IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT THE WEBSITE OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY CHESS ASSOCIATION

29 October 2024

Middlesex County Chess Association changes its website

This website was created by Adam Raoof in 2011. It was later taken over by Anthony Fulton, who stepped down as Webmaster at MCCA's Annual Council Meeting on 8 July 2024.

On 29 October 2024 the Association's Executive Committee appointed David Lewis as its Webmaster, with a mandate to replace this website with a new one. He continues in his role as MCCA Treasurer, to which he was appointed in April 2023.

MCCA's new website went live on 29 October 2024. To view it, click on Middlesex County Chess Association.

Adam and Anthony share a record of solid achievement in making the 2011 website an essential information resource for chess administrators and the general chess public. David Lewis intends to build on that achievement with the 2024 website, albeit in his own way.

The 2024 website

Our website will continue to be not only a window for the chess world and the general public, but also a resource for helping our officers to manage MCCA and our member clubs to manage their Middlesex League activities and their constitutional role as members of the MCCA Council.

Much of the contents of the 2011 website has become out of date following Anthony's resignation as Webmaster. For up-to-date and accurate information on MCCA and its activities you should always go to the new website, where we hope you will be a frequent visitor!

The 2011 website

Importantly, the 2011 website includes much of historical interest, thanks largely to Anthony Fulton’s keen interest in the history of English chess, as evidenced by his authorship of The Southern Counties Chess Union - a retrospective, published in 2022.

The 2011 website now becomes our Legacy Website: a resource for chess historians and for casual browsers with an interest in league and county chess in general and Middlesex chess in particular. Gradually key articles from the 2011 website will be added to the 2024 website (and may then be removed from the 2011 website).

2024-25 County Chess Season

 Middlesex are entering the usual 5 teams in this year’s SCCU Championship:-

Open, U2050, U1850, U1650, U1450.

16 board teams in all except the U1450 which is 12 boards.

The top 2, or for U1650 3, teams will be invited to play in ECF County Championship in which our U1450 team are the current National Champions.

County Success!

Having belatedly congratulated the Division Winners of the 2022-23 Middlesex League season, belated congratulations are also issued to Middlesex's county teams!

Each year the MCCA enters teams into the county championships. The competition is run in two stages:

Stage 1: Regional Stage - Middlesex participate in Southern Counties Chess Union entering teams into the following sections: Open, u2050, u1850, u1650 and u1450.

Stage 2: National Stage - the top two teams in each section qualify for the respective sections of the National competition which pitches the qualifiers of the five chess Unions (East Anglia Chess Union, Midlands Counties Chess Union, Northern Counties Union, Southern Counties Chess Union, and West of England Chess Union) against each other. On occasion the third placed team is requested to make up numbers, so 4/5 in National Stage not a bad return! The team finishing 3rd in Open section progresses onto Minor Counties Competition.

SCCU Stage

During the Regional Stage Anthony's Open and Keith's u1850 were crowned SCCU Champions; Evan's u1650 team finished runner-up, Anthony's u2050 finished 3rd and Dilu's u1450 collected the wooden spoon. Consequently, Open, u1850 and u1650 teams all qualified for the National Stage as of right. the u1450 also participated in the National Stage as Kent declined the invitation to make up places. For full details of respective SCCU performance see here.

National Stage

The u1450 entered at the preliminary stage and met familar foe Surrey. The term third time lucky seemed to apply as the team scored a comprehensive 7.5-4.5 victory. Unfortunately, due to penalties for failing to request permission to play unrated players, the team lost 5.5-4.5. This was disappointing as after a challenging season the team showed their class only to be undone by the rules. Overlooking the disappointment the team score a moral a victory and are in a good place for 2023-24.

Evan's u1650 team were knocked out at the QF round by Greater Manchester A tough result to take but it was the first time in decades that the team had reached this stage. It would be hoped the team now has a taste and will qualify again next season.

Anthony's and Keith teams received byes to SF where both had hard fought wins likewise against Greater Manchester. u1850 won on board count with Open winning a close encounter 8.5-7.5

With both the Open and u1850 teams progressing to the final both teams were seeking to attain their own records: Open were seeking to set a new record of 30 National titles the most of all counties when the competition introduced in 1908; u1850 were seeking to make it a hat-trick of titles where these titles straddled the pandemic. Keith had an easier time of it defeating familar foe Yorkshire 10-6.The Open had another tough match this time against Surrey and after a match that had enough swings and roundabouts ended up winning on board count 37-38 as the two teams could not be separated. A detailed account of the Open match is available in July's Chess Moves.

Congratulations to both Keith and Anthony, both will look forward to defending their doubles in 2023-24. It is hoped that the County will be able to get all teams through to the National Stage in next campaign.

Should you wish to represent any of the county teams do fill in the Play for a Middlesex County Team form or contact the respective captains directly.

Enjoy the photos of the winning captains, Anthony and Keith.

Victorious Open Team

Victorious u1850 Team

 

Middlesex League League Fixtures meeting 2023-24

Congratulations to the following teams for winning their respective divisions for the 2022-23 season:

Middlesex League Division 1: Hackney

Middlesex League Division 2: Albany

Middlesex League Division 3: Harrow Juniors

The trophies held by 2021-22 division winners will be transferred to current winners in due course.

The new season will be fast upon us and with this in mind the League Secretary draws your attention to the following:

The 2023-23 Middlesex League Fixtures meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 12th September 2023 at The Carpenters Arms. Clubs will be contacted in advance to verify:

a) Time

b) Composition of respective divisions for Middlesex League

A key agenda item will be to review the Formula League boundaries - the current boundaries are based on 3-digit rating when of course 4-digit rating is in operation. It is hoped that the competition can be revived once new boundaries established. By way of reminder the competition is a 4 board competition and runs alongside Middlesex League. Individuals participating in Formula League are not exempted from participating in Middlesex League so no nomination issues. It is a good competition for club members who are returning to competitive play or would like to 'blood' themselves!

Clubs should have been contacted by Treasurer to request that they confirm participation in MCCA-run competition ensuring they have paid their dues in advance certainly by 1st September 2023. It is not possible to participate in any MCCA-run competition unless your dues have been paid. The Treasurer urges you to pay soon rather than later to secure your MCCA affiliation.

Enquiries about Middlesex/Formula League should be referred to League Secretary

Enquiries about fees should be referred to Treasurer