Chess Club AGM this Wednesday 10th September 2025

The Chandlers Ford Chess Club AGM will be on Wednesday 10th September at 7.15pm. It will be in our normal playing room after Junior Chess Club has finished at 7pm. This is earlier than originally stated due to the session on common errors and misinterpretations of FIDE Chess Rules by David Culliford and Ian Thompson following the AGM.

The individual trophies presented to team winners at our AGM September 2024
The individual trophies presented to team winners at our AGM September 2024

See the Agenda messages below. Topics will include various issues and will prepare the club for the forthcoming 2025-26 Season.

Message from Chairman Rob Sims

The CFCC AGM is next Wednesday, the 10th September starting at 7.15pm after Junior Chess finishes at 7.00pm. It will be in our normal playing room.

The reason for the earlier start than normal is because David Culliford and Ian Thompson will deliver a session on common errors and misinterpretations of FIDE Chess Rules. They are both Chess Arbiters and can provide us with the answers to the occasional problems that crop up during games, so it should be good!

Peter Eales sent out the September ratings recently and based on those, Graham has produced a spreadsheet of team squads for the coming season. Graham will share this with you in the next few days.

Keven has written up the Minutes of our 2024 AGM, which includes a few photos of the evening and these are attached along with next week’s Agenda,

Under our Club Constitution, the  Chess Club Committee comprises of Secretary ( Malcolm),  President (Nobby), Treasurer ( Suzan), Chair (me), Social events ( Andy), Website Guru ( Kev) and extends to Tournament organisers – Book (PeterP), Kooner Cup (Malcolm ), KO (Steve D)  Ladder ( me ) and further extends to Team Captains David/Eric/ Chris/ Me and Rob Strachan as Captains of ABCDE teams respectively.  Thats 12 of us and we are ably helped very much by PeterE and Graham who don’t want to be on our committee as they are President and Secretary ( I think)  of The Hampshire Chess Association, so they’ve got plenty to keep them busy!


Best wishes

Rob Sims

Agenda notes from Graham Stuart

Hi all,

Following on from Rob’s email attached is the spreadsheet I completed to help with team selection. I think there are several points about this spreadsheet which should be considered!

  • This is just a guide, to assist in selection. Captains should pick who they think best for their team but obviously consider all the rules around nominated players, rating rules and players original choice in which team they wish to play for.
  • I have added the responses from Peter’s survey as to who players are willing to play for, but I have changed where needed e.g. David Culliford stated E team if required, but as a nominated player for the D team this is not possible.
  • I have added players down in rating order, but as Malcolm has always advised, ratings should not be the only factor to consider. Experience, players consideration etc.
  • As a club we are very lucky we have attracted several strong players, but we are a social club and have a lot of players who would normally play in the D and E teams. This is a challenge to the D and E captains ensuring everyone who wishes to play can play. This is a two-way process, and I would encourage members to contact their captains saying how many games they would like to play and when available. This should ensure the captains know the squads wishes and can give everyone a game. In addition, the use of extra boards when available should be utilised. Therefore, it should not be a concern that there are 18 players in the E team squad, just a communication exercise. This is also why we have the four tournaments each year and the ability to play rated friendlies.
  • Where players did not respond to Peter’s email, I have still added them to teams based on ratings – please advise the captains / Rob if you are not planning on playing etc. There are some members who had advised they did not wish to play league chess, and I have removed these. If I have missed anyone out, please let me (or the captain know).
Nominated Players

For the nominated players, I have discussed this with Rob and some of the captains and think we have the correct nominated players to ensure we can have flexibility for the teams and the SCL rules.

Many thanks to the captains stepping forward this year, especially new player Chris Button who has kindly taken on the C team captain role. Please help your captain as much as possible with regards to availability etc and good luck to everyone for the season.

Graham

Links

FIDE Handbook – rules

Southampton Chess League Rules

Post about the 2024 AGM

2025 UK Open Blitz Championship Qualifier

The 2025 UK Open Blitz Championship has a series of regional Qualifying tournaments – and one of them is local for us: the Barton Peveril Sixth Form College in Eastleigh.

There are 16 Qualifier events in 14 cities, with the winners of each going through to the Final. These qualifying events take place between 30th August and 28th September, and the one in our area is next Saturday, 13th September.

Chandler’s Ford Chess Club’s Iwan Cave will assist in running the tournament and is the liaison between the ECF and the College. Iwan ran the Hampshire Rapid and Blitz last weekend 6th & 7th September. See the full results of those tournaments at chess-results.com.

The Nobel building of Barton Peveril Sixth Form College

The Venue

Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, Chestnut Avenue, Eastleigh SO50 5ZA. The event will be in the Nobel building.

Inside the Nobel building of Barton Peveril Sixth Form College

Tournament details

  • Date: Saturday 13th September 2025
  • Venue: Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, Chestnut Avenue, Eastleigh SO50 5ZA.
  • Entry fee £27
  • Games: 15 Rounds in a Swiss tournament format.
  • The games will be ECF and FIDE rated.
  • Rate of play: 3+2 (three minutes plus 2 seconds increment per move)
  • Round 1 starts at 11:00
  • Last Round, Round 15, starts at 17:40,
  • The winner qualifies for the Final, which will be held on Saturday 22nd November at Leamington Spa.
  • The female player will qualify for the Women’s Final.
  • See the tournament Rules page

Links

The ECF web page for the 2025 UK Open Blitz Championships

Online entry form on the ECF website

Hampshire Chess Association article