Live Games

[David Clayton]

Hopefully all the equipment that was at Gibraltar will arrive back in time for this weekend.

If so, we should have a couple of matched out live over the weekend.

Dave

[Sean Hewitt]

Which ones Dave?

[LozCooper]

Which ones Dave?

Barbican v P&P on Sunday would seem a safe bet

[Ben Purton]

I expect Cambridge V The Sharks otherwise I will be very upset Dave if you overlook the small people.

Ben

[Jonathan Rogers]

I have some sympathy with this. We know that after round seven, only games from the championship pool will be chosen (assuming that choices have to be made) and there is something to be said with showing some matches involving the less fancied teams beforehand. It is one of the distinctive features of playing in the first division. In the old days Richard Furness would make sure that promoted teams would play in the room reserved for first division teams only in their first weekend, as a kind of recognition of their achievement, and I think that giving each of the unfancied teams at least one day on the live boards may be a kind of modern equivalent.

So if you were to ask me (which you wouldn't, but since you're reading it anyway) I would say that for the group stages, one should avoid very big teams v very unfancied teams (there was no point in showing Wood Green v Sambuca) and also teams between stronger teams which by no means are likely to influence the title race (so Wood Green 2 v Cheddleton should also have been avoided). The priorities at the first pool stage should be matches which might eventually affect the title, or at any rate the top three positions (Loz has suggested Barbican v Pride and Prejudice presumably with this in mind) and matches which should be close and are contested between teams which are not likely to get any further publicity after round seven by virtue of being in the relegation pool. Ben may be right in thinking that Sambuca v Cabridge is such a match - I am not so sure that Cambridge would agree - but in any event it is more sensible to show Sambuca v Cambridge than it was to show Sambuca v Wood Green.

[LozCooper]

I have some sympathy with this. We know that after round seven, only games from the championship pool will be chosen (assuming that choices have to be made) and there is something to be said with showing some matches involving the less fancied teams beforehand. It is one of the distinctive features of playing in the first division. In the old days Richard Furness would make sure that promoted teams would play in the room reserved for first division teams only in their first weekend, as a kind of recognition of their achievement, and I think that giving each of the unfancied teams at least one day on the live boards may be a kind of modern equivalent.

So if you were to ask me (which you wouldn't, but since you're reading it anyway) I would say that for the group stages, one should avoid very big teams v very unfancied teams (there was no point in showing Wood Green v Sambuca) and also teams between stronger teams which by no means are likely to influence the title race (so Wood Green 2 v Cheddleton should also have been avoided). The priorities at the first pool stage should be matches which might eventually affect the title, or at any rate the top three positions (Loz has suggested Barbican v Pride and Prejudice presumably with this in mind) and matches which should be close and are contested between teams which are not likely to get any further publicity after round seven by virtue of being in the relegation pool. Ben may be right in thinking that Sambuca v Cabridge is such a match - I am not so sure that Cambridge would agree - but in any event it is more sensible to show Sambuca v Cambridge than it was to show Sambuca v Wood Green.

I think it's always nice to have matches where both teams have something to play for. The current league format has the extra ingrediant that some matches won't have their points carried over so for that reason I wouldn't show P&P on 8 pts v Pandora's on 0. I think a reasonable balance is to show a top of the table clash eg Betsson v Barbican and then a match involving teams battling it out to get into the top half and thereby be safe from relegation after 7 rounds. There will be occasions where this might involve teams outside the top divsion/pool eg a few years ago when Hilsmark-Slough Sharks were in division two but fielded very strong sides including several GMs.

On the other hand some people might prefer to see the strongest players regardless of if the match has much at stake

[Ben Purton]

Yet again this season we are performing very solid , but not winning matches . 2 2,3.5,3.5 being respectable scores given our side.

But we see Cambridge as a must win game. I do not think there are many other teams which are must win matches. Also as Jonathan said the promotion pool will dominate from after this weekend. So I really see both our matches this weekend as must win. If we dont score 1/2 we are done.

I would really love to see my team on demo board etc.

Its sort of like a 4NCL honor

Ben

[Nick Thomas]

On the other hand some people might prefer to see the strongest players regardless of if the match has much at stake

I guess that's about right. There might also be some interest in watching possible giant killings.

[David Clayton]

OK Guys

How about:

Saturday
Betsson v Barbican
Cambridge v The Sharks

Sunday
Barbican v Pride and Prejudice
WGHK1 v White Rose 1

Dave

[Ben Purton]

We <3 Dave!!!!!

[Carl Hibbard]

I might disable just the board Ben is on just so we don't all have to go through the possible toture that might be

[Alex Holowczak]

As far as I'm concerned, the following criteria should be used, in this order:
1) Illegibility of the handwriting of players in the team
2) Duration of the matches in terms of moves
3) Duration of the matches in terms of time

But then, I have vested interest for the long, illegible games to be on the live boards.

[Sean Hewitt]

As far as I'm concerned, the following criteria should be used, in this order:
1) Illegibility of the handwriting of players in the team
2) Duration of the matches in terms of moves
3) Duration of the matches in terms of time

But then, I have vested interest for the long, illegible games to be on the live boards.

That criteria has been used in the past when selecting live games at Gibraltar. Viktor Korchnoi found himself on DGT boards a couple of times at my request

[Carl Hibbard]

On line and monitoring here...

[LozCooper]

On line and monitoring here...

Pinter-Rendle & Mah-Wu not working but the other 22 okay?