4NCL 2024-25 dates and venues

[Nick Ivell]

I remember a Truran v Jackson marathon from about ten years ago, although no one would call it a classic...

Not much from my back catalogue, as I had normally started my third bottle of Bud by that stage.

[MartinCarpenter]

Maybe someone can post some of these long endgames that will be no more... The bit about even an extra ten minutes after the time control being a benefit is interesting. Presumably IMs (and GMs) can come up with a plan in complex endgames in that amount of time. Mere mortals need longer!

I think it's as much the change to rest and mentally reset rather than playing on eternal increment.

Of course, if really disciplined you could (objectively should?) keep a cushion of say 10 minutes for move 60 on.

[Roger Lancaster]

I think it's as much the change to rest and mentally reset rather than playing on eternal increment.

I can relate to that. After what is a common time-scramble to reach move 40, it's nice then to have ample time to consider the position properly.

[Joey Stewart]

It totally makes sense to reduce the time limits this season - the league has been forced into the outer reaches of the universe which is already going to vastly increase travel times and adding to this the possibility of getting home late on Sunday (or not at all in worst cases) would likely mean further dropouts as most players in the league are not multi millionaires that can just stay an extra night and take Monday off.

It's definitely a step down from the good old days of 7 hour games but it's also worth noting that the league had the use of far more accessible hotels and it was far more convenient to stay up later so there are a lot of things beyond their control which factor into this decision.

[Roger Lancaster]

It totally makes sense to reduce the time limits this season - the league has been forced into the outer reaches of the universe which is already going to vastly increase travel times and adding to this the possibility of getting home late on Sunday (or not at all in worst cases) would likely mean further dropouts as most players in the league are not multi millionaires that can just stay an extra night and take Monday off.

It's definitely a step down from the good old days of 7 hour games but it's also worth noting that the league had the use of far more accessible hotels and it was far more convenient to stay up later so there are a lot of things beyond their control which factor into this decision.

I'm unconvinced that this season's venues constitute "the outer reaches of the universe" or anything like it. In order to cause the greatest inconvenience to the largest number of people, it would probably be hard to improve on one of last year's venues, Telford, but there's no venue that is going to make everyone happy. [For the record, Telford to Watford after the May weekend was a 4-hour drive. For anyone further south, it would have been longer].

[IM Jack Rudd]

I live further south than Watford, and I always found Telford one of the easier venues to get to. Walkability from the railway station is a big plus.

[Roger Lancaster]

I live further south than Watford, and I always found Telford one of the easier venues to get to. Walkability from the railway station is a big plus.

Yes, I didn't wish to suggest that no-one found Telford congenial, and it's close to Birmingham, but I suspect they form a distinct minority.

[LawrenceCooper]

I live further south than Watford, and I always found Telford one of the easier venues to get to. Walkability from the railway station is a big plus.

Yes, I didn't wish to suggest that no-one found Telford congenial, and it's close to Birmingham, but I suspect they form a distinct minority.

I think I was very much in a minority in my two teams, it remains the only 4NCL location signposted from Stafford but for many of them it's an extra train change.

[Roger de Coverly]

[For the record, Telford to Watford after the May weekend was a 4-hour drive. For anyone further south, it would have been longer].

Congestion perhaps? Par time for Marlow to Telford and vice versa is two hours. Marlow is south west of Watford. Marlow to Peterborough has yet to be tested and timed, but it's on the A1(M) which is one of the routes north after the M25.

[Ian Thompson]

Final allocation of teams to divisions now published.

For some reason, rule 13.3 appears not to have been followed when filling the vacant places in Division 3 as 5 teams have been promoted from Division 4 whilst there are still 2 teams relegated from Division 3.

[Roger Lancaster]

[For the record, Telford to Watford after the May weekend was a 4-hour drive. For anyone further south, it would have been longer].

Congestion perhaps? Par time for Marlow to Telford and vice versa is two hours. Marlow is south west of Watford. Marlow to Peterborough has yet to be tested and timed, but it's on the A1(M) which is one of the routes north after the M25.

Both Marlow and Watford are roughly 130 miles from Telford which means 2 hours or even less is feasible given a clear road. One difference is that, whereas the recommended route from Marlow follows the M40, that from Watford is via M1 and M6 which incorporates "50 mph limit" sections. Added to that, and arguably more important, there was heavy M1/M6 traffic. With hindsight, I'd have done better to ignore the M1/M6 recommendation and instead taken a 30-minute drive around the M25 to join the M40 route - but I tell it as it was.

No complaint about Telford as a venue as one has to expect some rough along with the smooth! For me, Coventry, Peterborough and Warwick are all around 80 miles away, Daventry and Milton Keynes closer, and 80 miles is more or less the same as the round distance for a weekday league match against a team on the far side of the county. But I can understand why teams from Kent or Sussex (or, for that matter, Tyne & Wear or Durham, and I'm not even going to touch on the plight of those outside England!) don't compete when it's 200+ miles each way and they would get all rough and no smooth.

[Roger Lancaster]

Final allocation of teams to divisions now published.

For some reason, rule 13.3 appears not to have been followed when filling the vacant places in Division 3 as 5 teams have been promoted from Division 4 whilst there are still 2 teams relegated from Division 3.

Could it be that the relegated teams opted, even after being offered the option of reinstatement in Division 3, to stay relegated?

[Kevin Thurlow]

"With hindsight, I'd have done better to ignore the M1/M6 recommendation and instead taken a 30-minute drive around the M25 to join the M40 route"

Although, 30 minute drives on the M25 sometimes are a lot longer...

[Roger Lancaster]

"With hindsight, I'd have done better to ignore the M1/M6 recommendation and instead taken a 30-minute drive around the M25 to join the M40 route"

Although, 30 minute drives on the M25 sometimes are a lot longer...

Very true. Einstein pointed out that "Time is relative" and there can be few better examples than what purports to be a 30-minute drive on the M25.

[LawrenceCooper]

Pairings for Divisions 1, 2 and 3 and registrations are now available via the 4NCL homepage.