Chess club folds

[MartinCarpenter]

That has a lot to with geography though. Only round Newcastle who could hope to support one I'd think.

I guess the more relevant question is what one might do in these sorts of places which I guess is very hard to answer. Maybe just the normal junior etc stuff and accepting that sparse populations are going to struggle for chess leagues.

Mind you, if trends continue then I would not be enormously surprised if in 15-20 years there was no chess league at all between York and Newcastle. More likely Cleveland just clinging onto life somehow and Durham folded. Hopefully they'll prove me wrong

[Gordon Cadden]

That has a lot to with geography though. Only round Newcastle who could hope to support one I'd think.

I guess the more relevant question is what one might do in these sorts of places which I guess is very hard to answer. Maybe just the normal junior etc stuff and accepting that sparse populations are going to struggle for chess leagues.

Mind you, if trends continue then I would not be enormously surprised if in 15-20 years there was no chess league at all between York and Newcastle. More likely Cleveland just clinging onto life somehow and Durham folded. Hopefully they'll prove me wrong

This is a nationwide trend, and not confined to the North-East. Much more comfortable to play chess on the internet at home, than head out into the driving wind and rain, heading for some damp church hall, or school with the heating switched off. Some clubs do have good venues, but they are few and far between.

[Stewart Reuben]

When I was a youngster David Mabbs suggested there should be fewer larger chess clubs. I have little doubt that was London-centric view.
The New York model was in that direction, with Manhattan and Marshall Clubs being utterly dominant. There were about 5 other places in Manhattan where you could go any day of the week, quite apart from the open air places. There were other chess clubs more on the British model, but I knew little about them. I played for Manhattan Second Team.
Of course my worry is that we do have fewer clubs now - but they aren't larger.
As Gordon says there is considerable competition from the internet. FIDE is trying to get a portion of the internet market. Whether they will be successful is quite another matter.

[Francis Fields]

Chess is a minority sport and consequently has to fight for its share of the market. Rules and attitudes introduced for political reasons only put players off the club scene.

[Paul Dupré]

Dragging the thread back to the original topic ... Addlestone won divisions 1, 2, and 3 of the Surrey Border League in 2006 and a few years later disappeared leaving no discernible trace.

If you want the key to success, then I suggest you look at the Surrey/Hants (and Berkshire) Chess League model. They have gone from strength to strength in recent years.

In 1961, Guildford won the Waechter Shield in the Surrey Chess League. Don't know how it evolved as such, but the above league was formed from there. When I joined Addlestone in 1983 there were two divisions, Division 1 trophy being the Waechter Shield. Now, I see there are 7 (seven) divisions, plus a rapidplay division. However, the key to their success appears to be NO adjournments and NO adjudications.

So, get rid of old ideology and Clubs and new players will flourish.

[NickFaulks]

However, the key to their success appears to be NO adjournments and NO adjudications.

I'm confused. Which League are you talking about?

[Ian Thompson]

If you want the key to success, then I suggest you look at the Surrey/Hants (and Berkshire) Chess League model. They have gone from strength to strength in recent years.

In 1961, Guildford won the Waechter Shield in the Surrey Chess League. Don't know how it evolved as such, but the above league was formed from there. When I joined Addlestone in 1983 there were two divisions, Division 1 trophy being the Waechter Shield. Now, I see there are 7 (seven) divisions, plus a rapidplay division. However, the key to their success appears to be NO adjournments and NO adjudications.

If 1983 counts as a recent year, then maybe.

If we start from 1998, the earliest year I have records for, we see 5 Divisions with a total of 40 teams of 5 competing. In 2008, we see 6 Divisions with a total of 40 teams competing, with 4 divisions being 5 board teams and 2 divisions being 4 board teams. This season, we have 7 standard play divisions with a total of 36 teams competing, with 4 divisions being 5 board teams and 3 divisions being 4 board teams. So a slight contraction over the last 20 years. Adjournments and adjudications were both still options in 1998. Adjournment was still an option in 2008.

So abolishing adjournments and adjudications might have prevented a decline (who knows), but it hasn't resulted in expansion.

[David Sedgwick]

However, the key to their success appears to be NO adjournments and NO adjudications.

I'm confused. Which League are you talking about?

Paul is referring to the Border League (Surrey / Hants).

When the Game Fee scheme came in (early 1990s), the BCF Office tried to locate the Border League. They were puzzled that no-one in Northumbria or Cumbria had heard of it.

[Joey Stewart]

Wow, talk about raising the dead, this topic was 5 years old (albeit still relevent) and buried deep in the forum archives - somebody must have been really bored to go hurting

[John Upham]

Dragging the thread back to the original topic ... Addlestone won divisions 1, 2, and 3 of the Surrey Border League in 2006 and a few years later disappeared leaving no discernible trace.

If you want the key to success, then I suggest you look at the Surrey/Hants (and Berkshire) Chess League model. They have gone from strength to strength in recent years.

In 1961, Guildford won the Waechter Shield in the Surrey Chess League. Don't know how it evolved as such, but the above league was formed from there. When I joined Addlestone in 1983 there were two divisions, Division 1 trophy being the Waechter Shield. Now, I see there are 7 (seven) divisions, plus a rapidplay division. However, the key to their success appears to be NO adjournments and NO adjudications.

So, get rid of old ideology and Clubs and new players will flourish.

I'm pleased to own up to mounting a personal campaign within the Surrey & Hampshire Border League (to give its original title)to rid it firstly of adjudications and then of adjournments. Berkshire League has divested itself of this nonsense and the London League has made good progress at its most recent AGM.

There remains the Surrey League who I'm told retains A&A for hysterical (or maybe historical) reasons. Nobody seems to know what those reasons are.

[Nick Grey]

I think its nonsense that chess clubs close because of league rules. but I'm glad closed chess clubs have come up again.

I had a nice round trip through Surrey, Berkshire & Hampshire passing 4 closed chess clubs, 6 closed schools, 3 closed churches plus 100 closed businesses. A conference for education finance.

Some of us are happy with adjournments or quickplay. Personally I prefer one game a day - county chess, 4NCL, London Chess Classic.

My pet hate is defaults. Opposing clubs ought to pay the player their expenses.

if you are keen on club or team chess you have to contribute to what keeps a club going. mostly it is venue, loss of key people and too few members sharing the workload.