Division One 2018-19

Venues, fixtures, teams and related matters.
Jonathan Rogers
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Re: Division One 2018-19

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Sun Feb 10, 2019 3:25 pm

I feel (reasonably) sure that the French required at least one French player some years ago, but if so then they would appear to have dropped it over the years. Perhaps times have generally changed on this "nominal nationality" point?

Anyway, as many have said (including myself in CHESS in last summer) many will welcome the possibility of a Manx challenge for the title, because it was clear that Cheddleton were never really proper rivals for the title (three second places but every time much closer to the team in third than to the team in first). It may well be that Guildford's utter monopoly of the league is partly responsible for the lack of chess media interest in 4NCL of late, and if a serious Manx challenge can change that, then - good!

(But a word of warning - Manx are not winning their matches by big margins. So even if they keep on winning, they would probably have to beat Guildford rather than draw with them in their final round encounter. That does matter, a lot, looking at the history).

Leonard Barden
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Re: Division One 2018-19

Post by Leonard Barden » Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:00 pm

McShane is not registered with Guildford on the 4NCL list, so implying that Guildford may introduce another wildcard (Short?) on the next weekend and bring in yet another in May-just to make quite sure of keeping their unbeaten record.
Manx have not brought in anybody new this weekend (incidentally a fine result for Blackthorne's semi-retired board two to draw with a junior world champion 200 points higher) so, along with their inferior game points, suggesting they will be content to finish second at their first attempt, maybe planning to use chesscom. backing for a still stronger team in 2019-20.
As a 4NCL outsider, I hypothesise with caution....

Jonathan Rogers
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Re: Division One 2018-19

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:10 pm

Highly plausible hypotheses, except that I don't much expect to see Short.

Phil Neatherway
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Re: Division One 2018-19

Post by Phil Neatherway » Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:38 pm

I believe the Oxford defaults on Saturday were down to a problem with their train.

David Robertson

Re: Division One 2018-19

Post by David Robertson » Mon Feb 11, 2019 10:57 pm

Leonard Barden wrote:
Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:00 pm
implying that Guildford may introduce another wildcard (Short?) on the next weekend and bring in yet another in May
My guess: Hou Yifan

Jonathan Rogers
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Re: Division One 2018-19

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Tue Feb 12, 2019 8:59 am

a good guess. They had been hoping to play her regularly but must still be hoping for a one-off appearance.

David Robertson

Re: Division One 2018-19

Post by David Robertson » Fri Feb 15, 2019 6:29 pm

Leonard Barden wrote:Sources say Guildford have already tried, so far without success, to enlist Hou Yifan
There you go, Jonathan. You're "sources" from now on: Leonard confirms :)

LawrenceCooper
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Re: Division One 2018-19

Post by LawrenceCooper » Fri Feb 15, 2019 8:39 pm

David Robertson wrote:
Fri Feb 15, 2019 6:29 pm
Leonard Barden wrote:Sources say Guildford have already tried, so far without success, to enlist Hou Yifan
There you go, Jonathan. You're "sources" from now on: Leonard confirms :)
Not a totally reliably researched article though as it claims that Michael Adams was registered at the start of the season.

Richard Bates
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Re: Division One 2018-19

Post by Richard Bates » Fri Feb 15, 2019 9:15 pm

LawrenceCooper wrote:
Fri Feb 15, 2019 8:39 pm
David Robertson wrote:
Fri Feb 15, 2019 6:29 pm
Leonard Barden wrote:Sources say Guildford have already tried, so far without success, to enlist Hou Yifan
There you go, Jonathan. You're "sources" from now on: Leonard confirms :)
Not a totally reliably researched article though as it claims that Michael Adams was registered at the start of the season.
A presumption however not inconsistent with Jonathan’s postings on this thread... ;)

Richard Bates
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Re: Division One 2018-19

Post by Richard Bates » Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:12 pm

Anyway what is this theory re:wildcards all about? As far as I understand the rules a team can register as many new players as they want, at any point in the season, as long as they are registered 9 days before the weekend in which they will play. Theoretically Manx could register no’s 2-7 in the world + Hou yifan by the last week in April. Perhaps just holding back Magnus as the wildcard to maintain a modicum of surprise.

Alex Holowczak
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Re: Division One 2018-19

Post by Alex Holowczak » Sat Feb 16, 2019 11:04 am

Richard Bates wrote:
Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:12 pm
Anyway what is this theory re:wildcards all about?
It's mostly used to cover last-minute dropouts, where you need to find a replacement at short notice. Hence there is more freedom in the lower divisions. It's a problem if you only have 1 team, whereas it's comparatively trivial for a squad like Guildford or Barbican to at least move the potential default down out of the 1st division, and use the more relaxed regulations in Division 2 to fill the places. So if you get rid of the wildcard, you potentially cause problems with potential defaults for squads without second teams - a squad like Blackthorne Russia, in fact. The bigger squads, who don't really have that problem, can use it as a surprise weapon. I guess that's the advantage of having a bigger squad. So I think you have to balance the issues of the team that needs it to avoid defaults versus the teams using it as a surprise weapon. It probably made more sense back in the early days of the 4NCL when there were fewer divisions and relatively few squads had multiple teams.

If Carlsen/Hou was going to play in the final round, wouldn't the 4NCL like to know some time in advance to get the publicity benefit of it?!

Richard Bates
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Re: Division One 2018-19

Post by Richard Bates » Sat Feb 16, 2019 9:55 pm

Alex Holowczak wrote:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 11:04 am
Richard Bates wrote:
Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:12 pm
Anyway what is this theory re:wildcards all about?
It's mostly used to cover last-minute dropouts, where you need to find a replacement at short notice. Hence there is more freedom in the lower divisions. It's a problem if you only have 1 team, whereas it's comparatively trivial for a squad like Guildford or Barbican to at least move the potential default down out of the 1st division, and use the more relaxed regulations in Division 2 to fill the places. So if you get rid of the wildcard, you potentially cause problems with potential defaults for squads without second teams - a squad like Blackthorne Russia, in fact. The bigger squads, who don't really have that problem, can use it as a surprise weapon. I guess that's the advantage of having a bigger squad. So I think you have to balance the issues of the team that needs it to avoid defaults versus the teams using it as a surprise weapon. It probably made more sense back in the early days of the 4NCL when there were fewer divisions and relatively few squads had multiple teams.

If Carlsen/Hou was going to play in the final round, wouldn't the 4NCL like to know some time in advance to get the publicity benefit of it?!
Alex I know perfectly well why the rule on wildcards exist. What I was querying was the suggestion advocated above and elsewhere that Guildford were somehow being clever by playing potential wildcards in earlier games, as opposed to Manx (possibly “not understanding the rules”) who apparently have “settled for second”... When actually playing the likes of Adams, McShane etc in earlier rounds conveys no additional advantage for the final weekend whatsoever, as they could all have just been registered sometime in April if they were required to play.

Alex Holowczak
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Re: Division One 2018-19

Post by Alex Holowczak » Sat Feb 16, 2019 10:37 pm

Richard Bates wrote:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 9:55 pm
Alex I know perfectly well why the rule on wildcards exist.
Sorry for the crossed wires. Some people genuinely don't, though...

Richard Bates
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Re: Division One 2018-19

Post by Richard Bates » Sun Feb 17, 2019 10:39 am

Alex Holowczak wrote:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 10:37 pm
Richard Bates wrote:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 9:55 pm
Alex I know perfectly well why the rule on wildcards exist.
Sorry for the crossed wires. Some people genuinely don't, though...
Apologies for the superfluous “perfectly well”!

Jonathan Rogers
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Re: Division One 2018-19

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Sun Feb 17, 2019 12:35 pm

Richard is quite right re wlldcards and registrations of players, though I don't see that I nor anyone else have suggested anything differently in this thread.

It is helpful for Guildford to have fielded Adams and McShane already, of course. Not only has this helped them to make their large number of game points (and who can be sure whether they would otherwise have beaten Wood Green at all?) but doing so "ties" these players to Guildford for the season.

Guildford still unbeaten in any individual game so far this season, by the way. Last year they lost only game, against their second team.

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