Welsh Chess Premier League
Qualifying events: the future
It is quite possible, in future, that with the expansion of the SWPL to include Welsh teams from the Chester and North Wales league the the Summer qualifying event could consist of one candidate from each of the four zones already represented, one more from the CaNW league, and also one trying to avoid relegation from the SWPL itself.
A qualifying event of six teams would be as big as the original SWPL and, although unlikely, it would be inconvenient and probably best avoided.
To reduce the size of this event, it is probably best to restrict the specific years in which a team from any of the participating zones might be able to enter the qualifying event. I hope that I will have an easier task in 2006 as, with the possible expansion of the SWPL to eight teams, I can probably bodge the rules to simplify this event. The system which I propose to adopt, from 2007 onwards, is that we start with an arbitrary ordering (alphabetic is as good as any) of the zones from which the teams come.
| Chester and North Wales |
| Dyfed |
| East Glamorgan |
| Gwent |
| West Wales |
Every summer only two teams will be allowed to enter the qualifying event: the two from the zones highest up in the order so, with this original table, if one team from each zone were to apply then only the teams from the C+NW and Dyfed leagues would be accepted. If three teams apply, then the one from the zone lowest in the list will have to wait until next summer. If only two teams apply for entry, from any zones, then there is no problem: they both play in the qualifying event, regardless of which zonal leagues they normally play in.
In 2005 there were two teams in the qualifying event: Cwmbran from Gwent, and Barry from East Glam. Regardless of which of these teams actually gained entry, the two zones from which they came go to the bottom of the list. The table now, after the 2005 event, looks like this
| Chester and North Wales |
| Dyfed |
| West Wales |
| East Glamorgan |
| Gwent |
In 2006 as only two teams applied to enter, which coincided with the expansion of the WCPL to eight teams, the qualifying event was non-existent. Nevertheless, the entries of Wrexham and Barry cause C+NW, and East Glam, to go to the bottom of the list.
| Dyfed |
| West Wales |
| Gwent |
| Chester and North Wales |
| East Glamorgan |
In 2007 only Abergavenny applied in time. Although there was no qualifying event, Gwent go to the bottom of the list.
| Dyfed |
| West Wales |
| Chester and North Wales |
| East Glamorgan |
| Gwent |