Odd one out

[IM Jack Rudd]

There has always (at least since the mid 1960s) been an understanding that members of Richmond & Twickenham Chess Club are eligible for either Middlesex or Surrey in county matches, and we currently have members playing for both counties - but not at the same time.

Don't I know. That's the only occasion I have so far had to turn down a request to play for a team because I was playing for the opposition. There's no need for any understanding about it, at least not now; I can't speak for forty years ago. Both the Surrey and Middlesex CCA constitutions include Richmond-upon-Thames in the area they cover, so anyone who qualifies by virtue of a connection with the borough (be it by birth, residency, work, study, or a member of the club) is eligible to play for both counties, though not in the same season.

I've had occasion to be thankful for this sort of thing in my time as Somerset captain: Gillingham & Shaftesbury were (I don't know if they still are) affiliated to the Somerset County Chess Association, so any members of that club could play for either Somerset or Dorset. Ditto Trowbridge, whose members could choose Somerset or Wiltshire.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Both the Surrey and Middlesex CCA constitutions include Richmond-upon-Thames in the area they cover, so anyone who qualifies by virtue of a connection with the borough (be it by birth, residency, work, study, or a member of the club) is eligible to play for both counties, though not in the same season."

This gives Surrey and Middlesex the opportunity to start an argument lasting 30 years... It would make a change from Surrey arguing with itself.

[Wilf Arnold]

Why is this discussion in the "Not Chess" section? You chessheads have enough of this forum as it is!

[David Sedgwick]

"Both the Surrey and Middlesex CCA constitutions include Richmond-upon-Thames in the area they cover, so anyone who qualifies by virtue of a connection with the borough (be it by birth, residency, work, study, or a member of the club) is eligible to play for both counties, though not in the same season."

This gives Surrey and Middlesex the opportunity to start an argument lasting 30 years... It would make a change from Surrey arguing with itself.

That looked as though it might happen in the mid-1990s. It was one of the two episodes I had in mind when I commented up-thread:

Except when you're at the sharp end of a dispute. In the twenty years or so during which I've been involved with the SCCU, things have got nasty for this sort of reason twice.

Fortunately people calmed down.

[Simon Spivack]

Where there is goodwill and trust, such problems can often be set aside. David, despite his involvement with Surrey, was very helpful to Middlesex when we were hit by a late problem in 2007.

Perhaps the trickiest boundary issue I had when a club secretary was when somebody new to the Great Wen joined my club and another. The eagle-eyed league secretary spotted the problem after the tyro had played in two matches. He had played for us first, so we were not penalised. I was approached by the other club and I agreed to write to the league asking for leniency, in my view the mistake was a genuine blunder. The league insisted that the letter of the law be adhered to. I was contacted again by the other party, asking that we agree to the player turning out for them; I responded that I would accept this if this was the player's wishes and that we should not be penalised. The league, though, would not budge and I was not prepared to acquiesce to a deduction of points.

The two clubs used to have another player in common who was incapable of determining which teams to turn out for. We solved the difficulty by phone before the season began, we decided which teams this individual would play for.

[Gavin Strachan]

Why is this discussion in the "Not Chess" section? You chessheads have enough of this forum as it is!

The answer to this lies in the initial question which was which is in the odd one out between all the SCCU counties. Simple non chess question.

[Eoin Devane]

The answer to this lies in the initial question which was which is in the odd one out between all the SCCU counties. Simple non chess question.

You saboteur, you! I see your evil master-plan - you knew that any county boundary related question would end up bringing in chess disputes. It's all a malicious attempt to hijack the subforum that we fought so valiantly to obtain, isn't it? How dare you ...?

[Eoin Devane]

P.S. I'm only joking, in case you didn't realise! Any activity to justify this subforum's continued existence is good enough for me.

[Gavin Strachan]

Funny thing is I didn't even realise the historical chess context to this thread. sic.

[Eoin Devane]

Well in any case I congratulate you for sustaining the "Not Chess" section through the quiet times that have followed the World Cup.