English Chess Forum

Not SoA-B. And if/when promoted, none of the others would survive promotion anyway. 3N has reached its limits from its own resources. Ambitious incomers can use it as a 'drive-through' on the way up. But otherwise, from the North, we're done

David Robertson wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 12, 2020 8:21 pm

But otherwise, from the North, we're done

Are you overlooking the invigorating effect of HS2?

David Robertson wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 12, 2020 8:21 pm

Not SoA-B. And if/when promoted, none of the others would survive promotion anyway. 3N has reached its limits from its own resources. Ambitious incomers can use it as a 'drive-through' on the way up. But otherwise, from the North, we're done

I was thinking that a bit today. Some of the squads actually do have the resources on paper, seemingly no one really has the drive to consistently field all their strongest players or enough strength to survive not doing so.

I could imagine 3Cs' 2 surviving in Div2, because they obviously keep generating strong new players and would presumably get some excess players from 3C's 1.

Round 5

31 Euwe's North Sea Tigers - - - Manchester Manticores 2
32 Shropshire 2 - - - Bradford DCA Knights A
33 Manx Liberty 2 - - - 3Cs 2
34 Bolton & Worsley - - - Spirit of Atticus B
35 Manchester Manticores 4 - - - J'Adoube 1
36 J'Adoube 2 - - - Bradford DCA Knights B

plus the triangular

50 Bradford DCA Knights C - - - Manchester Manticores 3
51 Manchester Manticores 3 - - - Shropshire 1
52 Shropshire 1 - - - Bradford DCA Knights C

Round 6

31 Manchester Manticores 2 - - - Shropshire 2
32 Bradford DCA Knights A - - - Euwe's North Sea Tigers
33 3Cs 2 - - - J'Adoube 2
34 Spirit of Atticus B - - - Manx Liberty 2
35 J'Adoube 1 - - - Bolton & Worsley
36 Bradford DCA Knights B - - - Manchester Manticores 4

NickFaulks wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 12, 2020 9:03 pm

David Robertson wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 12, 2020 8:21 pm

But otherwise, from the North, we're done

Are you overlooking the invigorating effect of HS2?

Nick, you may be seen as trying to flog 'em a dead iron horse here.

http://stophs2.org/news/16598-joke-hs2-2

I liked the suggestion that it would be cheaper to move Birmingham 20 miles closer to London.

NickFaulks wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 04, 2020 5:17 pm

I liked the suggestion that it would be cheaper to move Birmingham 20 miles closer to London.

There's a lot to be said for Coventry, which is about 20 miles closer to London than Birmingham. Direct rail access to Birmingham, Birmingham International Airport and London. Marginally lower cost of living than Birmingham, and obviously cheaper compared to London. You don't have to venture too far out of the city to reach some pleasant green spaces. Milton Keynes is a bit too artificial a place, and a bit too close to London to benefit from a cheaper cost of living.

It's certainly the nicest place ending in "ventry" that I regularly frequent.

But then you have to go back to Birmingham to watch the football club!

Not everything is rosy - Ikea's closing its store in Cov.

After weekend 3, we have:

12 points - Shrops 1, MM2
10 points - SoA B, J'adoube 1
9 points - Bradford A
8 points - 3Cs 2

Still looks like the 2 promoted teams will come from those 6, but 3Cs surprisingly narrowly lost both games this weekend, and Bradford managed to draw a 3rd match this season

Will be interesting to see the pairings for weekend 4; Manx 2 can be dangerous opponents as 3Cs found, and at least 1 of Shrops 1, J'Adoube 1 and Bradford A will avoid them

Shopshire I suspect will, goodness knows about the others.

I'm mostly deeply impressed that there weren't more defaults. Hope everyone got back sensibly on Sunday. Wild!