Applications for entry must reach the General Secretary by the date of the AGM and

shall include the following:-

• Names and addresses of secretary and captains.

• Address of clubroom.

• Detailed travelling directions

• Evening of the week for home fixtures.

• Special circumstances which may affect the clubs ability to fulfil fixtures

• Team lists.

• One subscription per team.

• The normal playing session of the club.

The annual subscription is £19 per team and shall be remitted with the applications for

membership to the AGM. During the season the Treasurer will invoice each club for

its share of the game fees payable to the British Chess Federation.

a) All Clubs shall send a copy of their team lists numbered in order of strength to

the General Secretary by 31st August of the new season.

b) Bracketing of players is allowed (ie two or more players may be put on the

same number.)

c) No player may be on the team list of more than one club.

d) A club shall register its players in grading order. The last full BCF grading list

published before the start of the season shall apply. Where a club wishes to register a

player out of grading order by more than 10 BCF grading points the club shall include

a note justifying the team list order. The following may be considered justification

under this rule.

• A player who is a driver, particularly for a Junior team,

• A team captain elected immediately before the new grading list who met the

criteria under the then current list.

Ungraded players shall be registered appropriately to their playing strength. For this

purpose, previously held grades may be used in evidence.

e) The Records and Registration Secretary may reject justification offered under

d) above and ask the club to revise its list. Should the club disagree the fixtures

meeting shall arbitrate on the matter.

f) Players may be added to the list at any time. Such additions must be bracketed

and reach the Records and Registration Secretary before playing in a match.

g) Clubs shall have the right to send in a revised team list to Records and

Registration Secretary at any point up to November 15th. Rules c) d) and e) apply

except that the Council shall be the arbiters under e)

h) Transferring of players is allowed provided the acquiring club first tells the

secretary of the player’s current club and then the Records and Registration Secretary

4. SEEDED PLAYERS .

( Advice to clubs: when drawing up your registration list, if a player’s availability is

doubtful ,she/he should be bracketed rather than seeded)

a) Where a club enters more than one team, players numbered 1-5 in its team list

can play only for its first team. Players numbered 6-12 can play only for its first or

second team, and so on in groups of seven. Such players are called seeded players.

b) A player seeded for a team must play above a player not seeded for that team,

except

i) A player playing as a reserve because the chosen player has not turned up.

ii) A player not seeded for the team may play above up to two of the team’s seeded

players. This rule shall be applied from board 1 downwards. All seeded players

breaking the rule shall be considered ineligible.

c) Team lists my be amended at any time subject to the approval of the Records and

Registration Secretary by promoting a non seeded player to a bracketed seeded player

and moving all the other players up the list accordingly.

d) Clubs which have two or more teams in A division. Seeded

players in A division teams must play at least three games for the club times during

the season . Where two or more players are bracketed, three games from amongst

those named will count. If this does not happen, the team for which the player was

seeded will have two match points deducted.

Seeded players must play at least one game for the club during the season. If this

does not happen, the club shall pay a fine of a Class A membership fee.

f) The Club may appeal to the Council for a lesser or zero penalty to be imposed.

Grounds for appeal include:

i) A player beneath the seeded player in the team list can be bracketing with the

seeded player without breaking rule 3d or rule 4a

ii) That the club revised its registration list immediately it realised the player was

not going to play. Note the further the season has progressed the less acceptable

this defence is.

The games of all players who are ineligible under these rules shall be scored to their

opponents.

a) Before 5th October each year the fixtures secretary shall arrange the fixtures

as far as possible in accordance with the memorandum for fixtures arrangements.

Each club secretary shall be sent copies not less than two weeks before the first

match.

b) No fixture shall be postponed without the approval of the fixtures secretary to

whom at least 10 days notice of the request for postponement shall be given. If the

postponement is allowed the fixtures secretary shall arrange the new date and venue

of the match.

c) All fixtures shall be played before 31st May unless the council sanctions a

later date.

d) The record of any team playing only half of its matches or fewer shall be

expunged.

The home team shall provide reasonable playing conditions and set up the venue,

equipment, etc., before the starting time. The immediate playing area of a match shall

be a no smoking area. Provided a venue permits smoking players may smoke away

from the immediate playing area or if the room is too small provisions should be

made for smoking adjacent to the room.

There should be sufficient sets, boards and clocks of appropriate design. Tables and

chairs should be spaced to allow easy access. The venue should be reasonably quiet,

well lit and ventilated.

For quickplay finishes the total playing session shall be at least 2 hours and the

quickplay finish shall be at least an additional 15 minutes. Typically under this rule

matches are played at 30 moves in 75 minutes each then a 20 minutes quick-play

finish.

For adjournment finishes the rate of play shall be 36 moves in 90 minutes then 24

moves each hour unless the first playing session is less than three hours, when it shall

be 24 moves in the first hour, 12 in the next 30 minutes, then 24each hour.

Before the starting time the captains shall (if a team captain is not present, team

members present must nominate an acting captain)

a) Exchange team lists of seven players and pair them accordingly, where a team

knows it is going to default, it shall do so from the bottom board upward.

b) For league matches agree a quickplay finish or an adjournment finish. For cup

matches a quickplay finish is mandatory. For league matches where no agreement is

possible a quickplay finish shall be played

c) Agree the rate of play.

d) Toss for colour with the winner taking white on either the odd or even boards.

Matches shall start at 7.30pm but may start earlier by agreement. Clubs must state

their finishing time, in the handbook, which must be after 9.50pm. Matches or

individual games may finish at a different time from that stated in these rules, if

agreed during the starting procedure, provided they finish after 9.50pm. If an

adjournment finish is played the finishing time must be such that at least 10 minutes

are available for sealing moves, arranging dates of resumption, etc. At the starting

time:

a) If a captain is not present the other side shall have choice of colour. If both

captains are not present the first one to appear shall have this choice

b) The captains present shall start the clocks. Any delay in starting shall be

added to the clocks of the team responsible for the delay.

For adjournment finishes, at the end of the playing session, the home team captain

shall call time and in all games the player whose turn it is to move shall seal. It is not

necessary to seal the score sheets but both players must take their score sheets to the

adjournment. If at the finishing time Black has made at least 60 moves the game may

be adjudicated on the demand of either player. (Such a claim must be made before

the date and time of resumption is written on the envelope.) Within 72 hours each

player or their captain must send to the adjudications secretary a diagram of the

position stating whose turn it is to move, the result claimed and a fee of £5 payable to

whoever is the adjudications secretary. If only one player complies with this rule

their claim shall be successful. If both players comply the game shall be adjudicated.

The successful claimant shall have their fee refunded.

Those games where no demand for adjudication is made shall be adjourned. The

visiting player shall offer at least three dates within the next 14 days for resumption of

the game. Not more than one date shall be a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday. The

opponent must accept one of these dates. A player not offering at least three dates

loses. A player not accepting an offered date loses. An accepted date may be

changed by agreement later. The date and time of resumption shall be written on the

envelope containing the sealed move, which shall be signed by both players. The

time of resumption may by agreement be up to 15 minutes later than the start of the

official playing session.

A player who does not arrive within one hour of the starting time defaults the game.

In the first playing session a reserve may be substituted for an absent player up to one

hour after the starting time. The clock shall not be reset.

Both teams shall forward notice of the result of each match within three days of the

match to the Records & Registrations Secretary. Any match not completed must be

similarly reported.

Games shall be played in accordance with the FIDE Laws of Chess unless modified

by these MDCA League rules. Team captains are joint arbiters and have all the duties

and responsibilities of arbiters under the Laws unless those duties and responsibilities

clash with their role as team captain. For example they must call flag falls but they

cannot, except by agreement declare a position drawn in a quick-play finish.

All disputes shall be reported to the secretary of the disputes committee and shall then

be referred to the disputes committee for a decision. This committee shall consist of 3

people (plus 2 in reserve) and at least 1 of the 3 must be a National Chess Arbiter.

The members of this committee are to be elected by the AGM and must come from

different clubs. The decision of this committee shall be final. (See memorandum on

resolution of disputes.) A fee of £5.00 payable to whoever is the disputes secretary

shall accompany each dispute.

The fee shall be returned to the successful claimant. The secretary of the disputes

committee shall have discretion to return both fees.

The Council is the sole authority for the interpretation of these rules and its decision

shall be final.

Changes to the League and Match rules can only be made at a General Meeting and

must be proposed in accordance with the constitution and the league and match rules.

Such changes require a two-thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote.

1. The winners of trophies shall be entitled to hold the respective trophy from time of

presentation to the first day of the following September or earlier if required by the

MCF. A certificate showing the win shall also be presented to the winners.

2. Such winners shall not be obliged to hold such trophy and may leave it with the

MCF for safe keeping. In such cases a form of acknowledgement shall be given to

the winner.

3 In view of the element of risk of loss or damage to the several trophies belonging to

the MCF, the recipients of trophies shall be required to indemnify the MCF against

contingencies of loss or damage not wholly recoverable from the insurance policy in

force. A form of indemnity shall be provided by the MCF for completion by the

recipients of trophies.

This memorandum is designed for the resolution of disputes that cannot be resolved

between the clubs concerned and that come under the rule headed disputes in the

Constitution. The aims of the procedure are to:-

a) Resolve disputes quickly.

b) In the interests of justice, let each side see the other's written claim and have the

opportunity of commenting on it in writing.

It is strongly recommended that prior to entering the disputes procedure, a club

contacts the disputes committee secretary to see if:-

The dispute is covered by the laws of chess or MDCA rules.

There are precedents to the dispute.

An amicable agreement can be reached.

The club can accept or reject any advice given and take the matter formally to dispute.

1 In the event of a dispute, and within 14 days of it occurring, the club secretary

or team captain shall write to the disputes committee secretary, with a copy to the

opposing club secretary, giving details of the dispute, their claim and the dispute fee.

2 Within seven days of receiving the dispute letter the secretary or team captain

of the opposing club shall reply to the disputes committee secretary, with the dispute

fee, and with a copy to the originator of the dispute.

3 The originating club has a right of reply to the opposing club's letter. If it

wishes to exercise this right it must reply to the disputes committee secretary within

five days with a copy to the opposing club.

4 The disputes committee secretary shall then send all formal correspondence to

the committee members for their consideration.

5 All correspondence shall be sent by first class mail or email.

1) Where practical there shall be ten teams in each division. An additional

division may be created should the total number of entries justify this.

2) The top two teams in each division have the automatic right of promotion to

the next higher division. The bottom two teams shall normally be relegated to the

next lower division.

Ties will be split in the following sequence.

i) Game points scored.

ii) Individual match result.

iii) Board count of the individual match.

3) New teams shall normally be admitted to the lowest division.

4) The AGM shall appoint a sub-committee to compose the league in accordance

with this memorandum, and may make recommendations to this committee should it

wish. The sub-committee shall normally consist of the president, general secretary,

fixtures secretary, records & registrations secretary, bulletin editor and handbook

secretary.

5) If there is a vacancy in a more appropriate division an exception to the normal

promotion and relegation schemes and to entry conditions may be made if a team's

strength evidenced by the players grades on the team list submitted and previous

results of the team indicate that normal placing would result in an unbalanced

division.

6) The AGM should be held in time for the new season's fixtures to be produced

and checked before they are issued. The fixtures meeting should be scheduled within

fourteen days of the AGM and the general secretary should arrange it at a time and in

a place such that all the key officers are able to attend. This meeting will finalise the

composition of divisions and make the draw for each trophy competition. The full

draw for each trophy competition (with team names, not just number codes) should

be written out and checked by the Fixtures Committee before the meeting is closed.

The committee bears a collective responsibility for this process.

7) Any club changing their Secretary for the new season should supply at the

AGM or in writing to the general secretary within seven days of the AGM the name,

address and postcode of the new or acting secretary on an address label. This is to

facilitate correct mailing of fixtures and to ensure clear lines of communication and

responsibility.

The competitions are open to teams that participate in the league during the same

season.

The Reyner Shield is open to all teams

The Wahltuch Trophy is open to teams from C division and below.

The Hartley Trophy is open to teams from E division and below

The Alfred Milner for teams in the bottom three divisions who get knocked out in the

first round of the knock out competition they originally entered

A team may enter only one of the Reyner Wahltuch or Hartley competitions.

Entries for the Reyner, Wahltuch, and Hartley competitions shall reach the General

Secretary by the date of the AGM. Entry to the Alfred Milner is automatic unless

when the team enters the original knock out competition it states it does not wish to

play in the Alfred Milner . A teams eligible for the Alfred Milner competition may

request in its entry to the general secretary to play only in the Alfred Milner Trophy

and not in any other knockout competition. As the numbers who can do so are limited

and depend on entries to the Hartley Trophy priority shall be given to teams in the

lowest division or with a restricted playing season.

Prior to the first round proper, the number of teams competing shall be brought to a

power of 2. Byes shall be given as follows:-

i) The previous winner.

ii) The highest placed team in the previous year's league table.

iii) The second highest placed team in the previous year's league table.

These shall be decided by the fixtures secretary or by a committee appointed by the

council.

A drawn final shall be replayed. In the case of a tie in other rounds the tie shall be

broken by board count. If the board count is even the tie shall be broken by bottom

board elimination. If all the games are drawn shall the match be replayed. Any

replayed matches shall be at the alternate venue.

The competitions shall be open to all players registered with the MCF. There shall be

a championship class for each division.

The championship will be awarded to the player who gains the highest percentage

score in their class. The minimum qualification will be eight games (including cup

ties). Defaults shall not count.

Ties shall be resolved in accordance with the following tie-breakers applied in the

order shown:-

i) Most wins.

ii) Highest average board number.

iii) Grade (lowest takes preference).

The winner of each class shall receive the sum of £10 and hold the Bramley-Harker

Trophy for their class for one year.

So far as possible fixtures for both league and trophy games shall be arranged to fulfil

the following conditions:-

1 No team shall have more than one match in the same week.

2 No club shall have consecutive teams playing matches in the same week,

except for cup matches played after Christmas when no club shall have consecutive

teams playing cup matches on the same night.

3 Consideration will be given to special difficulties or requests notified by clubs

at the time entries are made.

4 No matches shall be scheduled between 22nd December and 3rd January

inclusive or on any public holiday. Clubs requiring a longer Easter break may request

one.

5 All fixtures shall be played before 31st May unless Council sanctions a later

date.

6 Fixtures between the same two teams should alternate home and away from

season to season.

7 Ideally there should be ten teams in each division. In divisions comprising

seven or fewer teams, home and away fixtures shall be played. In divisions

comprising over seven teams, one match only shall be played, with home and away

fixtures alternating as far as possible. These conditions shall not be affected by

additions or withdrawals after the fixtures have been made.

8 During a season, a team should have an equal number of home and away

fixtures. These should be reasonably spread over the season. Teams should have

between two and four league matches scheduled before Christmas. Runs of more than

three consecutive home or away fixtures are undesirable.

9 If an away team defaults a match, it shall be drawn away again if the same

fixture occurs in the following season.

10 If a club has two or more teams in the same division, the fixtures between

these teams must be completed by 31st Jan.

11 Where the club rooms of two teams are more than twelve miles apart the away

team can insist the match is played at a central venue. If so, the away team must

make all the arrangements and pay the whole cost of the venue.

12 In trophy competitions, the fixtures secretary shall decide the pattern of home

and away fixtures, but should try to exercise fairness by bearing in mind i) previous

rounds ii) alternating the venue from the league match between the same two teams.

N.B. Clubs are asked to bear in mind that the job of the fixtures secretary is not easy.

With so many divisions and the various trophy competitions it will rarely, if ever, be

possible to fulfil all the above conditions, and the fixtures

secretary often has to make difficult decisions. Please be tolerant and try to make the

fixtures work as published. As a last resort, a club may try to rearrange a fixture as

per the constitution but please keep rearrangements to a minimum, since the knock-on

effects can be disruptive.

Clubs are asked to do their best to fulfil all their fixtures. Not being able to field one's

best team is not a valid reason for postponing or defaulting a match. When a team is

unable to fulfil a fixture it is courteous to inform and apologise to the opposing club

with as much notice as possible. The same courtesy should apply to adjourned games.

Quickplay Finish Rules by Harry Lamb

With the rules change making quickplay finishes the norm, I have been asked to

explain the Quickplay finish rules and their implications. The normal situation will be

that no independent arbiter will be present, (team captain are not considered

independent) and so quickplay finishes come under the FIDE rule for quickplay

finishes where no arbiter is present. The rules are:

You can claim a draw when you have less than two minutes on your clock on the

grounds that

(a) your opponent cannot win by normal means, or

(b) your opponent has been making no effort to win by normal means.

Before make a claim I advise you to offer your opponent a draw in line with the rules,

after you have made a move and before you press your clock. If your opponent

rejects it then make the claim. If there is arbiter present they will handle it. If not you

must stop play immediately agree the final position and agree a score sheet as much

up to date as possible then if there is no agreement refer the matter to the disputes

committee secretary. What follows next comes with a health warning, it may be over

ridden by the disputes committee.

“Not being able to win by normal means” covers two main situations.

(i) The side claiming the draw is material up and there is no realistic compensation.

This is drawn as the only way to win is by “flagging” your opponent. Except that if

you win material you cannot sit on the position, play no moves until you have two

minutes left and then make a claim. You always have to play moves at a reasonable

rate.

(ii) The position is a theoretical draw and you have demonstrated over the board you

know how to draw it. The best example is a K&R v K&B. You have to take your

king to the correct corner and then play some moves to show you understand the

draw, before you will be given it.

Notes (1) Do not ask me where the boundary is but you cannot clam a draw with

several pawns each eg K,R and five pawns v K,R and five pawns.

(2) It is not an adjudication situation. It is a quickplay finish. You are expected to

play quick and finish the game. This rule is only there to prevent a win on time that

would bring the game into disrepute.

(3) There is a separate rule which says “The game is drawn when a position is

reached from which a checkmate cannot occur by any possible series of legal moves,

even with the most unskilled play. This immediately ends the game.”

“Making no effort to win by normal means”. This means that while avoiding

repeating the position the opponent is making no effort to improve his position.