmes if at all possible.

If it becomes feasible to play again in June and July, then postponed games could take place then.

I'm genuinely curious - would most people actually want to do this?

You always get far fewer players in summer leagues than winter.

Good question; I'd actually assume the summer leagues wouldn't take place this year

I think it is more likely that the winter league season will be postponed until September/October with a view to finishing by mid-December

You can then find a way to shorten the next season e.g. don't play matches home and away, just play each team once, or have smaller divisions with fewer teams and fewer fixtures

Or you could be radical, and switch to seasons being played over a calendar year, with a summer break; you could do this with the county championships and have the union stages starting January 2021, with the national stages from, say, early October

You're right under normal circumstances. But why do many people not want to play over the summer?

One reason might be that people want a break from playing chess; this year they will have had an enforced break. Another reason might be going away on holiday. That might not be possible this year. I, for example, have no intention of booking any foreign travel until I'm reasonably certain it won't get disrupted.

All this is rather academic until we have a match clearer idea of when we might be able to resume.

When that day arrives, I suspect that leagues will find a number of different solutions.

However, I shall be surprised if we end up with any thing as radical as Mick Norris has suggested.

[JustinHorton]

The 1989/90 season in Costa Rica was never finished despite being extended to October 1990.