South Hams Chess Club
South Hams Chess Club

Club Competitions in the 2024-25 Season

This page describes the Club's internal competitions; there are separate pages describing the Club's participation in the Torbay Leagues.

The Homan League

  1. The Club runs an ECF-rated Standardplay league competition (the "Homan League") open to all Club members, in which all games are played over-the-board. The league is named after Philip Homan, a former Club member who did great service for the Club.
  2. The players participating in the Homan League are set out in the website page describing that competition.
  3. The Homan League has an "all play all twice" format, with games to be completed by 22nd May 2025. Players who play less than half of their games by that date will have their results erased from the table (but these games will nevertheless be ECF-rated).
  4. League positions are determined by points scored (1 point for a win, ½ a point for draw, 0 for a loss). When players finish equal on points, their relative league positions are determined by applying the following criteria in sequence:
    1. each player's points-per-game in the games between the tied players
    2. each player's Neustadtl Sonneborn–Berger score for the league in question.
  5. The Club Champion for the 2024-25 season will be the player in the top position at midnight on 22nd May 2025. In the unlikely event that multiple players are tied for the top position at that time, the Competition Secretary may, at his discretion, set a date by which two tied players can attempt to break the tie by playing sudden death Standardplay replays with alternating colours. If the deadlock has not been broken by the date set by the Competition Secretary, then the Club Championship will be declared a tie.

Cookworthy Cup

  1. The Club runs an annual knockout rated Standardplay competition, the Cookworthy Cup.
  2. At the beginning of the season, the draw will be made and published on this website.
  3. In the first round, colours will be determined when the draw takes place; for subsequent rounds colours will be drawn on the night.
  4. With the exception of the final, a drawn game will be replayed, with alternating colours, until there is a winner.
  5. The final will be played over two games, and the winner of the final will be awarded the Cookworthy Cup. The cup will be shared in the event that the final is tied.

M Wray Shield

  1. The M. Wray Shield is a Standardplay league in which members can play one another in a rated game on nights when they are not involved in a Club match, and are unable to arrange a game in the Homan League or the Cookworthy Cup.
  2. League positions are determined in the same way as in the Homan League.

The Season

  1. The official Club season runs from 1st September 2024 up to the AGM, which is provisionally scheduled for 29th May 2025.
  2. The Club will not meet on Boxing Day, Thursday 26th December 2024.

Time Controls

  1. ECF-Rated Club Standardplay games use incremental (also known as "Fischer") time controls. Each player will have 75 minutes for the entire game, plus 30 seconds per move (starting from move 1). So, for example, if a game has 40 moves, each player will have 75 + (40 x 0.5) = 95 minutes. Both players are obliged to write down all their moves.
  2. For rated Rapidplay games the rate of play is all moves in 25 minutes with 10 seconds increment added per move from the beginning. There is no obligation to write down moves.

ECF Rating

Results of games played over-the-board in Club Competitions and Friendly games designated "rated", will be sent to the ECF for rating. Results of any games played online will not be submitted to the ECF for normal rating purposes.

Administration

  1. Club members should wherever possible arrange their games in the internal Club competitions in advance - ideally at least a week beforehand. Arranging games in the Homan League and Cookworthy Cup takes priority over the Friendlies. You can record a pre-arranged game, and view all pre-arranged games, in the Members Area of this website.
  2. After each game, one of the players should email Phil McConnell with the result, the colours, and the competition in which the game was played. As a courtesy, please cc your opponent on the email. Phil will record all results on the Club website.
  3. If any new members join part way through the season, the Competition Secretary may, at his discretion, enter them in the Homan League and the Cookworthy Cup.
  4. If your opponent requests a late start due to work commitments, please accommodate this request.
  5. Digital clocks are used. Our DGT 2010 digital clocks should be set into the appropriate mode as follows:
    • Use Option 18 for both Standardplay and Rapidplay games with incremental time controls.
    • For Standardplay games, on both left and right hand sides set the intital time to 01 hours, 15 minutes and 00 seconds, followed by a bonus time of 30 seconds.
    • For Rapidplay games, on both left and right hand sides set the intital time to 00 hours, 25 minutes and 00 seconds, followed by a bonus time of 10 seconds.
    Once the clock has been set in this way, every time you press your clock button 30 seconds (Standardplay) or 10 seconds (Rapidplay) will automatically be added to your time.

Don't forget to check the website regularly for results! There is a separate web page for each Club competition.