SHROPSHIRE CHESS ASSOCIATION

2013Annual General Meeting

To all officers of the Shropshire Chess Association:
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting will be held at Telepost, Shrewsbury on Wednesday, 10th July 2013 at 7.30pm.
Please ensure that any trophies held by your club are engraved and brought to the AGM for presentation, where required.
AGENDA

1. Apologies for absence.
2. Minutes of the 2012AGM (approval and matters arising)
3. President’s Report
4. Officer’s reports.

5. Election of Officers
6. Review of ECF registrations
7. Substitutions and playing for two teams.- Short discussion on the merits of being able to play for two different clubs with the possible referral to a sub committee. Advantage – helps numbers of teams to be greater. Disadvantages – a)If that team gets promotion will lose player in a tougher division.b) Can be used to draft a strong player in to win promotion/ avoid relegation.
8. Shropshire Rapidplay League – See below M Best/ S Rooney
9. Any other business
   

Shropshire Rapidplay League

With plenty of discussion going on about the merits or otherwise of players playing for more than one club due to their wanting to play more games, Steve Rooney, Francis Best and myself have come up with an idea for a potential additional tournament throughout the season.
The potential Shropshire Rapidplay league would run throughout the main league season. The results could be submitted for rapid grades, and it would allow those players who want to play more games the opportunity to do so in a different format, and potentially allow rules to be passed allowing players to solely play for one club whilst still getting their desired number of games (although I would still be happy to organise the competition irrespective of the outcome of the one player/two clubs debate).

The provisional format: (everything up for debate and alteration)

• Four players per team
• Games would be half an hour for each player.
• Each player play their opponent twice in a match – once as white, once as black – to mean that people wouldn’t have to travel lengthy distances for one short game, and match scores would be out of 8 – still unsure personally on this point, so definitely up for debate!
• No obligation for clubs to work in the same structure as the main league. For example, if Ludlow were only able to field 3 players, and Church Stretton and Condover the same again, the two clubs could participate as one team for the purpose of this event only. Equally, if Shrewsbury and Telepost were both able to field two full teams and half a third team, those two incomplete third teams could merge to become one, playing at either one of the venues on their club nights, and named The Shrewsbury Sharks or something equally dubious!
• Players would only be permitted to play for one club, although substitutions between teams within clubs would be permitted up to a certain level similarly to within the main league.
• If 10+ teams entered, then two divisions (based on the teams’ current standings in the Shropshire Chess League) would be created.
• There would be no obligation for players to keep a score of their game, although they may chose to if they wish.

This may require some small changes to the main league calendar, as the current system where the 1st and 3rd divisions play on alternate weeks to the 2nd division would make scheduling any potential matches between 1st and 2nd division teams difficult.
If there is not sufficient interest in this due to its being a rapidplay, then I would also be happy to organise a standard play event of some sort – possibly a competition with preliminary group stages followed a two-legged knockout stage, similar to the UEFA Champions League for those who follow football. If there’s no interest in any additional tournaments, then that’s perfectly fine as well!