Stockport and District Chess League
Minutes of the 2013 Annual General Meeting held at 7.30 pm on Thursday
May 16th 2013 at Cheadle Hulme Conservative Club, Mellor Road,
Cheadle Hulme, SK8 5AT
1 Attendance and apologies
Attendees: Robin Warhurst (Wilmslow), Phil Cattermole(Macclesfield), Tony Flynn (Wilmslow), Peter King (Stockport), Tim Plunkett (Urmston), David Hardy (Ashton), K Lockett (Altrincham), Mike Tunstall (Stockport), John Reyes (Urmston), Geoff Laurence (Macclesfield), Ian Bates (Holmes Chapel), John M Turner (Holmes Chapel), David Kierman (Chorlton), Alan Beresford (Chorlton), Neil Dainty (Marple), Jeff Barlow (Marple), Terry Cowling (Marple), Sean Hewitt (Marple), Ian Vaughan (East Cheshire), Geoff M Smith (East Cheshire), Keith Hodgson (East Cheshire), Andy Reeve (Stockport), Alex Longson (Marple), Sarah Hegarty (Marple), Andrew Walker (East Cheshire)
Apologies: Carl Pinel (Buxton), David Hughes (Altrincham), Tony Doust (Marple), Peter Kelly (Marple)
2 Minutes of the 2012 AGM
The minutes were accepted.
3 Matters arising
There were no matters arising.
4 Drafting of the rules following the fixtures meeting
The draft of the rules was accepted.
4 Officers' reports
4.1 The President (R Warhurst)
No exceptional matters arose during the year.
4.2 The Secretary (R Warhurst)
No exceptional matters arose during the year.
4.3 Fixtures Secretary (K Lockett)
The Fixtures Secretary reported the smoothest year with regard to player registrations and board order that he experienced within his three year term and expressed his thanks to team captains of all clubs in the League.
There were 18 defaulted games and 5 defaulted matches in the year, which is similar to other years.
The disputes committee had to deal with one dispute, where one player claimed a win and another claimed a draw under FIDE rule 10.2, and the panel of three all came to the same conclusion.
All games were completed within the season.
The Fixtures Secretary thanked the Grading Officer, Website Manager, President and Disputes Committee members for their support and made the observation that the Stockport League Website is better than that of many other leagues.
4.4 Website Manager (A Reeve)
The Website Manager reported that the website was up to date and reminded the meeting that accurate timely information should be provided by Clubs and the League and suggested that contact and venue details for Clubs should be kept up to date on their own websites where they had them.
4.5 Handbook Secretary (A Walker)
The Handbook Secretary reported that the current system of giving out a fixed number of handbooks to clubs and charging for extra copies continued to work well and recommended it continue in future.
4.6 The Grading Officer (M Tunstall)
Mike reported that there were discrepancies between the ECF registration lists and the grading lists which had caused some problems. (Clubs please note and send accurate information to the ECF and the league on player registrations.)
4.7 Treasurer (P Cattermole)
The Treasurer noted that that the balance of the accounts had decreased slightly, but that a healthy balance remained.
The Treasurer and Auditor (I Vaughan) reported that there was one item of expenditure for engraving a trophy for which a receipt had not been received. However the sum concerned of £15 was not considered unreasonable. Club secretaries and League Officers were reminded that proper receipts need to be sent to the treasurer for all items of expenditure relating to the League.
It was noted that fees would need to be collected from clubs for non-ECF players. The current Secretary (R Warhurst) is to circulate the information provided by the Website Manager to the treasurer and relevant clubs.
5 English Chess Federation Membership Scheme Update (Sean Hewitt)
Sean reported that the switch to funding the grading system through player registrations had been a success and that no changes to ECF membership fees should take place in the coming year.
6 Team fees for 2013
A recommendation that fees per team in the main league remain at £5.00 per team was accepted by the meeting.
7
Presentation of trophies
Trophies were presented and the meeting expressed its congratulations to club representatives:-
Division 1 Champions: Marple A (presented to Alex Longson)
Division 2 Champions: Marple B (apologies from Macclesfield, G Laurence to ensure that the trophy reaches Marple).
Division 3 Champions: Ashton (presented to David Hardy)
Division 4 Champions: Not competed for this year.
Charnley Cup Winners: Holmes Chapel (presented to John Turner)
Vic Knox Trophy: Phillip Armstrong (Ashton, last presented to Rob MacLean of 3C’s, David Hardy to retrieve)
Eric Harrison Memorial Trophy: Kevin Ye (presented to David Hardy, Ashton)
Second Tier Cup: Marple (presented to Jeff Barlow, Marple)
8 Election of officers
Proposals for Change (Constitutional Changes)
That the registration of players is allocated to a new “Officer of the League”, namely “Registrations Secretary. Proposed by Karl Locket. (Seconded: M Tunstall, D Kierman).
The proposal was accepted.
That the informal role of “ECF Representative” be made a formal “Officer of the League”. Proposed by Robin Warhurst. (Seconded: P King)
The proposal was accepted.
The following officers were elected or re-elected.
President John TURNER (Holmes Chapel)
Vice President currently vacant
Treasurer Phil CATTERMOLE (Macclesfield)
League Secretary Ian VAUGHAN (East Cheshire)
Fixtures Secretary Geoff LAURENCE (Macclesfield)
Website Manager Andrew REEVE (Stockport)
Handbook Editor Andrew WALKER (East Cheshire)
Grading Officer Mike TUNSTALL (Stockport)
Auditor Alex LONGSON (Marple)
ECF Representative Sean HEWITT (Marple)
Registrations Secretary Karl LOCKETT (Altrincham)
Disputes Panel (Election of five members in addition to the Fixtures Secretary who is an ex officio member and the designation, among the panel, of the other two members of the Disputes Subcommittee and of 1st 2nd & 3rd deputies):
Ian BATES (Holmes Chapel) - confirmed
Anthony DOUST (Marple)
David HOLT (Denton)
Robert SHAW (Buxton)
Mike TAYLOR (Stockport)
Club secretaries are to confirm the above appointments to the new League Secretary.
9 Change to Rules (see below)
10 Any Other Business.
It was pointed out that rule 19A on smoking has been superceded by UK Law. The Executive Committee should ensure that its removal is proposed at the fixtures meeting.
PROPOSALS FOR CHANGES TO LEAGUE RULES
Please also note the two constitutional proposals under “Election of Officers”
1. New 4th Division (proposed by D Taylor, seconded by K Hodgson)
“That Stockport Chess League sets up a fourth, separate Division with the aim of providing more opportunities of evenly balanced matches for lower graded players.
That the Division be called the Limit League and that it be separate from the main Divisions (no promotion/relegation).
That teams in the Limit League be made up of 4 players graded less than or equal to 120 at the start of the season, with a team total grade limited to 350.
That the number of home and away fixtures (normally one of each between any two clubs) in the Limit League be decided at the Annual Fixtures Meeting.”
So the proposed rule changes would be: -
THE LIMIT LEAGUE
44 The Limit League
The Limit League shall operate with the aim of providing more opportunities of evenly balanced matches for lower graded players.
The rules of the main League shall apply to the Limit League, with following exceptions: -
There will be no promotion/relegation between the Limit League and the main League.
Teams will be made up of 4 players graded less than or equal to 120 at the start of the season, with a team total grade limited to 350.
The number of home and away fixtures (normally one of each between any two clubs) shall be decided at the fixtures meeting.
The proposal was accepted.
In addition to this the meeting expressed a large preference for a team grade limit of 400. The Executive Committee (of League Officers and Club Secretaries) are to ensure that a proposal to make this amendment is tabled at the Fixtures Meeting so that this preference can be ratified.
2. Change to rule 19 on clocks, to add the text highlighted in red below (proposed by T Cowling, seconded by J Reyes)
19 Clocks
All games must be played with clocks. Responsibility for providing a clock rests with the host team or individual. Either player may insist on using a digital clock provided that one is available. (NB This includes the away player supplying one where the home team does not have one available). The host team shall default on those boards for which a clock is not available unless the visiting team/individual has been given reasonable notice of a need to make up the deficit.
The proposal was accepted.
3. Adjournments (proposed by R Warhurst, seconded by I Bates)
This is to remove a contradiction in the rules with the move to a single time control. Rule 18 states the conditions under which adjournments are possible. But the current wording of rule 20 states that that adjournment cannot take place until the first time control is reached. But today the first time control is the end of the game and after 3 hours play (rather than after 2½ hours as previously), so we have a contradiction, especially if a match starts later than strictly required (as happens). Please note that even if proposal 4 below be accepted, constraints of rule 18 should ensure that most of the game will have been played by the time there is an adjournment should option ii) of this proposal be accepted.
Either i) Remove rule 18 on end of time for playing session, remove 39 (i) and replace rule 20 with:-
20 Adjournments
Adjournments are not allowed.
Or ii) Remove the first sentence of rule 20, “Both players must reach the first time control before a game may be adjourned”, which leaves the rule to say only:
20 Adjournments
Adjourned games shall be completed within 28 days unless the League Fixtures Secretary agrees otherwise on the basis of a written explanation from the match captains. This explanation must be received before the 28 days are up.
(For information, rule 18 states: “Play shall continue until 10:30pm, or 10:15pm where the nature of the premises makes this necessary. Play may continue beyond 10:30pm if both players agree before the match starts.”)
Option i) of the proposal was accepted.
4. Proposal to add the following sentence to 17A Rate of Play (proposed by T Cowling, seconded by J Turner)
Where digital clocks are available, and both teams agree, a time control of all moves in 80 minutes plus 10 second increments from move 1 may be used.
So the rule becomes: -
17A Rate of Play
The rate of play shall be all moves in 90 minutes. But where digital clocks are available and both sides agree, a time control of all moves in 80 minutes plus 10 second increments from move 1 may be used. The player whose flag falls first shall lose unless his opponent has insufficient material remaining to mate, in which case the game shall be drawn.
The proposal was accepted.
5. The Second Tier Cup (proposed by K Locket, seconded by R Warhurst)
Proposal to replace the current wording with the wording below.
(For information the current wording is: “The second tier cup shall be awarded to the winner of a knockout competition, restricted to the teams from the bottom two divisions and played over 5 boards. All other rules shall be the same as those for the Charnley Cup”)
THE SECOND TIER CUP
40 The Second Tier Cup
The Second Tier Cup shall be awarded to the winners of a knockout competition open to all member clubs of the League. Each club may enter one team made up of five players drawn from its registered list of players. Only players eligible to play for a team in the either of the lower two divisions of the Stockport League will be eligible to play in this cup competition.
This paragraph was accepted by the meeting.
41 General Application of Rules
All rules for the Charnley Cup are intended to apply also to the Second Tier Cup insofar as they make sense in this tournament with the following exception:
Any player who has played a game in the league competition for a team in a division higher than the lower two divisions, at any time of that season, will be ineligible to play any further games in the Second Tier Cup of that season.
Paragraph i) above was rejected by the meeting.
6. Charnley Cup – Coin Toss (Proposed by A Reeve, seconded by P King)
Change Rule 37 as indicated in red below.
37 White and Black Determined by Coin Toss ()
Colours shall be decided by the toss of a coin. The team of the winner of the toss shall take white on odd boards. Each Captain shall declare their team and playing order prior to this coin toss.
The proposal was accepted by the meeting.