08 June 2011

·        The Steve Boniface Memorial will be held on the weekend of Friday 26^th- Sunday 28^th of August. There will be a staggered entry fee with the open being £28, Major £24, and Minor £20.

·        Thanks to a donation the prizes have been substantially improved. Open: 1^st  £200, 2^nd £120, 3^rd £60. Major: 1^st £150, 2^nd, £80, 3^rd £40. Minor: 1^st £100, 2^nd £60, 3^rd £30.

·        The Bristol Winter Congress will be held on the first weekend in December, but will not have a British Qualifying Spot this year.

·        The congress entry numbers were at a level that is sustainable.

·        The change to grading quickplay tourns lead to a slight drop in entries for the Chipping Sodbury rapidplay, but the plan is to continue with grading it at the very least for this season, and then draw some conclusions.

·        There’s a slight change in the grading threshold for playing down a division. ( See the last note)

·        The Downend Summer Quickplay takes place on the 14^th June, 12^th July, 2^nd August, 16^th August.

·        There are plans to possibly hold a summer team quickplay if there’s enough interest.

·        With the change to grades being published twice each year, the league plan’s to retain the summer grades for the duration of the season, and send results in for grading at the end of the season.

·        The league is strongly against potential changes to an ECF- membership scheme.

·        There are Facebook pages for the Bristol League.  

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_158601977512953

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bristol-and-District-Chess-League/321443130323

·        There were 100 Bristol Juniors at the UK Chess Challenge Megafinal, and 12 have qualified for the Gigafinal. For anyone, like me, a bit confused by the names, substitute ‘Mega’ for Regional, and ‘Giga’ for South/ North.

·        Tom Thorpe has been selected to play for Wales in the World Youth Championships in Brazil.

·        2 new schools have begun running chess clubs.

·        The Grand Prix plans to retain the summer grades for the duration of the season. There was a slight drop in the number of games played last season.

·        The league subs will increase by £1 from £39- 40 for each team next season.

·        The Bristol League’s balance at bank was £3644, with £1200 being set aside as a donation for the Steve Boniface Memorial.

·        Total income for 10/11 season was £3990.13, with total expenditure being £4147.32. Which totals a loss of £157.19, down quite a bit on last year’s loss of £694.95

·        There are plans to run a 4^th 4NCL team next season. If you, or anyone you know, is interested in playing at the 4ncl (and bear in mind there are players of all standards, it’s in no way an ‘elite’ event), please contact David Buckley.

·        The only change in terms of the personnel volunteering for the Bristol League was Ben Edgell voted in as ECF Rep. for the Bristol League, and also as Vice President. Pete Saunders continues in the role as Publicity/ Recruitment Officer, but would dearly like someone else to take over the role.

·        All of the motions put up for the AGM were voted in.

Each club shall receive 7 fixture lists per team free or charge, and any additional ones shall cost £2 per list.

A match captain must be present for both sides for the duration of the match.

Match results should be submitted within 72 hours of completion. Failure to do so may result in a £2 fine.

A player wishing to play for a lower team that is in the same division must have a grade less than the threshold of the division below that in which they play. If further teams from that club play in the same division, to play for them, the player must have a grade less than that of the division below that in which they play.

If the team next below that of the player is in a lower division it is only required that the player’s grade is less than the threshold of the division in which that team plays.

But,- if further teams from that club play in that same division, to play for them, the player must have a grade less than that of the division below that in which they play.

In Div’s 1, 2, and 3 for each 10 DPPs accumulated in a season, 1 match point shall be deducted. If a team exceeds 45 in one season it shall be asked to resign from the league championships.

In Div. 4 as above but 5 DPP= 1 deducted match point, 22= resign from the league.

Clubs will be notified of fees due for the season in September, and required to pay by 30^th November.

·        There is some money available through the Bristol Chess Educational Trust to be donated to worthy causes. I believe at present it’s somewhere around £150, but I can’t remember exactly.