This is the thread for the Spens Cup 2019-20

Please note:  There are still places available to any club which wants to enter a team into the Spens Cup  Knock Out competition. The deadline is now extended to November 30.



The competition is open to any CS member club. The matches takes place over 5 boards. The draw will appear here in the updated news item.
Entries should be made to Karen Howie, CS Membership secretary who will be able to process new club memberships and Spens entries.
***
The dates are in the calendar with the Quarter and Semi a desired completion date and a fixed date for the Final. Jan 19, March 22, April 18. (Whether all the dates are required will depend on the exact number of teams in the competition.)
Ian Brownlee (admindirector@chessscotland.com) will act as Richardson and Spens Tournament Director this season. Please keep Ian informed during the season to assist with the smooth running of the competition.
***
These are the rules for the competition. Please contact us immediately if you think any of the rules are unclear or in error.
Please note some points.
Increment is now an acceptable time control in all rounds provided the clubs agree and the required equipment is available.
Spens Cup
Registration Form
***
Event history
Richardson
Spens

This is the thread for the current Richardson Cup (2019 -2020)
    
There are 9 clubs which have entered this season's Richardson Cup Knock Out competition.
Bellshill, Bon Accord, Cathcart, Dundee, Edinburgh, Edinburgh West, Hamilton, Glasgow Polytechnic, Phones.
The Quarter-Final draw will be announced shortly - the event is unseeded.
The dates are in the calendar with the Quarter and Semi a desired completion date and a fixed date for the Final. Jan 19, March 22, April 18.
Ian Brownlee (admindirector@chessscotland.com) will act as Richardson and Spens Tournament Director this season. Please keep Ian informed during the season to assist with the smooth running of the competition.
***
These are the rules for the competition and incorporate the attempt to meet club requests for a particular format along with the practicalities of the administration of the event. Please contact us immediately if you think any of the rules are unclear or in error.
Please note some points.
Increment is now an acceptable time control in all rounds provided the clubs agree and the required equipment is available.
Colours: The away side will take White on board one and the other boards will alternate (this changes last year's specialist colour ordering which had the downside of being impossible to replicate properly on the Chess-Results server when giving notice of exact board pairings).
Richardson Cup
Registration Form
***
Event history
Richardson
Spens

I have just received news that David Welch died early this morning. 

https://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php...HA#p237111


https://britishchessnews.com/2019/11/09/...welch-rip/ 

Sad news indeed

Starts tonight and continues tomorrow. Online entries closed for the blitz, Rapidplay still open for today.

Pairings, results and reports can all be found here.

Off to Bucharest on Sunday, getting really excited. If I manage to win 1 game I will be SOOOO happy. I'm number 146 out of 150!!

Eleven of us are going. All the best everyone.

GG

Resignation Statement – Alex McFarlane


It is with considerable regret that I confirm that I have stepped down from my position as Director of the Scottish Championships.

This is as a direct result of the Chess Scotland AGM’s decision that the title should be shared between players on different scores.  I cannot accept that such a decision makes any sense whatsoever.  Had the decision been to withdraw the title from Matthew Turner and award it to Colin McNab due to a misinterpretation of the qualification regulations on my part then at least that result would have had some logic attached. 

It probably would not have affected my decision if that had been the motion passed, however, as there is a second matter which has to be taken into account.

I was asked by two players to confirm that Mr Turner was eligible for the title.  I replied that he was.  As the AGM has now ruled that I was in error in this respect I therefore misdirected these players. This erroneously given 'confirmation' may have deprived them of the opportunity of becoming Scottish Champion.  That reason alone is a sufficient cause for my resignation.

This decision was not taken lightly.  It was considered over a period of some weeks and it had been intimated to the President before the meeting took place that if it was passed then so too would be my time running the Scottish Championships.

I am proud and privileged to have run the event and to have been an arbiter at it for the number of years I have.  I wish the Championships and my successors as Director and Chief Arbiter well for the future.

After my morning game at SNCL and my opponent had left I started to play a few moves- I would not have been long but a blue meanie arbiter pounced and said I was breaking FIDE rules. I asked who had complained, what harm (I was quiet)?  Rules are rules!  Maybe it is time to stop voting for FIDE rated tournaments.  I almost lost my jacket because of that arbiter - I was so upset.  If I had disturbed someone else then I would accept that I was wrong but no one was disturbed.  If we are going to be so strict then it should apply to organisers and arbiters as well - Blackpool does not comply with FIDE standard height of tables as I have pointed out to them. Rule 11.3.1 does not ban analysis after play but only during play on another board. Note that rule 12.2 © states that it is the arbiters duty to maintain a good playing environment and this has already been defined by FIDE to inclide table height, space betwwen tables and lighting etc.

Can you please check and let me know of any errors

Div 1  Div 2  Div 3  Div 4  Div 5

It s  probable that there is a bye in Div 5 as there is an odd number of teams.

I've got an idea!!

If you would like to play but don't have a team, come along and we will make up a team of Oddbods (ability to choose on name is acceptable) This team will not be charged and will vary from month to month depending on who turns up. It will not follow the club rules etc and at end of year it cannot be promoted. Ie it can be a mixture of lubs and the individuals will not be banned from playing for their own club teams in a later round. All games will be graded.


Come along and try SNCL, 

Help me out. I want all teams there tomorrow so sorry if you are sitting out in the morning. Be there cos if the above works you will have a game which will count towards promotion

So proud we hit 40, thanks Guys.

GG

Apologies for being later than normal, I have been very busy with Work, Isle of Man, AGM, Scarborough and life in general.  

Division 1  Division 2  Division 3  Division 4  Division 5