Middlesex Chess League
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Payee: Middlesex County Chess
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Sort Code: 12-11-03 Account Number: 00726567
Rules of the Middlesex Chess
League as amended 9th July 2018, updated 22nd July 2019,
updated 1st November 2021
Following the custom of FIDE, we
state, "In these rules the words 'he', 'him' and 'his' are used
indiscriminately to include 'she, her' and 'her's'."
MCCA Constitution Clause 4.
FEES:
All fees shall be determined at
the Annual Council meeting and shall become due on October 1st each year. All
games played under the auspices of the Association shall be subject to the ECF
Game fee scheme. In addition, each private member or affiliated club shall pay
any registration fees which are due to the Southern Counties Chess Union.
FEES Rates
To enter a team into the League:
£40 per team except the Limited Grade Categories which are £10 per team plus
County Affiliation of £20 per annum if not otherwise a member
Late Entry Fees: £5 per team (if
accepted)
ECF Game Fee: For current rate
see here https://www.englishchess.org.uk/pay-to-play-and-game-fee/
Fine for not attending the
Fixtures Meeting: £20
Adjudication Deposit: £15.00
Fee deducted from adjudication
deposit: £5.50 per lost decision
For not reporting the result of a
match in time: 50p per result
Failure to supply membership
list: £20 (See Constitutional Clause 3 given below for reference)
MCCA Constitution Clause 3.
MEMBERSHIP AND AFFILIATION:
(e) All League members and other
affiliated clubs are required to supply a full list of this previous year's
club members, together with those members e-mail addresses and/or phone
numbers, before the end of July each year. The list will be submitted to the
Secretary or another person delegated for that year. Failure to conform will
incur a fine. ( In 2002 this was set at £20.)
Competition Rules
1. PLAYING RULES:
Unless otherwise provided all
games shall be played in accordance with the current laws of chess as laid down
by FIDE.
FIDE occasionally review their
rules which the Committee will assess their effect and were applicable apply to
the rules contained herein.
2. APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS:
At the Annual General Meeting,
the two officers shall be appointed:-
The League Secretary and
The League Grader.
3. MANAGEMENT OF THE LEAGUE:
The day to day running of the
League shall be the responsibility of the appointed League Secretary.
4. DISPUTES:
If a dispute occurs between two
players and a registered ECF arbiter is present then the matter shall be
referred to that person. If no arbiter is present as an official, player or a spectator,
then the two team Captains shall jointly act as an arbiter. If they disagree,
then the matter shall be referred to the League Secretary, in writing, with the
full details. This shall be carried out by both team captains within ten days.
5. APPEALS:
Any appeal against the League
Secretary's decision shall be made in writing within fourteen days and heard by
a committee of three individuals who are members of the Association's Executive
Committee. Their decision shall be final and binding. The League Secretary
shall arrange in consultation with the president, which three members of the
Executive Committee shall serve and shall advise both parties involved in the
dispute as to who those officers will be. All parties shall have at least two
weeks’ notice of the date, time, and venue of the meeting.
6. ENTRY:
The clubs wishing to enter for
the following season shall have duly completed and returned the application
form to the League Secretary before the date of the Annual Council Meeting of
the Middlesex County Chess Association, or are present at that meeting to make
a verbal entry.
The entry shall include the
number of teams for the various divisions and any entries for the divisions of
the Limited Grade Categories.
See Appendix A
The list of club officers and
team captains, with their addresses and phone numbers shall be rendered to the
League Secretary by the opening of the Fixtures meeting, together with any
monies required to bring the adjudication deposit up to the required sum (see
clause 16f).
Late entries shall be at the
League Secretary's discretion and subject to a late entry fee as determined by
the council.
Entry fees and ECF game fees
shall be rendered as required by the Middlesex County Chess Association
according to the constitution. (Clause 4)
7. DIVISIONS:
a). All divisions (other than
those in the Formula Divisions referred to below) shall consist of up to eight
teams, except for the last division, which shall consist of no fewer than six
and not more than thirteen teams. In these divisions teams shall be subject to
promotion (two teams) and relegation (two teams) except that there shall be no
promotion from the first division and no relegation from the last division.
b). An extra division shall be
formed when the number of teams entered for the last division exceeds thirteen;
and the number of divisions shall be reduced by one when the number of entries
for the last division falls below six.
c). Every division shall be
played on a Double Round All-Play-All basis, with each team playing once at
home and once away against each opponent. If there are more than eight teams in
a division (in the last division or in the Formula divisions), then they shall
play each other once only, based on the draw for the appropriate Berger table.
When two or more teams from the same club are in the same division all matches
between these teams shall be played no later than 31st December of
the season in question. The penalty for non-compliance shall be the forfeiture
of the games and matches concerned. These defaults counting cumulatively
towards match points forfeited under rule 10.
d). Exceptions. See appendix B
8. COMPOSITION OF EACH
DIVISION:
a). Each division (except for the
first and last) shall normally consist of the four teams finishing third to
sixth in the previous season, plus the two teams relegated from the division
above plus the two teams promoted from the division below. (see Rule 12)
b). A team may decline promotion
only if the promotion would result in two teams from the same club playing in
the same division. In this event the vacant place shall be offered
successively, and in descending order, to the teams finishing below the team
that refused promotion, except for those teams due to be relegated. A relegated
team shall not be offered a reprieve unless a vacancy arises as a result of
every eligible team in the division below refusing promotion; in that instance
the reprieve shall first be offered to the team finishing seventh. This
procedure shall be repeated for any consequent vacancy in lower divisions.
c). No team finishing outside the
promotion positions shall be compelled to accept promotion against its will
because of a higher placed team declining. If no voluntary replacement can be
found the latter will be promoted regardless of whether its club already had a
team in the higher division. No more than two teams from the same club shall
play in any one division, except for the last division, where the limit is
three.
d). New teams shall start in the
lowest division, unless otherwise determined by the Association's Council.
e). See appendix C
9. NOMINATIONS:
a). No player shall play for more
than one club in any one season, even if the clubs concerned compete in
different divisions of the League. Any player who does so shall only be
eligible for the first club that he played for in that season. Any player not
eligible will forfeit his board result.
b). A club with two or more teams
in the League divisions must nominate six players for each of these teams except
for the bottom team. The nominations shall be received by the League Secretary
no later than the date of the first match of the club concerned. No player may
be nominated for more than one team, nor may he play for a lower team than the
one for which he was nominated. Formula Divisions excepted, no player is
eligible for a team if he has played more than four games, defaults not
counting, for a higher team or teams that season. First team Nominees shall
consist of the eight strongest members of a club who intend to play in the
League that season.
c). If a nominated player has not
played for his team by January 31st (or other date to be determined
by the League Secretary or by the Fixtures Meeting) a substitute nominee must
be made from among those who have already made an appearance for that team. If
this results in insufficient nominees for a lower team then this procedure
shall be repeated for each team affected.
d). When a club has two teams in
the same division the above shall be applied to a unit of sixteen nominees. The
two strongest players and four of the next six shall be nominated for the
strongest team; the assignment of the remaining ten nominations is at the
discretion of the club.
e). Exceptions. See Appendix D
10. FIXTURES:
A fine may be levied on clubs not
represented at the Fixtures Meeting,
These clubs will have dates of
matches arranged that are convenient to their opponents who are present at the
meeting; these dates can only be changed if both sides assent in writing to the
League Secretary. Fixtures must initially be arranged to be played before 31st
May. Fixtures may also be arranged by clubs in advance of the Fixtures Meeting.
Matches not played before 14th
May, and for which no later date has been approved by the League Secretary,
shall be scored as a loss to both sides and attract the penalties for
defaulting.
Any team wishing to postpone or
rearrange a fixture must give the opposing team
Captain 96 hours’ notice prior to
the original fixture date. If this notice is not given the opposing captain has
the right to insist that the original fixture date stand.
11. SCORING AND DEFAULTS:
If at the start of a match, a
captain or his deputy knows that their team is incomplete then he must default
the appropriate number of boards in sequence upwards from the bottom board. A
match is won, and scored as one game point for the winner, if that team had
more game points than its opponent for the match otherwise the match is drawn,
and each team scores one half of a match point. For every eight defaults half a
match point will be deducted. The defaults will be weighted as follows:-
Boards 1 or 2 = 3 Defaults.
Boards 3, 4, or 5 = 2 Defaults
Boards 6, 7 or 8 = 1 Default.
This system does not apply to the
Formula Divisions.
12. EXPUNGING THE RECORD:
The record of any team
withdrawing before half its matches, including defaults, are played shall be
expunged; notwithstanding this, the results shall be submitted for grading.
This provision shall also apply to any team that has been expelled by the
League Secretary through its inability to adhere to a satisfactory match
programme.
13. DETERMINING THE PLACING OF
TEAMS:
The winners of each division, the
teams to be promoted, and the teams to be relegated shall be determined by
match points; the highest scoring team coming first, the second highest scoring
team coming second and so on.
a) Ties shall be resolved by game
scores in a similar fashion.
b). If there is still a tie they
shall be placed in order according to the aggregate game points in the match or
matches between or amongst them.
c). If there is still a tie they
shall be placed in order on the board count. If the board count is equal results
shall be as decided by bottom board elimination.
d). If there is still a tie then
the involved teams shall play a deciding match under the League Rules
applicable to their division at an agreed venue or, if the teams cannot agree,
at a venue decided by the League secretary. If the division was a single round
All-Play-All the home side shall be the team that played away in the earlier
encounter between the two teams.
14. TIME CONTROLS:
a) Clocks
Every game shall be played with a
clock where available.
The home team captain shall
notify the opposing team captain of an insufficiency of clocks so that the
opposing team can remedy the deficiency.
b) Playing Session
The minimum duration of a session
shall be two hours and thirty minutes.
Prior to the start of each match
captains must record what time limit applies Increment, Quick Play, or Standard
Play. Quick Play finishes are the default position unless otherwise agreed.
2½ hour session
Increment
The rate of play is all moves in
60minutes plus 15s per move. A player can stop writing the moves in the last
5minutes. Players are not able to claim a draw under the 2minute rule.
Unfinished games must follow Rule 17
Games Unresolved at the Call of Time.
Quick Play
The time control shall be thirty
moves in one hour followed by a quick play finish with fifteen minutes added to
each player's clock. These Quick-play finishes shall be governed by the ECF
rules currently in force.
Standard Play
The rate of play for the first
session shall be thirty moves in one hour and fifteen minutes. Subsequent
sessions shall be played at the rate of twenty four moves every hour.
Unfinished games must follow Rule 17 Games Unresolved at the Call of Time.
3 hour session
Increment
The rate of play is all moves in
75minutes plus 15s per move. A player can stop writing the moves in the last
5minutes. Players are not able to claim a draw under the 2minute rule.
Unfinished games must follow Rule 17
Games Unresolved at the Call of Time.
Quick Play
The time control shall be thirty
moves in seventy five minutes, followed by a quick play finish with fifteen
minutes added to each player's clock. These Quick-play finishes shall be
governed by the ECF rules currently in force.
Standard Play
The rate of play for the first
session shall be thirty six moves in one hour and thirty minutes. Subsequent
sessions shall be played at the rate of twenty four moves every hour. Unfinished
games must follow Rule 17 Games
Unresolved at the Call of Time.
15. START OF PLAY:
The time for commencing play at a
match shall be agreed upon at the Fixtures Meeting and shall not be later than
7.30.p.m., except where the home side has accommodation difficulties, in which
case the match must begin by 7.45.p.m. Clocks shall be started at the time
agreed upon at the Fixtures meeting. Should it not prove possible to commence
play at that time, the home team must deduct the lost time from each of its
clocks.
Either captain can introduce a
substitute up to thirty minutes after the time arranged for starting play,
however, this player shall lose the time that has elapsed on the clock. The
substitute shall not be markedly stronger than the player he is replacing. Any
team or player that is not ready to play within thirty minutes of the time
agreed upon shall lose by default.
16. THE TOSS AND EXCHANGING OF
TEAM LISTS:
Team Captains (or their deputy)
should be in a position to exchange team lists and / toss a coin 10 minutes
before the time appointed to start play and if only one Captain (or deputy) is
present then that team has the right to choose colours.
The opposing captains, or their
deputies, shall exchange the names of their players and grades, whom they shall
place in their recognised order of current ECF grade according to the published
online Master List, plus or minus 80 points.
Where players have no ECF grade
but have a FIDE rating or, failing that, a National Rating, then their grade
for the purpose of board order shall be the ECF equivalent as calculated using
the recognised ECF conversion chart.
Ungraded players may play on any
board according to their playing strength. Both captains may agree to vary the
rule.
17. GAMES UNRESOLVED AT THE
CALL OF TIME:
At the call of time the player
whose turn it is to move shall make a sealed move. All sealed moves must be
made within 15 mins from the call of time. Failure to do so incurs the loss of
the game.
a) At the call of time games are
adjudicated if both players agree, or if one of the players is disabled, or if
the captains (or their deputies) decided on this course when team lists were
exchanged.
If the player, whose turn it is
to move, does not wish to adjourn, but his opponent does, then he has choice of
venue.
b). If the game is to be
adjudicated then both players shall take note of the position excluding the
sealed move, the colour of the pieces that each side played with, the name of
the player to move and the number of the board on which the game was played.
The two match captains shall then check and initial the two score sheets; each
shall retain one copy, which shall be sent to the League Secretary, together
with the respective claims, within ten days of the match.
Alternatively, the full
information may be sent by e-mail in Forsyth Notation.
If there is any discrepancy (i.e.,
a variation in the position) then the original, initialled, score sheets shall
be supplied to the League secretary by post. The club that loses the
adjudication shall be informed of this decision and have a fee deducted from
its adjudication deposit (see clause 'f').
c) Any team wishing to challenge
an adjudication shall write to the League
Secretary within seven days of
the result being known to them. The appeal shall be sent together with two
copies of the position and supporting analysis. The League Secretary shall
immediately notify the opposing team, who shall also have seven days to supply
an analysis if they wish to do so. The League Secretary shall forward the
appeal, together with all supporting analysis, to an independent professional
adjudicator whose decision will be final. The decision shall be communicated to
both teams. If the appeal fails a fee shall be deducted in addition to the one
already deducted after the initial adjudication deposit of the relevant club.
If the appeal is upheld then the initial fee shall be restored to the
adjudication deposit of the successful team's club; and a fee, as agreed by
Council, shall be deducted from the adjudication deposit of the opposing team's
club.
d) If the game is to be adjourned
the player who was to move at the call of time shall seal his move. Both
players shall take note of the clock times; the sealing player shall initial
the flap of the envelope. They shall then agree to a resumption date, which
shall be within two weeks, unless an extension is granted by the League
Secretary. The other player having choice of venue shall choose between, his
club's home venue of his opponent, unless both players agree an alternative.
The venue, date and time shall be recorded on the adjournment envelope and on
the results slip that has to be sent to the league Secretary. The sealed
envelope shall be held by the other player.
The League Secretary may penalise
the team of a player who does not appear at the resumption and may count the
game as a default.
e). All games unfinished at the
end of the second session are adjudicated unless both players agree otherwise
and the game can be completed within the original two week time limit or
extension. At the end of the second session the game can be decided by an
agreement of the opposing captains.
f) Each club shall initially
lodge a sum as an adjudication deposit with the League Secretary at the
beginning of the season; this deposit shall serve to cover the cost of any
appeal or fine. Further sums for these purposes can be demanded at the League
Secretary's discretion. These deposits shall be carried over to the next season
unless a club asks for a return.
18. REPORTING OF RESULTS:
Each team captain shall send the
full score of the match including the names of the players and their board
numbers and colours to the League Secretary within seven days of the first
session. Any team in contravention of this rule shall be fined and may, at the
League Secretary's discretion, be scored nil points for this match. Captains
are asked to include full players' initials/names; this is to assist both the
League Secretary and Grader.
When sending in result sheets
captains should not wait for the conclusion of unfinished games. Adjudications
should be included; if only one team complies then their claim shall be
allowed; if neither team complies then the game shall be scored as a double
default.
Captains should be prompt when
reporting the results of adjournments; all the results are to be sent in within
ten days of the outcome of a game. Any team that does not report the complete
result of a match within twenty four days of the first session may, at the
discretion of the League Secretary lose the match by default.
19. TROPHIES AND PRIZES:
The winner of each division shall
hold the corresponding trophy for one year. The winner of any trophy shall sign
for its receipt and shall return the trophy at the following year's Annual
Council Meeting. Trophies for further divisions of the League, as a result of
expansion, may be purchased by decision of the Association's Council. For
individual player's trophies or other prizes related to the League game results
may be awarded by decision of the Council. Such prizes may be withheld if no
player appears to have sufficient merit.
20. ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Electronic devices such as mobile
phones, smart watches, etc. are allowed in the playing area. However, they must
be either switched off or switched to silent mode for the duration of play.
Match captains must remind players of this requirement. An infringement would
be tolerated on the first occasion but in accordance with Competition Rule 1
(FIDE Rules of Chess) the opponent could claim the game on a second
infringement. This rule does not apply to Captains until their full team has
arrived or to players who make it known they have an emergency and have
permission from both match captains to have access to rather than being able to
use phone.
APPENDICES
A: These are to be known as the
Formula divisions and referenced as F1 through to F5, with the Following
restrictions:
F1 Open
F2 Under 175
F3 Under 150
F4 Under 125
F5 Under 100
B: Any division based on a
limited grade shall operate outside any rules of promotion or relegation.
Matches in these divisions shall be played over four boards.
C: The Limited grade divisions
are not subject to promotion and relegation.
D: Players whose clubs only play
in the Formula League Games will therefore not be banned from playing for
another club in the regular divisions.