English Chess Forum

Should OTB Leagues consider reducing the number of boards per match for September 2021?

I hope this will not be needed needless to say.

I wonder as some smaller clubs mostly populated with elderly players will attempt to emerge from hibernation if some who have been fully vaccinated will still be reticent to resume OTB play.

Our matches are only four board affairs already, hopefully going lower than that will not be necessary.

I'm not sure it will be a huge issue since there can't be that many Leagues left in the country that have more then 5 boards per match - cutting boards down is a pretty dire solution really, you don't end up with the same number of players and more teams, just more players on the fringes not getting games and dropping out of League chess entirely

The manchester League has 7 boards on the top three divisions

Oxford 6