BIRMINGHAM & DISTRICT CHESS LEAGUE
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The news was last updated on 15/04/2026
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Headlines 15/04/2026 -Trophy Finals The Terrill and Townshend Trophy finals took place at Olton last night. Tamworth II played Mercia III in the Terrill. Mercia had a 1.5 handicap, but the much stronger team won on the night. Conceding only 2 draws, Tamworth won 5-1 over the boards.
In the Townshend trophy, there was a much closer match in prospect. Central Birmingham IV had a slight advantage in grades and South Birmingham IV A were not hopeful going into the match. Pivotal games on boards 2 and 4 could have gone either way and the aggregate was 1-1. Chris Evans and Alan Woolaston on board 1 effectively decided the result with a draw with opposite Bishops.
In the event, South Birmingham edged the match with a 3-2 win. 15/04/2026 - Upcoming event dates Wednesday 22nd April - Management meeting at Ward End Rule change proposals and debates on Lightning/Blitz event and rapidplay. Thursday 11th June - League AGM at South Birmingham Presentation of trophies Tuesday 16th June - Fixtures meeting at Olton Tim Lane 22/03/2026 John Homer – In Memoriam - Update with Funeral Details I am sad to report the death of John Homer ex of Mutual Circle club (now Central Birmingham) on 10th March, 2026. According to my calculations John was aged 86 and was our second longest-serving member – having joined the club as a schoolboy in the 1950s. He remained a keen and active member until 2019, regularly playing in various of our league teams and in internal club events. By the time the 2019 Covid crisis temporarily brought chess-play to a halt John was already experiencing mobility and health problems and he was never able to return to competitive chess thereafter. Nevertheless he continued to keep in touch with the club through our WhatsApp group and followed our fortunes in the BDCL with interest. John was a popular and much valued member of the club, known for his good humour, his reliability, and a quality I can only describe as 'gentlemanliness'. He set up and managed the Mutual Circle website for many years and was also our archivist – collecting newsletters and newspaper cuttings about the club's history. In particular, he was custodian of a number of Mutual Circle club newsletters from the 1940s and 1950s. He will be missed. John's funeraI will be held at the Redditch Crematorium (Bordesley Lane, Redditch, B97 6RR) at 2pm on Friday 17th April. There will be a gathering for family and friends afterwards. Chris Evans (secretary, Central Birmingham) 08/03/2026 - Keith Thomas RIP - Update Sadly, Keith's wife died only a few months ago and so our
condolences go to his family and especially his son. 2/03/2026 - Paul Sharratt - update with Funeral arrangements I am saddened to have to report that Paul Sharratt died of a heart attack yesterday morning, 10th February. Paul was secretary of Stourbridge CC for a number of years, served as President of the BDCL in the 2024-25 season, and had safeguarding responsibilities at both local and national levels. I am sure there were other roles he fulfilled. He will be sorely missed. There's a tribute to Paul on the ECF website: here.. Funeral details : Wednesday 25 March 2026 Tim Lane 11/03/2026 - League Lightning Tournament 2026 The League Lightning tournament took place last night at Olton's venue. 9 teams took part in 2 sections at the rate of 10 seconds per move. The full result is here... 25/02/2026 - West Bromwich Chess Club A reminder that West Bromwich C.C, which withdrew from the BDCL a couple of years ago, still meets at Dartmouth Central Club. Club night is Tuesday and there is a duplicate Bridge session. The club is looking to expand both activities. Anyone interested in either should contact the Secretary, David Davies. Details are on the clubs page.... David Davies via Hon. Gen. Sec.
05/02/2026 - Warley Quinborne Venue Warley Quinborne have moved to a new venue with immediate effect : The Crosswells Inn Match nights continue to be on Thursdays, start time 7.30. Free parking is available next to the venue on a council site. If full, on-site parking on Langley High Street should be available. The venue is a licenced Premises, visitors should not bring their own drinks onto the Premises. Chess is played in rooms on the ground floor. See the location on the Google Clubs page. Tim Lane, Hon. Gen. Sec. 30/01/2026 - Pete Collins Tim Lane, the Hon. Gen. Sec received the following from Lichfield Chess Club : I'm sorry to have to report that Pete Collins has passed away. Pete was Lichfield first team captain and club chair for over 40 years. He played his last game for the club in December 2023, since when his health had been deteriorating, and he had been in a care home for the last year. Pete was well-known across the Midlands, playing in the Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Cannock and Derbyshire leagues, and captaining Championship-winning Lichfield teams in all these leagues. 04/01/2026 - Shropshire Congress 2026 Final call for entries to the 2026 Shropshire Chess Congress. Friday 9th January - Sunday 11th January Open £300 first place prize in all sections
+ 3 £50 rating prizes Enter on the website.. Chris Lewis Shropshire congress 04/12/2025 - Trevor Holt Olton Chess club are sad to announce that Trevor Holt sadly passed away last Thursday, 27th November 2025. He was in his nineties and had until fairly recently been playing at a good standard in the League. He had been having treatment for 2 or 3 months and was playing friendlies at home with his brother Colin. Trevor had been playing for Olton Chess club since the seventies. A decent level player himself, his main aim was to encourage his late son Phil to play and improve to a high level. He was entirely successful in that goal and Trevor continued to play in the top division for many years. Many League players will have encountered Trevor's attacking style. Fast out of the blocks with an opening rooted in the 19th Century, trappy and often of doubtful soundness if analysed fully. But many a league player, thinking they were sharp players were met with an equally sharp response. The 'Wilkes-Barre' variation of the two Knights Defence was a permanent topic of study in the Holt household. Scotch gambit, Evans Gambit, French Winawer Variation, anything that gambitted a pawn for an attack on the f pawn. Away from the board, Trevor was the examiner of the club accounts
for many years and was happy to get players to matches. He was the
main carer for his wife in later years and was devasted by the death
of his son Phil. He was an independant accountant, but managed to
keep up a high standard of chess, despite long hours. Trevor's enthusiasm for the 'Grandstand Finish' often resulted in a loss instead of a slow grinding win. Draws were rare and only as the last resort. Many games were submitted to the club bulletin, including one from 2007 on the club website games page. Trevor's funeral will take place on Monday 5th Januarym 2026 at 11.30 at: Robin Hood Crematorium, There will be a gathering afterwards at : Hall Green Home Guard Club Richard Reynolds Olton Chess Club 20/11/2025 - Colin Searle It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of Colin Searle. Colin passed away three days ago. He was a member of South Birmingham Chess Club for many years from 1972 onwards. A tribute from Terry appears here... The Funeral date has yet to be established. This will be shared in due course. Terry Walker South Birmingham C.C 16/11/2025 - Stourbridge Secretary The new Secretary of Stourbridge Chess Club is Dan Billingham. Details are on the club page.. 12/11/2025 - Stuart Wood Kynoch Chess Club are sad to announce the death of Stuart Wood. Stuart played for the club in various teams and divisions over several decades. He passed away in Good Hope Hospital on Friday 17th October. Stuart's funeral will take place at Perry Barr Crematorium on Thursday 27th November at 1.30pm. If ny players wish to attend the funeral, they are asked to contact Reg Jones, details in the handbook. Kynoch Chess Club 03/11/2025 - ECF AGM - Birnmingham, October 2025 A report on the ECF AGM fro Chris Lewsis appears here... 20/10/2025 - Wolverhampton Blitz Wolverhampton Chess Club, Annual Christmas Blitz, 8th Dec, 2025… Everyone Welcome!
Phil Bull, Wolverhampton C.C 26/04/2025 - Mercia Secretary change The new Mercia C.C secretary is Mike Cash, details have been updated on the Clubs Page. Tim Lane HGS 10/09/2025 - Dementia Awareness Day A report from the league president, Dan Lambourne on this event I had been invited to bring my classic car along to a Dementia Awareness Day, at the Tally Ho Grounds on Sunday 7th September, and as it meant I would be in Birmingham at a weekend, I thought it would be a good idea to setup a chess stand to promote the league, especially with the links between Chess helping Dementia patients, specifically if they had learnt chess before they had contracted Dementia. Unfortunately, the weather was poor and this meant the number of display cars and stands had been extremely diminished, and Steve Edwards (South Birmingham), Matt Gillings (Redditch) and I had to set about erecting the Marquee and garden chess set that had been kindly lent by Gordon Christie (Shirley & Wythall) in the rain, which we managed with the help of a couple of student police constables, who were setup as marshals for the day. My partner, and long-suffering chess widow, Mandy had
created a BDCL banner, and we had both created flyers for the BDCL
as a whole, as well as individual flyers for Redditch Chess Club,
South Birmingham Chess Club and Shirley & Wythall, as their members
had helped out, but with the bad weather footfall was poor until we
also were allowed into the café. We were later joined by Asim
Qureshi (also South Birmingham), who played all comers on the garden
chess set, whilst we took down the marquee during a dry spell, so we
didn’t have to take it down whilst it was wet. As President, I would like to setup more of these chess displays, to promote chess for the whole League, rather than just the local fetes in my own area where I promote my own clubs, so if anyone is interested, and has an idea of where we can put up a display, even if it is just a board or two, then please let me know, and I will help promote it and if I am free I will come along to help. Also, if there is anything else you would like me to attend, then please let me know, and I will see what I can do. Dan Lambourne 11/08/2025 - Local Tournaments Mark Drugan of South Birmingham CC has kindly compiled a list of local tournaments taking place, the upcoming events are listed here. Additionally, it has been announced that the 2026 British Championships will take place at the University of Warwick from 1st to 9th August. Standard Play (all 2 days) Rapidplay (all 1 Day) Blitz (all 1 Day) 13/06/2025 - Worcestershire Summer Events Worcestershire Megafinal This Junior event will be held in Worcester on Saturday 28th June 2025. More details can be found here... Worcestershire Closed Congress This tournament is open to anyone who is eligible to play for Worcestershire and is being held on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th August 2025. More details can be found here... Worcestershire Summer Cups Worcestershire are holding their team Summer Cups (Open and U1650) over August evenings and possibly end of July, in either Knockout or Jamboree format, dependent on number of entries. The time limit to be used will be the Worcestershire time limit of 45 minutes for all moves plus 30 seconds a move, so all moves must be recorded until the game is complete. If any clubs are interested in playing this year, could they please contact Dan Lambourne, redditchchess@gmail.com , before the end of June, so format, dates and venues can be confirmed at the Worcestershire Chess Association AGM on Wednesday 2nd July. Any clubs not affiliated with Worcestershire will be asked to pay a small charge. Dan Lambourne 11/06/2025 - ECF Finance meeting report A report on the ECF Finance Council meeting appears here... Chris Lewis 10/06/2025 - Honours 2025 Pictures from the AGM last night have been added to the honours page. The prizes were presented at the Longbridge club venue by League President, Paul Sharratt. 08/06/2025 - Wolverhampton Pre-Season Blitz Wolverhampton Chess Club will be hosting a Pre-Season, 10rd, 3+2, Rated Blitz, on Monday 11th August, 7.30pm at the Forty Four Club, Spring Road, Wolverhampton, WV4 6LQ. £3 entry, all entries will go into the prize fund and split as follows : 1st 35% (Based on entries on the night... Grading 1 lowest 25% of participating players. Grading 2 will be up to lowest 50%. Grading 3 will be up to 75%) August 2025 ratings will be used in the following order, Blitz, Rapid, Standard, (P) ratings will be ignored. Everyone Welcome Phil Bull 22/05/2025 - Solihull Secretary Please note that Solihull Club have a new Secretary : Matthew Allen Mike Warden 08/05/2025 - Morry-Wood and Individual knockout competitions The winners of the Morry Award and Wood Best game have been announced and can be viewed here... Phil Maddocks Morry-Wood Committee The winners of the Individual Tournaments were : Open: Robert Glass Individual tournament Comittee Chairman 29/04/2025 - South Birmingham venue change After a 38-year residence at Moseley All Services Club, South Birmingham Chess Club has a new venue and will henceforward be meeting on Thursday evenings at Stirchley United WMC, 41 Hazelwell Lane, Stirchley, Birmingham B30 2PR. Tim Lane, Club Secretary The Google Maps page has been updated 12/04/2025 - John Clulee Olton Chess Club have just been informed of the death of former player, John Clulee. John was playing for the club in the sixties and served as Treasurer from the early seventies until 2 years ago. John was a keen player, but struggled with modern time limits somewhat. He was an accomplished runner and did a number of marathons, but health issues in later years limited him to walking. He enjoyed watching cricket and was often to be seen at Warwickshire, whilst also supporting local cricket teams. He was 81. His funeral will take place on Thursday 24th April at Robin Hood Crematorium, Streetsbrook Rd, Shirley, Solihull B90 3NL, at 2.30pm. There will be a gathering at Moseley cricket club after the funeral, this is on Streetsbrook Road, adjacent to the crematorium. Anyone wishing to attend should please notify Olton's Club Secretary. Robert Reynolds. 10/04/2025 - League Finals night All four Birmingham Chess league Trophy Finals took place at Olton's venue, Tyseley working Mens club, on Tuesday 8th April, as well as an Olton Division 1 league match.
South Birmingham 1A v Shirley 3 Central Birmingham 2 overcame South Birmingham 3A in the Terrill Trophy. South Birmingham 1A just managed to overcome a 3.5 point handicap to beat Shirley & Wythall 3 in the Homer Plate by a score of 5-4.5.
South Birmingham 3A v Central Birmingham 1 and Olton 1 v Sutton Coldfield In the Townshend Trophy, Birmingham St. Georges 4 levelled the score against Kynoch 4 on 2.5 each, after being a player down and won on board count with wins on the top 2 boards. Mercia 4 won convincingly against South Birmingham 5 in the Barrington Plate.
Mercia 4 v South Birmingham 5 Thanks to Rory Lynas for the photos. A few more are available if anyone is interested in a specif game or match.
Kynoch 4 v Birningham St.Georges 4 Webmaster 08/04/2025 - Email links There have been a few issues with email links on the site for a few days. Hopefully these are now working. 12/03/2025 - Lightning Tournament result The League Team Lightning Tournament took place at Olton's venue last night. There were 10 teams in two sections. A very strong entry saw the top section having 4 teams in a double round all-play-all. South Birmingham A won with 19½ points. Solihull A were second with 16½ points The individulal prize was shared between Finlay Bowcott-Terry and Karan Kukreja, both scoring 6 points from 6 games. Section B featured 10 teams in a single round all-play-all and was won by South Birmingham C, with 13 points. Second place was shared by Central Birmingham A and Olton B, with 11½ points. The Individual prize was won by Matthew Allen, with 4½ out of 5. The full report can be found here... Photos have now been added. Lightning Tournament Committee 19/02/2025 - BDCL Lightning Tournament 2025 The League Team Lightning Tournament will take place on Tuesday 11th March at Olton's venue, Tyseley Working Mens Club, 573 Warwick Road, Tyseley, Birmingham, B11 2EX. Teams of 4 players will compete in graded sections at the rate of 10 seconds per move. Team entries may include a reserve and should be submitted to the Tournament controller, John Mildenhall, by 7.15pm on the night. Play will commence as soon as possible after 7.30. Entry fee £6.00 per team, all fees returned in prizes. Full details are in the League handbook. 17/02/2025 - Brian Whitehouse - funeral details Brian's funneral will take place on Wednesday 19th February. Full details are here... 30/01/2025 - Morry-Wood Trophies The rules of the Morry-Wood competitions have been updated by the committee and there is now a downloadable form to submit entries to the Controller for both awards. League members may nominate promising young league players for the W.R.Morry award. League players may submit their interesting games for the B.H.Wood trophy. Both competitions are open for entries until March 31st. Please see the Morry-Wood page for more information. 09/01/2025 - Karl Wakefield - update It is my sad duty to inform you of the demise of Karl Wakefield, a valued member for many years of Handsworth Wood Chess Club ( now defunct ). He passed away on New Years day, funeral details to follow. Karl's funeral will be on Friday 31st January at 10:00AM at Hughley Parish Church SY5 6NT. There will be a wake at the Royal Oak, Cardington, Church Stretton. Regards, 22/01/2025 - Brian Whitehouse It is with sadness that I am writing to inform you of the passing of Brian Whitehouse, arguably Warley's longest serving player and long-time Club Treasurer. We have been advised by Brian’s son John, that Brian had been
admitted On recent visits to the Club, Brian would often recall some of the great local chess players of the past and encounters against them. He had a great love of the local chess scene and was a great supporter of it, although never one to require the limelight. Brian is survived by his wife Margaret, two daughters, Sally and
Elizabeth Funeral details to follow in due course. John Fahy, Warley Quinborne Chess Club 10/01/2025 - Longbridge chess club - Venue Change From Thursday 23 January 2025 Longbridge Chess Club will be
meeting Match nights: Tuesday; Thursday The Oak Tree, Lickey Rd, Rednal, Cofton Hackett, Birmingham B45 8UX Tim Lane 09/01/2025 - David Reeves Olton Chess club has just been informed that David Reeves sadly passed away today. Dave has played for Olton for a number of years and was a keen member who volunteered for any games he could get in League chess. In recent years, his mobility suffered and combined with his slight deafness, his frustration sometimes showed through. But he was well-meaning and was grateful for all the help he received getting to and from matches. He had a generous nature and was always the first to pay subscriptions or offer a drink. Dave played previously for Westminster, Chelmsley Wood and Warley Quinborne. I remember playing him against Warley in my early days and was a decent Division 8 player. Our condolences go to Dave's wife Alice and their family. .Funeral Details Tuesday 18th February 2025 10.45am Cemetery 12.15pm, Woodlands Cemetery, Coleshill, B46 1DP Afterwards: Kingshurst and District Labour Club, 51 Clopton Cres, Birmingham, B37 6QU Richard Reynolds 19/12/2024 - Stourbridge venue The club now meets at The Queens Head Club night is Tuesday at 7.30pm Julie Wilson 28/11/2024 - Mercia venue The club will now meet at Hurst Hill Labour Club Start time is 7.30pm. There is a small car park ay the back and alternative on-street parking Andrew Mccumiskey 06/11/2024 - ECF AGM Report Chris Lewis has produced a reort of the ECF AGM, which can be found here... Chris lewis (BDCL Delegate to ECF) 06/11/2024 - Wolverhampton Blitz Wolverhampton welcome all players to their Christmas
Blitz Event. Entry is open to all players in the Wolverhampton and
neighbouring leagues. Phil Bull 22/10/2024 - Robert Bellin Lectures A series of lectures were given by former British
champion Robert Bellin
in the earlier part of the year. Tim Lane 21/10/2024 - Tamworth contact Peter Oliver can now be reached on email via pjroliver@gmail.com Please update your records Tim Lane 0 Hoon. Gen. Secretary 06/10/2024 - Shropshire congress The Shropshire Congress will take place Friday 3rd - Sunday
5th January 2025 Top prize in all sections £300 plus three £50 rating prizes per section.Top boards from all sections will be broadcast live within the venue and cooked breakfasts plus Sunday lunch will be provided by the Wrekin Housing Group catering team. Further information and online entry on the website: https://www.shropshirechess.org/shropshire-congress/shropshire-congress-2025/ 19/09/2024 - Keith Escott Memorial Congtress We are proud to announce that Sutton Coldfield Chess Club is organising the above chess tournament. Your participations would be highly appreciated. Venue: Plantsbrook school, Upper Holland Road, Sutton Coldfield B72 1RB Please see the tournament flyer Kind regards, 08/09/2024 League Individuals. Entries are being taken for the 2024-25 Individual Tournaments with the deadline for entries being 1st October 2024. Rules are in section 18 (pages 33 & 34 in the handbook). My details are on page 4 of the handbook. Robert Glass, Individual Tournament Committee Chairman. 03/09.2024 - Warley Quinborne III Please note that Warley Quinborne have withdrawn from Division 3, please amend your fixture lists. Tim Lane 31/08/2024 - Worcestershire Summer Cups 2024 This year’s tournament was controlled by Dan Lambourne at Redditch Chess Club’s new Summer and Social Venue at Meadow Farm over the whole of August, alternating weeks between the U1650 and Open competitions. Teams consisted of four players per team at a time limit of 45 minutes for all moves plus 30 seconds a move, and a total of five clubs were involved. U1650 Summer Cup This was held between four teams in a knockout format. Kidderminster won the final against Worcester, with Redditch finishing 3rd after Longbridge were unable to raise a team to take part in the 3d/4th playoff. Open – Nigel Towers Cup This was held between 5 teams in a Jamboree format over two rounds. Longbridge and Worcester took an early lead with 2.5 points after the first round, but there was only one point between the five teams, so all to play for. In the final round, Longbridge pulled away to win with 6 points, Malvern came second with 4.5 points, Worcester and Redditch tied for 3rd with 3.5 points, and Kidderminster coming 5th with 2.5 points. If any clubs are interested in playing next year, could they please contact Dan Lambourne, redditchchess@gmail.com, in the first instance. Assuming Redditch have retained their new venue by next Summer, we will be looking to organise the 2025 event over evenings in August and possibly end of July, as soon as we get the fixtures for the BDCL Summer League, so that we know how many weeks we have to play with, and how many rounds we can offer for each tournament. Dan Lambourne 7/08/2024 - ECF Grassroots Funding The ECF has announced a programme of Grassroots funding that is being made available to organisations and individuals for local chess initiatives. More information is available here on the ECF website. Tim Lane 24/08/2024 - Handbook Updates Hon. Treasurer Sutton Coldfield CC Mercia CC Birmingham St. George's CC 02/08/2024 Sutton Coldfield Secretary Golam Ali has taken over as Secretary of Sutton Coldfield. The new details are on the Club's page. 23/07/2024 - Rules and Constitution The League Constitution and rules have been reviewed and the revised versions are now on the Rules & Docs page 14/06/2024 - Birmingham Rapidplay The 38th Birmingham Rapidplay took place at the Quinborne Centre on Sunday 9th June. Congratulations to Stanley Badacsonyi on winning the Open section outright. The full results are on Chess-Results.com 12/06/2024 - League AGM The League AGM took place at Ward End Social Club on Monday 10th June. Trophies were presented to all the winners by the League president, Stewart Fishburne, some of these will appear on the Honours page.
07/06/2024 - Summer League match cards Mike Warden has kindly created a Summer League match template, for recording results on the night. A PDF version can be downloaded from the Ematch Cards page on the left hand side. 05/06/2024 = Oscott new Venue Oscott Club are now meeting at Boldmere Sports and Social Club, 323 Boldmere Road, Birmingham, B73 5HQ (not the Football club). Directions and details are on the BDCL Clubs page. Start time is now 7.15. 25/05/2024 - Funeral of Keith Escott - updated The funeral of Keith Escott will take place at 3.15pm on Tuesday 11th June at Sutton Coldfield Crematorium, Tamworth Road, Sutton Coldfield B75 6LG. The reception/wake will take place from around 4pm at Castle Vale Residents Association, 321 Yatesbury Avenue, Birmingham, B35 6QP. If you plan or hope to attend either of the above, please email chessclub@btinternet.com, so that we can have an indication of numbers. Marek Soszynski 20/05/2024 - Wolverhampton Club Pre-season blitz Wolverhampton Chess Club will be hosting a Pre-Season, 10 round, 5
minute, Rated Blitz on Monday 12th August, 7.30pm at the Forty Four
Club, Spring Road, Wolverhampton, WV4 6LQ.
£2.50 entry. Phil Bull 17/05/2024 Mutual Circle Club name change Reported by Chris Evans: Mutual Circle's members have voted to change the name of the club
with immediate effect. Mutual's new name will be "Central
Birmingham" chess club. Club-night, venue and contact details will
remain the same. By chance, this change takes place at the end of the 100th season in
which Mutual has been a member of the Birmingham & District Chess
League. The original name came from the fact that when the club was
founded in 1920 it had no venue - so meetings took place by rotation
at the home addresses of different club-members. We hope both to
hang on to our history and to still be around in another 100 years
time.... 17/05/2024 - Morry-Wood Competitions The Morry-Wood committee announce the winners of the 2 2023-4
competitions. Ritson Morry Junior award:-
You can see the winning game on the
Morry-Wood page. Phil Maddocks Morry-Wood Committee Chairman 12/05/2024 - Google Clubs page The locations on the Google Clubs page have been updated. If any
locations are incorrect, please contact the webmaster. Please note
that the small map on the page in not compatible with Firefox, but
the larger map works from the link provided. 11/05/2024 - Chess online in the Birmingham League Chris Evans (Chair of the League's Online chess subcommittee) has
provided some details of activities locally in online chess and is
looking to improve awareness of this form of the game. A new page
has been provided, which is accessible from the links on the left or
from here..
if anyone would like to get involved. 10/05/2024 - Redditch Summer League temporary venue Please note that Redditch club will be playing their Summer league
matches at a temporary venue, which is the Meadow Farm Public House,
Dagnell End Lane, Beoley, B98 9BJ. 01527 585639. Detailed directions
are available, but from Birmingham, it is just off Birmingham Road
on the way to Redditch. Please also note that this is a pub and visiting teams are discouraged from bringing in their own food and drinks. Food is available at the bar. From Dan Lambourne 09/05/2024 - Pete Savage Keith Thomas has reported the sad loss of former Kynoch player Pete
Savage. His recollections of his friend Pete appear
here... 25/04/2024 - League championship Congratulations to Sutton Coldfield, who have won the Division 1
League Championship. They beat South Birmingham in a play off. 25/04/2024 - Warwickshire AGM The Warwickshire Chess Association AGM takes place at South
Birmingham Chess Club on Monday 29th April, at 7.30pm. 13/04/2024 - Des Nicolle Received from John Burke (formerly of Westminster Club) It is with
much regret that I announce the death of Des L. A. Nicolle who
passed away 8th April aged 96. Des was secretary of Golden Hillock
Chess Club 1960-88 and also a player in the BDCL for many years most
recently playing for Westminster Chess Club. Des was a school
teacher who ran school Chess clubs at Golden Hillock, St Michaels
and Archbishop Ilsley schools, he inspired many players who went on
to play in the BDCL. Des was my form master when I was twelve, he was an exceptional
teacher, exceptional chess player and an exceptional gentleman. Des
was a teacher who influenced all who met him and made them better
people, he will be missed. His funeral will be at 12-15pm Friday 3rd May at Yardley Crematoriom
and afterwards at the Arden Hotel, Coventry Road, Bickenhill, B92
0EH. Could any League members attending please Inform the Records
Secretary (Usual Email), who will pass the numbers on to help judge
the catering at the hotel. John W Burke. 04/04/2024 - Crewe Chess Congress It's less than 3 months to the annual Crewe Chess Congress (28th June
- 30th June), which again will be at the Crewe Alexandra
Football Stadium. The entry fees have been held, whilst both prize
money and venue capacity have been increased. Previous congresses have been very well received and as a result
early entries are up significantly on previous years. It is
anticipated that the new capacity of 200 will be reached well in
advance of the day.
If you want to know more or enter please follow this link which
should take you to the relevant part of Crewe Chess Club's
website.
Nigel Gardner Crewe Chess Club 27/03/2024 - Keith Escott From Marek Soszynski - It is with deep sadness that I inform you of the passing of Keith
Escott on March 15th 2024, in hospital, following an accident at his
home. He was 76 years old. Keith was a towering figure in both the local and wider chess
community, his contributions too numerous to fully capture in this
brief notice. His dedication to the game was exemplified by his role
as an editor for 'Chess' Magazine and his tenure as President of the
British Federation for Correspondence Chess. Closer to home, he had
served as the Chairman of Sutton Coldfield Chess Club, where he was
for many years its strongest player. His achievement of captaining the Sutton Coldfield team when it won
the Birmingham League Division 1 Championship in 1979 and then
again, all of 36 years later, in 2016 will surely never be
surpassed. He was a man with a profound sense of duty, adorned with numerous
endearing eccentricities, who had devoted his life to chess. His
absence leaves an irreplaceable void within the Club and beyond. There are no details of any funeral arrangements at this time. 19/03/2024 - Brian Allsop Longbridge Chess Club announces with great sadness the loss of our
friend Brian Allsop who passed away peacefully aged 67 on the
morning of Saturday March 9th 2024 after a lengthy spell battling
pneumonia in the QE hospital since new year, his faithful wife Anita
constantly at his side. 15/03/2024 - Chess in Schools Tutor Training Chess in Schools & Communities is a national charity that aims to
introduce and raise the profile of chess. The charity aims to make chess available to everyone and it works
with communities throughout the UK to ensure that everyone can
benefit from the game, providing support such as free chess sets,
training in how to teach chess and access to their teaching
materials. Much of the work is in schools but its mission does not stop at the
classroom door. There is a growing interest in providing chess in
the wider community, such as libraries, prisons and youth justice
services and to older people where it can help keep cognitive
abilities active and tackle loneliness. Chess in Schools have arranged a training day on 25 May - more
information and booking details are available at
Tutor Training Day Birmingham, Saturday
25th May 2024 | Chess in Schools and Communities If people are interested in working for the charity, training places
are free. I attended one of these training days a few months ago and found it
very worthwhile and interesting! John Pitcher, South Birmingham Chess Club 13/03/2024 - League Lightning Tournament - Results The annual 10-second team tournament took place at Olton's venue
last night. There were 14 teams of four players, competing in 3
sections. The result can be found
here.... 06/03/2024 - Joyce Evans It is with great sadness that Halesowen Chess Club reports the death
of Joyce Evans on 2 March. Joyce was very much looking forward to
the 23/24 league season, despite approaching 90 years of age, but
sadly sffered a variety of health issues over Autumn and Winter. Her
last competitive game (which she won!) was in the annual Summer
match between Stourbridge and Halesowen. She had been a member of
Halsowen Chess Club since 1977.. Stewart Fishburne 04/03/2024 - BDCL Lightning Tournament The Annual League Team Lightning Tournment will take place at
Olton's venue, Tyseley Working Mens Club, on Tuesday 12th March.
Teams of 4 players will compete in graded sections at the rate of 10
seconds per move. Teams should be registered with the controller,
John Mildenhall, before the 7.30pm start time on the night and may
include 1 reserve. 27/02/2024 - Kevin Moore We have the sad news that Kevin Moore, a member of Walsall Kipping
since 1996 has passed away.Peter Nixon has supplied an obituary for
him which can be found
here. His funeral details are: Friday 8th March 24 at 12.00 hours (noon). Mercia Forest Crematorium, Broad Lane, Essington,Wolverhampton, WV11
2RJ. Peter Nixon 27/02/2024 - Local Tournaments SPTW Warwickshire Women's Rapidplay 28th April at University of Warwick Open, Secondary School and Primary School sections A lesson with IM Lorin d'Costa and a 5-round Rapidplay Minimum £400 prize fund in the Open + certificates and medals in
the junior sections
https://warwickshirechess.keethree.com/sptw-warwickshire-womens-rapidplay/ Leamington Open 18th and 19th May at Trident Park, Leamington Open, Under 2000, Under 1750 and Under 1500 sections 5 rounds £1,500 prize fund
https://warwickshirechess.keethree.com/2024-leamington-open/ From Alex Holowczak 27/02/2024 - Walsall Kipping Secretary MIke Groombridge has stood down for the time being as Walsall Secretary. Peter Nixon has taken over the role.He can be contacted on 07846 318496 or by email on petenix1965@gmail.com 25/02/24 - Warley Quinborne Start time - updated From 25th February 2024, Warley Quinborne's start time will revert
to 7.30pm,Please ensure team captains travelling to matches at
Warley club are aware of this change. From Phil Maybury 03/02/2024 - David Dunn Rapidplay Memorial Tournament South Birmingham Chess Club, Four Sections: Open, Under 2000, Under 1750, Under 1500 Saturday 27th April 2024 Moseley All services Club, Church Rd, Moseley, Birmingham B12 Entries are limited to 90 players. Limited seating will be available between rounds Entry fee is : £23.00 for ECF silver or above members Prize money: FIDE Open: 1st £250, 2nd £100, 3rd: £50; Grading £25 Other sections: 1st £150, 2nd £80, 3rd: £50. visit : South Birminghm Chess Club to enter and for further details/ Terry Walker 31/01/2024 - Parking at Lichfield Please note that there is no longer any free parking near Lichfield
chess club after 6.30pm.It now costs £1.50 up until Midnight. David Short Lichfield Chess Club 24/01/2024 - Chess talks by Robert Bellin Robert has arranged for a series of chess talks to take place at The
Wellington, a Birmingham city centre specialist real ale pub (37
Bennetts Hill, B2 5SN), starting Tuesday 30th January and then
continuing monthly on the last Tuesday of each month until June
25th. There will be talks from 7:30-9:30pm and people are welcome to
stay and play till later if they wish but must bring a set and board
if so as there are none provided. The presentations are free but attendees are encouraged to have some
(several!) of the quality libations the pub provides if we are to
have a chance of continuing the series. The talks will be
wide-ranging on many different aspects of chess and there will
likely be four talks (standalone but some linked) per session.
Robert will try to make all the talks worthwhile for a wide range of
players but will also aim to make the earlier talks particularly
accessible. The pub has a strict over-18s only policy. Robert Bellin 23/01/2024 - Guidelines for Captains updated Mike Biddle has provided updated guidelies for captains, which are
available on the
Rules & docs page. 15/01/2024 - Cannock League Tournament The Cannock & District Chess League was founded in April 1999, and
to celebrate the 25th Anniversary we are holding a Rapid Play
tournament on Saturday 20th April 2024 at the Rycroft Community Hub
in Walsall. There are 3 sections - Open, Major (u1750) and Minor
(u1500). Full details can be found in the
entry form (WORD), which also
contains a link to the online entry form. Could you please circulate this to your club members and to any
other individuals or organisations you think may be interested. Kind regards, Peter Oliver CDCL League Secretary 01/01/2024 - Rules Committee Ruling Dispute regarding the Homer Cup H2-2 Shirley & Wythall 2 v Mutual 1 In this match the players on Board 5 i.e. Gordon Christie (S&W) and
Phil Wells (Mut) were both short on time. Phil Wells made a move but
failed to press his clock. A Mutual player, who had finished his
game, noticed this and prompted Phil Wells to press his clock. At
this point Gordon Christie protested to the interfering Mutual
player. This interference is a breach of Rule 12.7 of the 2023 Fide
Rules of Chess: 12.7 If someone observes an irregularity, he/she may inform only the
arbiter. Players in other games must not to speak about or otherwise
interfere in a game. Spectators are not allowed to interfere in a
game. The arbiter may expel offenders from the playing venue. If an arbiter had been present he/she would most likely have
cautioned or even evicted the Mutual player from the playing room.
However, no blame can be attached to a player who receives
unsolicited advice. After Gordon Christie had protested to the
Mutual player the game should have continued. However, he made no
further move. The Committee considered the dispute by email and issued the
following decision: Verdict The Committee finds that after protesting to the offending Mutual
player about his interference, Gordon Christie should have continued
to play as no fault can be attributed to Phil Wells. As he did not
continue the game, the Committee awards it to Phil Wells. However,
due to the interference of the Mutual player, they are deducted 1
gamepoint in line with previous Rules Committee precedent. The Rules Committee would like to remind all clubs, including Mutual
Circle, that they have a responsibility to make sure that their
players understand that it is not permitted to interfere in any game
in any way. Mike Biddle Chairman, Rules Committee 19/12/2023 - Walsall Kipping new start time Walsall Kipping will be starting home matches at 7.00pm until
further notice 16/12/23 - Warwickshire County Chess Teams Warwickshire did not enter the County Championships in 2023-24, due
in most cases to a lack of captains, and a perceived lack of
interest from players. This survey is designed to gather data on
both of those issues. If you are interested in playing for Warwickshire in 2024-25, please
complete this form by Monday, 8th January:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSczE0SGZUKpbkSl0blS4xqZx51RIiYeMg9kgdd27JWELy5V-Q/viewform Alex Holowczak Warwickshire Chess Association 12/12/23 - Brian Hopkins I'm saddened to have to relay the news that Brian Hopkins, formerly
of Birmingham CC, died on 29 August at the age of 93. Brian
played for Birmingham for many years and was still active in
2018-19, the final season of their participation in the BDCL. Tim Lane - Hon General Secretary 7/12/23 - Richard Simpson Gordon Christie reports the sad losss of Shirley & Wythall club
member Richard Simpson. You can read a tribute from Gordon
here.. (PDF) 8/11/2023 - Hastings congress The 97th Hastings congress takes place over Christmas and the new
year, with a series of tournaments for all levels up to
international standard. The event takes place from December 28th to
5th January, with weekday and weekend swiss tournaments,
taking place alongside the main event. Details can be found
here... 6/11/2023 - BDCL Website The website is currently being maintained by Richard Reynolds and
has undergone some revision. Please let me know if there are any
errors or omissions. 11/10/2023 Demise of David Pugh (President Longbridge CC) on Sept 22, 2023 With great sadness, the death is reported of David Pugh, President
Longbridge Chess Club, who died on Friday September 22nd. David had
been president of both Greenlands and Longbridge CC. A Quaker Memorial Meeting was held at The Friends Meeting House in
Selly Oak, on Wednesday October 11th 2023. A message written in memory of Dave has been added to the Longbridge
Website at:https://longbridgechess.wordpress.com/david-william-pugh/
9/10/2023 Wolverhampton (Handicapped) Xmas Blitz - 11 Dec 2023. Wolverhampton welcome all players to our christmas blitz event.
Entry is open to all players in the Wolverhampton league and
neighbouring leagues. Venue: Forty Four Club, Spring Rd, Wolverhampton, WV4 6LQ Start Time: 7.30 Date: Monday 11th December 2023 Entry Fee: £2.50 Prizes: 1st Prize: 35% 2nd Prize: 25% Grading Bracket 1: 10% Grading Bracket 2: 10% Grading Bracket 3: 10%Grading Bracket 4: 10% Grading bracket 1 will be up to the lowest 1/5 of participating players. Grading bracket 2 will be up to 2/5. Grading bracket 3 up to 3/5. Grading bracket 4 up to 4/5. Time Controls: A handicap system will be employed. 2350+ (1.5 min) 2200-2349 (2.5 min) 2050-2199 (3 min) 1900-2049 (4 min) 1750-1899 (5 min) 1600-1749 (6 min) 1450-1599 (7min) 1450 and below (8min) Grades will be determined using the November grading list and blitz/rapidplay grades will be used wherever possible although provisional "p" grades will be ignored. Rules: All standard blitz rules will apply with the following exception, on the first 2 occasions if one player makes an illegal move, the opponent may stop the clocks and claim 2 minutes. On the 3rd occasion that player loses the game. 9/10/2023 Mutual Circle New Venue The Jeweller's Arms, 23 Hockley Street, Birmingham, B18 6BW. (N.B.
This is inside the Birmingham Clean Air Zone so non-compliant
vehicles entering the area will incur a charge). More details on
BDCL clubs page Older news is archived
here... |
Guidelines for Captains and Players
These
guidelines are intended to assist captains and players. They are,
nevertheless, only guidelines, and anyone requiring further details
should consult the League Rules or the Laws of Chess.
Click
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