A National Rapidplay Club (OTB) Competition?

[Hok Yin Stephen Chiu]

I am not sure whether this is one for the ECF, the 4NCL, or the County Unions.

But, was wondering among the (1) U18, and (2) 18-25, and (3) 26-39 demographic, whether actually playing in a regular competition* only really makes sense for people, who's primary (often sole) hobby is chess. Of course, if your primary hobby is chess, then, the regular *4NCL, or your *County team, or *local club in your local League, is great for you. This status quo seems fine for your seasoned chess player, but doesn't seem to be that useful/convenient to people with jobs or multiple sports/hobbies (in terms of time commitment), who are more likely to be young working professionals, or students.

Obviously, many people on here are quite keen chess players, but it seems to be a gap in the provision of rated-chess for people, who might wish to play less but take part in team-based chess, perhaps 5-10 rated rapid games a year, and instinctively much prefer congresses/rapidplay, which is just a day/weekend commitment.

During the pandemic, the ECF ran a National Online Clubs Championships, would there actually be a lot of uptake, if there was a National OTB Club Championships? Perhaps, teams of 4/6/8 with a 15+10' time control, maybe 7-9 rounds across two days, or even less (with regional qualifiers, and a national final)? Almost, in the same kind of structure that the UK Blitz is held, but for teams.

[Ian Thompson]

The 4NCL ran such an event for at least 2 years (2007 and 2008) - teams of 8 (I think), 10 rounds over 2 days, time control 20' + 10 ", at a conference centre in Newport Pagnell.

An obvious question to them would be why did they not continue it, and do those reasons still apply today?

[Roger de Coverly]

The 4NCL ran such an event for at least 2 years (2007 and 2008) - teams of 8 (I think), 10 rounds over 2 days, time control 20' + 10 ", at a conference centre in Newport Pagnell.

An obvious question to them would be why did they not continue it, and do those reasons still apply today?

I think they continued to run it until 2017.

The 2018 calendar https://www.4ncl.co.uk/1819_dates.htm has the comment

4NCL Rapidplay

Saturday 13 - Sunday 14 October 2018 (event did not take place)

Park Inn Bedford

I bleieve that was because they didn't have sufficient entries and overnight bookings for the financial viability of the event.

In any case isn't the calendar already full of rapidplay events at weekends? It's less commitment to arrange a team of one than a team of four, six or eight, paticularly if a restrictive rule is applied that they all have to be from the same club.

[Ian Thompson]

The 4NCL ran such an event for at least 2 years (2007 and 2008) - teams of 8 (I think), 10 rounds over 2 days, time control 20' + 10 ", at a conference centre in Newport Pagnell.

An obvious question to them would be why did they not continue it, and do those reasons still apply today?

I think they continued to run it until 2017.

The 2018 calendar https://www.4ncl.co.uk/1819_dates.htm has the comment

4NCL Rapidplay

Saturday 13 - Sunday 14 October 2018 (event did not take place)

Park Inn Bedford

In later years the 4NCL ran a 2 day individual rapidplay event. I don't recall there also being a team rapidplay event.

[LawrenceCooper]

The 4NCL ran such an event for at least 2 years (2007 and 2008) - teams of 8 (I think), 10 rounds over 2 days, time control 20' + 10 ", at a conference centre in Newport Pagnell.

An obvious question to them would be why did they not continue it, and do those reasons still apply today?

I think they continued to run it until 2017.

The 2018 calendar https://www.4ncl.co.uk/1819_dates.htm has the comment

4NCL Rapidplay

Saturday 13 - Sunday 14 October 2018 (event did not take place)

Park Inn Bedford

In later years the 4NCL ran a 2 day individual rapidplay event. I don't recall there also being a team rapidplay event.

I remember it well. I can recall team events on one day and an individual on the other and also a team event over both days. One example:
https://www.4ncl.co.uk/pre2010/2008_rap ... report.htm

[Dan Lambourne]

The ECF also attempted it viewtopic.php?f=25&t=713 but didn't get enough entries to continue with it.

[Ian Thompson]

The ECF also attempted it viewtopic.php?f=25&t=713 but didn't get enough entries to continue with it.

That ran for a number of years. I played in it in 2002, 2003 and 2005. As pointed out in the thread you've linked to, the handicapping system probably didn't encourage entries.

[Roger de Coverly]

If the ECF were ever to reinvent the national team rapidplay concept, it should forget handicaps by having rating prizes instead and base it around teams rather than clubs. At various times there had also been a Counties rapidplay. My records show me playing in it in 2000 at Bedford and 2001 at Stevenage. I also have some recollection, but no games, of it takimg place in Derby in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

[Andrew Craig]

I would be in favour of this kind of event continuing online. One of the positive things about the influx onto online chess was the ability to link up and play against clubs we ordinarily would never face.
We polled our members about playing in the OTB 4NCL after the enthusiasm of the Online offerings. Unfortunately, only around 10% of our membership base was interested in OTB (as opposed to >75% who played online matches in some form), with costs and time away from home being the driving factors.
We competed in the ECF National Online Tournament which I felt was very well ran. Would be a shame to see it fall by the wayside.