English Chess Forum

Here's an issue which would cause a rethink on the current 4NCL date structure.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2011/m ... rism-drive

from which

The Guardian wrote:The tourism minister, John Penrose, confirmed plans to consult on moving the May Day bank holiday either back to October as Trafalgar Day, or forward to become St George's Day in England or St David's Day in Wales.

I suppose you could run the first three rounds on a Trafalgar weekend, at least the split into promotion and relegation groups would take place between weekends.

Alternatively you just move the final weekend to the Spring Bank Holiday. That's already been used in the past.

If you're moving the 4NCL dates, you need to be careful. The Whit Week weekend is usually in the middle of an exam period. That would annoy a lot of Div 2 teams with a junior, or teams like KJCA Kings (as they get older).

Alex Holowczak wrote:If you're moving the 4NCL dates, you need to be careful. The Whit Week weekend is usually in the middle of an exam period. That would annoy a lot of Div 2 teams with a junior, or teams like KJCA Kings (as they get older).

It would annoy me with my Whit weekend congress too! I'm already having to move next years event because it's not a bank holiday in May.

Yes, I had spotted that. I guess that as I will be thinking about arranging the 2012-2013 dates in a couple of months it will be something I will need to bear in mind. The problem of course is booking the dates without knowing what the decision is going to be.

Mike Truran wrote:The problem of course is booking the dates without knowing what the decision is going to be.

The 4NCL (or perhaps the ECF as well) could "consult" if asked that a long lead time is needed if you abolish a Bank Holiday. So it's already too late really for 2012-3, you could introduce a Trafalgar Day in October 2012, but you need more notice to abolish May Day 2013.

One possibility if the dates have already been booked and a change is required is to have a sixth weekend with the final round on the Saturday, and then maybe it is a great opportunity to have a very large 4NCL 6 round quickplay tournament on the Sunday

Alan Walton wrote:One possibility if the dates have already been booked and a change is required is to have a sixth weekend with the final round on the Saturday, and then maybe it is a great opportunity to have a very large 4NCL 6 round quickplay tournament on the Sunday

This sounds like a good idea for a 1 off if needed. I can't imagine there'd be many teams who bring in *star* players being too happy about having to pay for the travel and accom twice though.

Gareth Harley-Yeo wrote:

Alan Walton wrote:One possibility if the dates have already been booked and a change is required is to have a sixth weekend with the final round on the Saturday, and then maybe it is a great opportunity to have a very large 4NCL 6 round quickplay tournament on the Sunday

This sounds like a good idea for a 1 off if needed. I can't imagine there'd be many teams who bring in *star* players being too happy about having to pay for the travel and accom twice though.

Gareth,

The accom costs would be the same wouldn't they, but true about the travel costs

Alan Walton wrote:One possibility if the dates have already been booked and a change is required is to have a sixth weekend with the final round on the Saturday, and then maybe it is a great opportunity to have a very large 4NCL 6 round quickplay tournament on the Sunday

This happened at least once in the early days of the 4NCL. I remember playing against Glenn Charleshouse in the last round on the Saturday before playing an individual rapid the day after.