League Rules regarding Board order by ECF rating

[Anthony Taglione]

Hi, Neill

Your name does ring a bell. I think I can even fit a face and form to it. So many years. I guess you'd have known Andy Strangeways, too, a close friend of John's, who was also at Wychfiled. I was at Fitz.

I'm trying to remember who was at Chrurchill but failing. I think Sams was at Caius and Brian Derby was at Jesus. Was Colin Crouch at Churchill, maybe?

Do you remember a period where we had the odd tendency we had to drop the opening consonants from people's names such that Colin was O Ouch, although I remember him as O O Ouch. There was also Chris Cooley who went through a period of being noted for playing c3 and became known as C3 Ooley. Simon, obviously, was known as Onq.

[Neill Cooper]

Your name does ring a bell. I think I can even fit a face and form to it. So many years. I guess you'd have known Andy Strangeways, too, a close friend of John's, who was also at Wychfiled. I was at Fitz.

I knew Andy well (we shared a set of rooms) - though he was not a chess player but a D&D dungeon master (much more time consuming in the days before PCs) and also, like John, a diplomacy player.

C3ooley, I remember that. Very Wilmanesq.

[Stewart Reuben]

Look at 'The Chess Organiser's Handbook' page 14 of the current edition, although that section was first published in 1997, for an analysis of an extreme case of this problem for a 4 board match. The range was from 17.5-22.5 to 24-16.
The New York League used to have the players in any order the captain chose. This was explained to me when I observed that Pal Benko (then a Candidate) was placed on board 5 for Manhattan Club.
As others have said, an 80 FIDE, 10 ECF RULE seems eminently sensible.

Stewart Reuben

[James Pratt]

What is the biggest gap between grades of opponents in a league?

I offered Joe French (108) v Shaun Taulbut (232), a game from the Berks League in the 80s. Shaun was very nice about it.

Regarding missing letters, it was Simon C LeBlancq, who died in Africa. Hope my spelling holds

[Anthony Taglione]

Yes, the spelling is accurate. Now that I see it written that way, it is exactly as I recall it.

I'm a little taken aback to read of Simon's passing; another erstwhile close friend to cross off the list. Thanks for the notification.

[John Philpott]

James Pratt wrote

What is the biggest gap between grades of opponents in a league?

Roger Oxenham 126 v Lawrence Trent 226 was a pairing in division 2 of the Essex League in January 2007, with a nice round 100 point grading difference.

[James Pratt]

Dear Anthony

Please feel free to contact be direct about Simon. I knew him quite well.

[email protected]

James Pratt

[David Williams]

What is the biggest gap between grades of opponents in a league?

I offered Joe French (108) v Shaun Taulbut (232), a game from the Berks League in the 80s. Shaun was very nice about it.

As mentioned earlier in this thread, in the Merseyside League two years ago Bryan Simm (77) stood in against Nigel Davies (228), and later in the season broke his own record by playing Stewart Haslinger (232). He probably got fed up when he realised his grade was going to suffer.

[Richard Haddrell]

It isn't exactly a league, but the BUCA Championship (see http://www.buca.org.uk/buca-championshi ... nship?pg=3) has no problems with board order: -

"Please fill out your team in order of strength, with your strongest player on board 1. If done inaccurately, the tournament organisers will rearrange your team for you."