English Chess Forum

We are pleased to announce the 4NCL dates for the 2009/2010 season.

Full details can be found here: http://www.4ncl.co.uk:80/0910_dates.htm

Merry Christmas to all
Claire Summerscale

I think the 4NCL are to be commended for publicising this information early (which is great for organisers of congresses), and for getting rid of split weekends (which is great for captains!).

Agree with that, makes life much easier

Any comment on the locations/venues to be used? All seem a long way away from my perspective

This is most welcome news especially if one hopes to have a team in Division Two in the 2009/10 season!

Thanks for the positive feedback! I also tried (within the constraints of venue availability, trying to avoid split weekends and some late b*****ing about on the part of some of the venues) to go for more centrally located venues where possible. Hopefully this might encourage more central/northern teams to consider entering.

Mike

They didn't ask you for eight thousand nicker out of the blue again this year?

These seem better than this year, so well done 4NCL. I thought Hinckley was the best hotel since the Grand hotel in Brum.

Ben

Mike Truran wrote:..... Hopefully this might encourage more central/northern teams to consider entering. Mike

Have you asked the ones who used to enter, like 3Cs, and what response have you had?

I'd suggest that 3Cs isn't really a case in point for this, since they folded more as a natural break-up of the team / as a result of their relegation from Division 1 than because of issues with the locations of the venues (not to say that they didn't have these issues, just that I don't think it was a critical factor).

Indeed, a study of the various registration lists will reveal that most of 3Cs players are still to be found playing in the 4NCL:
Nigel Davies for Gambit ADs.
Stephen Gordon for Wood Green Hilsmark Kingfisher.
Adam Ashton, John Bentley and Alan Walton for Pandora's Box Grantham.

Maxim

From speaking to one or two 3C's players it appears that the southern weekends were a big factor. The problem was that their junior players were getting home later, i.e. 9 or 10 (and on one occasion about 1:00am) rather than 7 or 8 and parents weren't happy with that when they had to go to school on Monday. That meant they lost their second team, which was largely juniors, and then some adult players who didn't fancy the trip and they finally folded when then only had three or four regulars left, down from 20 odd. I know that some have moved to other teams, and some would probably have stopped playing anyway but there have been a few players lost because of the southern venues.

Fair point. I must admit I was thinking more in terms of their first team, most of whom can still be found playing for other sides as previously noted, but I agree that long travel times are particularly hard for teams composed of juniors, even in part, due to the fact that the 4NCL takes up the entire weekend. And the loss of their 2nd team probably did play a part in the subsequent loss of their 1sts where 3Cs were concerned.

I suggested at the recent captains meeting that Divsion 3 could be regionalised into North and South to allow more Northern teams to enter for this very reason. Div3(N) could play at Northern / Midland venues whilst Div3(S) could play at Southern / Midland venues.

Once some Northern venues are established, some Div1 / Div2 rounds could be scheduled there in future. Of course, having everyone together at Hinckley for some rounds would still be possible and indeed desirable, particularly for the last weekend.

However, as I wasnt able to make the captains meeting I'm not sure how the idea was received.

Yes, I did raise the regionalisation idea at the captains meeting as you suggested, Sean. I think it's fair to say that there wasn't much appetite for the idea, so we agreed to revisit the idea at the end of the season, maybe by way of a captains opinion poll of existing teams and contacting some teams that don't currently play in the 4NCL. There were probably ten or so captains present, so the views expressed weren't necessarily completely representative.

I did try to get Hinckley Island for the final weekend in May 2010, but they were already booked.

I emailed John Walton of 3Cs to mention that the venues were more centrally located for 2009/2010, but didn't get a reply as far as I can see. Hopefully the point has been "logged" anyway though.

Mike