South Wales Premier League Rules 2004-2005
VENUES
The onus is on the Home Captain, even with a "half-way" venue, to organize
(and pay for) the venue, and to provide boards, sets, clocks, score-sheets etc.
TIME-LIMITS
Mid-week matches start at 19:15 with a minimum time-limit of 35 moves in 75
minutes after which both clocks are wound back 15 minutes and the remainder of
the game must be played in the time remaining.
Weekend matches start at 14:00 with a minimum time-limit of 36 moves in 90
minutes after which both clocks are wound back 30 minutes and the remainder of
the game must be played in the time remaining.
Naturally longer time-limits, and different start times, are OK so long
as BOTH captains agree, but ALL games must be finished on the night.
Adjudications and adjournments seem to be things of the past in international
chess and I would much prefer to avoid them in the SWPL if only to make my life
easier !
NOTIFICATION of RESULTS
There is no real reason why there should be any hurry to notify me but I would
prefer the match results from BOTH captains within a day or two of the match.
Preparation is becoming more and more a part of the modern game so I would also
like copies of all of the games. I think that Glyn Sinnett and Iolo Jones have
said that Kevin Staveley has a supply of Carbon copy score sheets.
Alternatively, as quite a lot of us now have ChessBase, a GAMES.PGN file
attached to an e-mail might be more convenient.
LEAGUE STANDINGS
The SWPL, like the Welsh Challenge Cup, will be decided on MATCH points, with
GAME points being used as a tie-breaker.
TEAM COMPOSITION
Each team will consist of five players. No player may play below a player who
has an ELO rating more than 100 points than his own. The Home team will have the
Black pieces on board 1. Also each team, on the night must include:
a) at least THREE players who are eligible (by birth, residence, marriage, etc.)
to play in the Welsh Chess Championships.
b) at least THREE players who played, last season, EIGHT games, or more, in the
Zonal League in which the Club normally plays.
c) at least FOUR players who played, last season, EIGHT games, or more, in the
Zonal League of one of the four participating zones.
Note also that any player who do not qualify under (b) must play in at least
HALF of the SWPL matches in any one season.
DEFAULTS and POSTPONEMENTS
I would imagine that defaults are unlikely as most clubs have dozens of players
to choose from, and defaulting a board is hardly a way of getting an unfair
advantage: it is, at worst, inconsiderate. I will consider DEFAULT to be a
Welsh-eligible player, with an ELO rating of zero, and who has played the
necessary games in the Club's zonal league in the previous season. Complete
matches may only be postponed (a) as far as "Date 5" in the time-table
with the agreement of both captains, or (b) by 7 days, possibly even later than
"Date 5", in the case if really bad weather (if the police are
advising drivers to avoid non-essential travel).
PENALTIES
A team will be penalized one GAME point for each ineligible player. This loss of
a game point might also incur the loss of MATCH points if this changes the
result of the match. The worst possible match result, even with penalties, is a
0-5 loss.
ENTRY
FEES and PRIZES
Neither of these exists at present. Any suggestions ?
PROMOTION and RELEGATION
This will depend on how many new teams wish to join the SWPL after our first
season...
a) If TWO or more teams wish to join us there may be a "play off"
competition to select the two new teams. The SWPL will expand to eight teams and
the two final rounds will be played at a 4NCL-style weekend in May at some
central (West Glamorgan?) venue.
b) If only ONE team wishes to join us, there will be a single play-off match
between the lowest placed team in the SWPL and the new applicant. I would prefer
to avoid relegation totally for our first season but, as a 7-team SWPL would not
work well (This would still need 7 rounds, with a bye for each team, and the
4NCL-style final weekend would be really inconvenient for the two teams which
would each have a bye on that weekend), and as I also feel that the SWPL should
never be a "closed shop", relegation would be inevitable in this case.
c) If NO new team wishes to join us, we'll just continue as we are.
Back to SWPL
main page