Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

A forum for the Midland Counties Chess Union.
Neil Graham
Posts: 1938
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:36 pm

Re: Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

Post by Neil Graham » Sun Mar 11, 2018 9:12 pm

Any suggestions on which three teams might qualify here?

http://www.mccu.org.uk/cm17-18/u120/u120.htm

P.S. For any readers from the NCCU who aren't acquainted with county chess - this is a seven county all-play-all event.

User avatar
IM Jack Rudd
Posts: 4815
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:13 am
Location: Bideford
Contact:

Re: Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Sun Mar 11, 2018 9:35 pm

Well, at least one of Leicestershire and Derbyshire, and no more than one of Staffordshire and Worcestershire. Other than that, *shrugs*

Andrew Zigmond
Posts: 2073
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 9:23 pm
Location: Harrogate

Re: Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

Post by Andrew Zigmond » Fri Mar 16, 2018 10:27 am

Neil Graham wrote:
Sun Mar 11, 2018 9:12 pm
Any suggestions on which three teams might qualify here?

http://www.mccu.org.uk/cm17-18/u120/u120.htm

P.S. For any readers from the NCCU who aren't acquainted with county chess - this is a seven county all-play-all event.
I deleted a post a couple of nights ago that I thought better of but I still don't understand Neil Graham's swipe at the NCCU. Yes, county chess is a big thing in the MCCU and good for them. However county chess is not the be all and end all of English chess but just one way of enjoying the game. In the North you have four of the country's big six congresses (Doncaster, Blackpool, South Lakes, Scarborough) with numerous other smaller congresses and at least one county has a well contested Saturday inter club league. That is the way chess has evolved within the Northern counties, and as a result perhaps less interest in travelling all the way to Leicestershire for the sake of one game.

The WECU also has a small pool of active counties without attracting sneering, adverse comments.
Controller - Yorkshire League
Chairman - Harrogate Chess Club
All views expressed entirely my own

Mick Norris
Posts: 10310
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester

Re: Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

Post by Mick Norris » Fri Mar 16, 2018 12:51 pm

WECU does ok, given the large counties and therefore big travel distances involved; 5 team jamboree in September, 4 county matches in November, 4 more scheduled in 2018

The EACU normally has a 4 county double round APA for the open teams to qualify for the Minor, similar for the U160 with Herts playing, and 3 at U120 again a double round APA

The SCCU and MCCU have more counties competing, partly because they are closer together I guess, partly because of the larger population centres

The NCCU doesn't seem that bothered apart from the big 2, though Cumbria normally compete at U160 and I see Merseyside have played and beaten Yorks at U120 which is new (though I am not clear why they don't have a match scheduled v Lancs)
Any postings on here represent my personal views

Andrew Zigmond
Posts: 2073
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 9:23 pm
Location: Harrogate

Re: Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

Post by Andrew Zigmond » Sat Mar 17, 2018 12:05 am

Mick Norris wrote:
Fri Mar 16, 2018 12:51 pm

The NCCU doesn't seem that bothered apart from the big 2, though Cumbria normally compete at U160 and I see Merseyside have played and beaten Yorks at U120 which is new (though I am not clear why they don't have a match scheduled v Lancs)
But the Northern chess scene has a thriving league and congress scene and plenty of dedicated organisers giving up their time to make them happen. If county chess is not a priority it is simply because the Northern chess player has ample ways of getting his/ her fill without having to travel long distances for the sake of a single game and run a minefield of rules and regulations into the bargain. Yes, there are a few fallow patches (Sunderland were quoted as no longer even having a club) but you get these in every part of the country. I get the impression Neil Graham just likes insulting the NCCU for the sake of it.
Controller - Yorkshire League
Chairman - Harrogate Chess Club
All views expressed entirely my own

Roger de Coverly
Posts: 21291
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Re: Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

Post by Roger de Coverly » Sat Mar 17, 2018 1:00 am

Andrew Zigmond wrote:
Sat Mar 17, 2018 12:05 am
But the Northern chess scene has a thriving league and congress scene and plenty of dedicated organisers giving up their time to make them happen. .
I get the impression that each local league in Yorkshire runs a Congress. There's also the periodic visits of the 4NCL Congresses. Coupled with the Yorkshire County League played at weekends, it's easy to see that inter county matches get squeezed out.

Andrew Zigmond
Posts: 2073
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 9:23 pm
Location: Harrogate

Re: Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

Post by Andrew Zigmond » Sat Mar 17, 2018 1:59 am

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Sat Mar 17, 2018 1:00 am
Andrew Zigmond wrote:
Sat Mar 17, 2018 12:05 am
But the Northern chess scene has a thriving league and congress scene and plenty of dedicated organisers giving up their time to make them happen. .
I get the impression that each local league in Yorkshire runs a Congress. There's also the periodic visits of the 4NCL Congresses. Coupled with the Yorkshire County League played at weekends, it's easy to see that inter county matches get squeezed out.
Not strictly true. The only Yorkshire congresses that are locally organised are Bradford, Doncaster, Hull and Huddersfield (and Leeds when it was run, Sheffield as well but it won't take place this year). The jewel in the crown, Scarborough, is of course run by organisers from the North East and the 4NCL, Castle Chess and the North Chess Fund run events of varying scale without being Yorkshire based.

I can't speak with so much authority about the wider North but both Blackpool and South Lakes (massive congresses attracting players from far and wide) have strong connections with the county associations involved.

Two points. The first is that outside organisers surely come to Yorkshire because there is a market there. The second is that county chess does indeed get squeezed out by more convenient events elsewhere.

The national stages of the county championships generally consist of a maximum of three games (quarter, semis and final). I suppose I should feel sorry for those poor Midland counties who have to endure these tedious long distance car journeys to get a game of chess in a church hall somewhere when I can play three congresses in my home town (sixteen games in all - one is a six rounder) and combine several more events with a pleasant weekend away.
Controller - Yorkshire League
Chairman - Harrogate Chess Club
All views expressed entirely my own

NickFaulks
Posts: 8452
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:28 pm

Re: Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

Post by NickFaulks » Sat Mar 17, 2018 11:46 am

Andrew Zigmond wrote:
Sat Mar 17, 2018 12:05 am
I get the impression Neil Graham just likes insulting the NCCU for the sake of it.
I suppose I should feel sorry for those poor Midland counties who have to endure these tedious long distance car journeys to get a game of chess in a church hall somewhere
One might get the impression Andrew Zigmond just likes insulting the MCCU for the sake of it.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Neil Graham
Posts: 1938
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:36 pm

Re: Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

Post by Neil Graham » Tue Mar 20, 2018 3:19 pm

In respect of Andrew's comments I really think a slight side swipe cannot in any way be construed as an insult. We can discuss the relative merits of chess in areas for a considerable time and no doubt they will generate a great deal of debate and even more hot air. If Andrew would like to see criticism of the NCCU he only needs to read David Robertson's comments here :-

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9466&p=210037&hilit=nccu#p210037 to which he replied.

In respect of the Counties Championship which this thread is about, as I understand it there have been two NCCU matches this year (Lancs v Yorks and U120 Merseyside v Lancs) totaling 24 boards. In the MCCU there have been 40 matches with a further 6 due this weekend with a sum total of 636 boards. Sorry if pointing this out is considered out of order - and not all were played in church halls in Leicestershire.

Mick Norris
Posts: 10310
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester

Re: Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

Post by Mick Norris » Tue Mar 20, 2018 3:26 pm

Neil Graham wrote:
Tue Mar 20, 2018 3:19 pm
In respect of Andrew's comments I really think a slight side swipe cannot in any way be construed as an insult. We can discuss the relative merits of chess in areas for a considerable time and no doubt they will generate a great deal of debate and even more hot air. If Andrew would like to see criticism of the NCCU he only needs to read David Robertson's comments here :-

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9466&p=210037&hilit=nccu#p210037 to which he replied.

In respect of the Counties Championship which this thread is about, as I understand it there have been two NCCU matches this year (Lancs v Yorks and U120 Merseyside v Lancs) totaling 24 boards. In the MCCU there have been 40 matches with a further 6 due this weekend with a sum total of 636 boards. Sorry if pointing this out is considered out of order - and not all were played in church halls in Leicestershire.
General point taken, Neil, but...

Hot off the press: Mar 18th U120 Merseyside 6½ – 5½ Lancashire

Good to see Merseyside winning the NCCU title at their first (recent) attempt, which will hopefully encourage more competition
Any postings on here represent my personal views

Neil Graham
Posts: 1938
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:36 pm

Re: Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

Post by Neil Graham » Tue Mar 20, 2018 3:31 pm

Mick Norris wrote:
Tue Mar 20, 2018 3:26 pm
Neil Graham wrote:
Tue Mar 20, 2018 3:19 pm
In respect of Andrew's comments I really think a slight side swipe cannot in any way be construed as an insult. We can discuss the relative merits of chess in areas for a considerable time and no doubt they will generate a great deal of debate and even more hot air. If Andrew would like to see criticism of the NCCU he only needs to read David Robertson's comments here :-

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9466&p=210037&hilit=nccu#p210037 to which he replied.

In respect of the Counties Championship which this thread is about, as I understand it there have been two NCCU matches this year (Lancs v Yorks and U120 Merseyside v Lancs) totaling 24 boards. In the MCCU there have been 40 matches with a further 6 due this weekend with a sum total of 636 boards. Sorry if pointing this out is considered out of order - and not all were played in church halls in Leicestershire.
General point taken, Neil, but...

Hot off the press: Mar 18th U120 Merseyside 6½ – 5½ Lancashire

Good to see Merseyside winning the NCCU title at their first (recent) attempt, which will hopefully encourage more competition
Good for them.

Mick Norris
Posts: 10310
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester

Re: Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

Post by Mick Norris » Fri Mar 30, 2018 9:13 am

Nominations for the National stages were:

Minor – Lincolnshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire
U180 – Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire
U160 – Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire
U140 – Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire
U120 – Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Warwickshire
U100 – Leicestershire and Warwickshire
Any postings on here represent my personal views

User avatar
IM Jack Rudd
Posts: 4815
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:13 am
Location: Bideford
Contact:

Re: Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Fri Mar 30, 2018 9:28 am

Is one of those sets of nominations subject to an appeal?

Mick Norris
Posts: 10310
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester

Re: Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

Post by Mick Norris » Fri Mar 30, 2018 10:03 am

As far as I know, Nominations for the National Stages had to be sent in by midnight on Sunday 25 March, so there was no chance to wait for an appeal

I can see that the ECF need a deadline, and that they need to know how many counties are entering each section, and that those counties have accepted the nomination; I don't think commenting further is wise at this stage
Any postings on here represent my personal views

Alex Holowczak
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:18 pm
Location: Oldbury, Worcestershire
Contact:

Re: Counties Championship 2017-18 Graded Sections

Post by Alex Holowczak » Fri Mar 30, 2018 12:20 pm

The appeal is being heard on Saturday, and we are obliged to publish on or before Sunday.

We're waiting to hear the result of the appeal on Saturday, and have told the MCCU that if they wish to change their nominations as a result of that appeal, then that's fine. We've done the draw, but we've withheld publishing it for that reason.

Post Reply