ECF Membership renewals 2024-25 will be due for many club players at the end of August. Although it is now possible to join and renew English Chess Federation Membership in any month, many of us continue to have September to August membership annual membership. Membership will last for 12 months from the date of purchase of the membership package you choose.

Membership of the English Chess Federation enables playing ECF-graded games, such as the club’s own internal tournaments, plus Southampton Chess League matches, County matches, and Congresses (tournaments) across the country. The different membership levels will determine what is covered. Note that there is no longer a Silver level of membership.

ECF Membership also gives discounts at various companies, including Chess & Bridge shop

ECF Membership levels: what’s best for me?

• Basic Bronze level ECF membership gives players ECF Grading for their game results in club tournaments, local Leagues, and County games. 
• Gold membership: as Bronze, plus it includes Congresses (tournaments outside our club e.g. Castle Chess Fareham etc), and FIDE rated standard play tournaments.
• Platinum. As per Gold, plus printed ECF Yearbook.

For most club players, Bronze Membership is sufficient: Bronze if you don’t plan to go to Congresses, but do want to play in the club’s events and the League.

Other ECF Membership type

ECF Supporter: access, and ECF grading to ECF online members clubs and events on chess.com and lichess.org together with free online rating of all ECF rated online events. £12.

ECF Membership renewals 2024-25 rates

• ECF Supporter – £12.00
• Bronze – £20.00 | Junior Bronze – £6.00 (or FREE for first year of membership)
• Gold – £35.00 | Junior Gold – £12.00 (or FREE for first year of membership)
• Platinum – £77.00

There are other benefits too: a range of discounts at online chess retailers Chess & Bridge (chess.co.uk) and Chess Direct, as well as discounts with other partners. See Membership partners and benefits – English Chess Federation for more information.

Renewing your ECF Membership

This may automatically happen, and the subs will be taken when due. If you are an existing ECF Member, but haven’t set up for automatic payments, you can renew by going to the ECF’s membership payment page ecf.justgo.com – or via the ECF’s Membership page:

Any other costs for chess players?

English Chess Federation membership is one of 3 possible costs of being an active member of Chandler’s Ford Chess Club. The other costs are joining our chess club, and membership of our venue, the Chandler’s Ford Central Club. See our ‘What does it cost?” Page:

The Knockout 2024 Semi-Finals player pairings have been drawn by tournament organiser Steve Dunleavy.

The Knockout 2024 so far

The Preliminary Round whittled the field of players down to 16. Round 1 determined who went through to the Quarter Finals. Those 8 have been further whittled to the final 4 for the Semi Finals.

The results will be shown on the Knockout 2024 Page in due course, but will appear sooner on the appropriate LMS tournament page sooner, as the results will be used for player ECF rating via LMS.

The Knockout 2024 Semi Finals: player pairings

• Iwan Cave v Matthew Staniforth
• Peter Przybycin v Andy Mills

Dear all the draw for the above is as follows;

1. Iwan Cave vs Matthew Staniforth
2. Peter Przybycin vs Andy Mills

In Addition to the above please take note of the following;

1. The deadline date for completing these games is the 8^th September(please let me know if you need an extension of time)
2. The player named first plays with  white in the event of a draw colours are to be reversed and hopefully the game completed by the 8^th September
3. All games to be played over the board preferably at the club or at a mutually agreed venue if this is not possible
4. Both clocks to be set at 90 minutes
5. Please email the result asap so that it can be submitted for grading.
6. Enjoy and thanks for entering

Kind Regards

Steve

Details of a new tournament, the Hampshire Rapid-play 2024, have been announced. The event will be on Saturday 7th September 2024 at Barton Peveril College, Eastleigh. It is organised by Chandler’s Ford Chess Club’s own Iwan Cave.

The tournament is a 6 round rapid play tournament in which the games have a time control of 15 minutes plus a 10 seconds per move increment. Round 1 starts at 09:30. The event is ECF-rated, and players below Silver ECF level of membership will need to pay an additional £9 pay-to-play. If you are not yet an ECF member but want to join the English Chess Federation, click on the link: ECF Membership.

Venue

The Hampshire Rapid-play 2024 will be held at Barton Peveril 6th Form College, Chestnut Avenue, Eastleigh, SO50 5ZA 

Entry

Fees:

• Adults – £18
• Juniors – £15

Entry closes on 5th September – and please note there is a 100-player capacity for this tournament.

Entry form

See the button above for further details, or go straight to the entry form : Hampshire rapid 2024 entry form.

Who’s entered?

See who has entered on the List of Participants at the chess-Results website.

Prizes:

• 1ˢᵗ  – £100
• 2ⁿᵈ – £70
• 3ʳᵈ  – £50

The prizes are the minimum amounts – the prize fund will be increased if there are sufficient entries, and further prize categories to include Rating, Juniors, and Women.

Rate of play

15+10: 15 minutes per player, plus a ten-second increment per move.

Schedule

• Round 1 – 09:30
• Round 2 – 10:40
• Round 3 – 11:50
  Lunch – 13:00-14:00
• Round 4 – 14:00
• Round 5 – 15:10
• Round 6 – 16:20

Further information

Full details and online entry form can be found on the tournament’s own Page on the Hampshire Chess Association website:

See list of players and tournament details at the Chess-Results Page: