News from 2023-24 for Oxfordshire Chess

ODCL Draft Fixture Lists for 2024-25

Draft 1.0 of the fixtures for next season has been published, see link below. This is provisional, pending confirmation of the divisional structure at September's AGM. It also includes speculative fixtures for a possible new Tubney Woods team in division 3, with an arbitrary home night of Monday (to be confirmed).

Please contact me by 31 July if this draft set of fixtures will cause insuperable difficulties for your club.

Didcot Junior Chess Club Rapid Play, Wednesday 3 July 2024, 7pm

Didcot Junior Chess Club is running its first rated rapid tournament on the evening of Wednesday 3rd July from 7-9pm, run by Joseph Conlon. The tournament takes place at the Marlborough Club in Didcot and will consist of 5 rounds of rapid chess at an 8+4 time control. The tournament will be ECF rapidplay rated. The tournament is particularly suited for players who are relatively new to tournament chess. Entry is free (small donations are optional) via the link below.

Oxon Grader's Report 2023-2024

Showing details of results submissions from the Oxford League and the Chiltern Cup. Plus club results from Wantage and Didcot. Other club results can be submitter if desired.

FWS 23/24 WINNERS

The 23/24 FWS Final was played on 16th May between Six Horse & Bruisers. (Cumnor / Banbury) Cumnor were outgraded on every board, hence a handicap in our favour. Bruisers needed 4.5 points to win the match. Match result 3-3. This is the second consecutive year Six Horse has won the trophy. Speaking of which, we never received the trophy last year, so Ive no idea where it is.

End of Season Round-Up

The 2023-2024 Chess season in Oxfordshire has now completed.

Congratulations to the winners of the competitions below:

Division One champions: Oxford University 1

Division Two champions: Wantage 1

Division Three champions: Watlington

Frank Wood Shield winners: Cumnor Six Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Additionally, there will be further announcements coming out of the OCA 
committee meeting at the end of May for the new season. 

Thank you to all the captains and club representatives for keeping 
things running, week in week out, throughout the main league season. It 
has been relatively smooth this year - no chasing results for example - 
and positive communication when a few rescheduled matches have occurred.
				

Oxford FIDE Rapidplay Sun 28th April 2024

After an overwhelming response to the inaugural Oxford FIDE RapidPlay (96 players participated), Psyon Chess is running the 2nd edition of its 5- round FIDE & ECF Rated Rapidplay tournament (across 3-sections open to all ages: Open, U1900 & U1600) at Kennington Village Hall, Kennington OX1 5PG on Sunday, the 28th April'24. Details for registration as per the link.

FWS 23/24 Final

It's a repeat of last years final between current champions, The Six Horsemen of the Apocalypse vrs Banbury Bruisers. As I mentioned the last time, horses don't bruise easily.

Oxfordshire Junior Chess tournament results - 6/7 Jan 2024

The Oxon Junior Chess Trials and Championships were held at Cumnor 
Primary School on the weekend of 6/7 Jan 2024.  There were over 100 
entries across the four sections: U9, U11, U13, U15/18.  Many of the 
county's strongest juniors participated, and it was a supportive 
introduction to over-the-board chess matches for many others.

Congratulations to our 2023-24 Oxfordshire junior champions:

U9: 1st Emmanuelle Li, 2nd Anna Gray, 3rd Edmond Du
U11: 1st Aden Kennedy, 2nd Gavin Wang, 3rd Noah Bevis
U13: 1st Jan Murawski, 2nd Yue Yue Sui, 3rd Albert Hornsby
U15 and overall U15/18 section winner: Reya Li
U18: Man Chiu Hsin* and Julius Ford Clough
U18G: Shambavi Hariharan* and Taisiia Kovalova

Full cross-tables can be viewed using the link below.

Special thanks to, in alphabetical order: Matt Bevis, Joseph Conlon, 
Julie Gray, Jules Kennedy, Nigel Moyse, Ola Murawska, Dan Schmidt Valle, 
Andrew Varney, Zoe Varney, David Zakarian ... as well as to Tim Greaves 
(for amazing repair skills), families Khoo and Tanuwidjaja (for above 
and beyond clearing up at the end) and Cumnor Primary School (for 
hosting). Without your help, I would not enjoy running this event.

Those children who did well in the U9 and U11 sections will have the 
opportunity to represent Oxfordshire in the forthcoming EPSCA qualifiers 
and finals. The U11G final will be hosted at Cheney School in Oxford on 
Sat 13th April 2024.

				

Starred Players list for 2023-2024

All teams/clubs have submitted starred lists as required by the league 
rules and these are linked to below in the Admin Documents/Others 
section.

As per the league rules, these players are nominated as they are 
expected to play the majority of games (at least 4) in the nominated 
team. These players are unable to play for another team of that club in 
the same or lower division, as per Rule 2.3.1

Generally, once a player has played 4 games for a team, they are 
considered starred - as per rule 2.4.1 (though there are exemptions 
based on rating as per 2.4.2 and 2.4.3). This will be monitored though 
if you have any questions then do ask.
				

Flag-fall: Reminder to Captains

Dear Captains,

This is a reminder to all captains, being placed on the OCA main 
website, of their dual function as arbiters - as per OCA League rules, 
we have Rule 7.11.7 which states "team captains are expected to take on 
those aspects of an arbiter's function which circumstances make it 
practical for them to perform". 

There have been a couple of instances where this guidance should have 
been followed this season, particularly when it comes to "flag-fall".

For clarification from the Fide Laws of Chess: Article 6.8 states "A 
flag is considered to have fallen when the arbiter observes the fact or 
when either player has made a valid claim to that effect."

Therefore it is perfectly reasonable for a captain (and only the 
captain) to intervene when a flag has fallen to declare a result due to 
time forfeiture.
				

Oxfordshire Junior Chess county tournament 6/7 Jan 2024

Oxfordshire Junior Chess is excited to announce that we will be holding the annual county junior chess tournament on the weekend of 6th / 7th Jan 2024 at Cumnor Primary School. As in previous years, there will be U9, U11 and U13/15/18 (possibly split if enough entrants) sections. The online entry form link is given below from which full tournament information and rules can be accessed. If you are involved in a chess club with junior members, please help to spread the word. Any queries to oxfordshirejuniorchess@gmail.com.

Magdalen College School withdraw from League

I received word today (20th September) from the organiser at Magdalen 
College School that, on reflection, they will not be able to compete in 
the Oxfordshire league this coming season. A number of issues were 
raised and I will look to support them should they wish to reapply for 
entry to the league in future.

This affects both Division 1 (which will drop to 8 teams) and Division 3 
(which also drops to 8 teams).

Thankfully the season had not quite begun so they had not played a 
match, therefore they will be deleted from the leagues in due course and 
those match nights are now no longer to be fulfilled.

Finally, should their club wish to reapply for membership next year, 
that will be dealt with by the committee and full AGM in due course.

Thanks for your understanding in this matter and apologies to those 
preparing for a match this week (Banbury).

Best,
John
(League Secretary)
				

2023 OCA AGM

The OCA AGM will be held at Rose Hill Methodist Church on Thursday 14th September beginning at 7.30pm. The agenda, proposed rule changes and other motions have been uploaded to the documents section of the website.