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This season's fixtures have been arranged for the 3rd weekends in October, November, January, February and March.

Teams must play on the weekend shown listed below. If both captains wish to play another date because of congresses etc then please contact the controller for authority. Saturday or Sunday by mutual agreement but SUNDAY IS THE DEFAULT.

Players should be ECF graded to play in all graded competitions. If proof, that an ungraded player's strength is appropriate to the relevant competition, is given to the Controller at least 7 days before a fixture, then the Controller may allow them to play. Please include the MO or ECF number against ALL player's names with all match results, which should be sent to the Controller within 10 days. Please include the date-of-birth of all juniors. Results will be published on the web site.
 

Rules for NCCU County Championship

Jim Moran NCCU Controller
0151 928 5625

Sep 07

jim.moran21ATbtinternet.com
 

NORTHERN COUNTIES CHESS UNION RULES FOR COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIPS

As adopted by the NCCU AGM, June 1996 and amended Sep 2006
 
1    Interpretation
 
In these rules, unless the context requires otherwise, references 
to the Counties Championship are to be construed so as to refer 
also to Counties Under-175, Under-150, Under-125 and Under-100    
Championships
 
2    Entry
 
     a.   The Competition for each Counties Championship is 
     conducted annually and is open to each constituent member 
     County Chess Association.
 
     b.   Entries for the Counties Championship must be made to the 
     NCCU Secretary no later than 14 September each year.
 
3    Format of the Championships
 
     a.   The Format of each Championship will be as the Controller 
     decides, once the numbers of entries at each level are 
     finalised.  Where a competition is run on a zonal basis, the 
     zonal competition will be followed by a semi-final and final 
     stage if required.  In the semi-final stage the winner of Zone 1 
     will play the second team from Zone 2, and the winner from Zone 2 
     will play the second team from Zone.
 
     b.   In any match in these Championships the minimum number of 
     players on each side should be 12.  A higher even number may be 
     mutually agreed.
 
     c.   The winner of the Championship at each level is declared to 
     be the NCCU Champion and, subject to (d), is nominated to compete 
     in the quarter-finals of the ECF Counties Championship at that 
     level.  The runner-up in each Championship, again subject to (d), 
     is also nominated to compete in the quarter-finals of the ECF 
     Counties Championship at that level, providing at least 3 
     ECF teams participate in said Championship.
 
     d.   If any County side is deemed ineligible to take part in 
     the ECF quarter-final stages (due, for example, to that County 
     Association not being affiliated to the ECF) then their 
     nomination to the quarter-finals shall be given to the next 
     eligible County, ignoring the offending county's results.
 
     e.   Matches shall normally be played over the board, but with 
     the agreement of both counties and the controller, may be 
     played by telephone or email.
 
4    Venues for Matches
 
     a.   Matches will normally be played on a 'home' and 'away' basis, 
     but the 'away' side can demand a neutral venue if the relevant 
     county boundaries are not contiguous.  It is the  responsibility 
     of the 'away' team to organise the agreed neutral venue, but the 
     costs of the venue will be shared.  This demand should be made to 
     the 'home' side at least six weeks before the match is due to take 
     place (except in the case of the October match, when the request 
     must be made as soon as  possible when the fixtures are known.
     It is expected that Counties will have regard to the 
     convenience of visiting teams when arranging venues.
 
     b.   The 'home' captain should contact the 'away' captain by 
     'phone to offer his choice of venue well before the event.  He 
     should then send full details of confirmation in writing to reach 
     the 'away' captain at least two weeks before the match.
 
     c.   All correspondence relating to these competitions should 
     be sent by first class mail.
 
5    Dates of Matches
 
     a.   The draw for each Championship will be issued by the 
     controller as soon as possible after he has the full number of 
     entries.
 
     b.   The date of each match shall not be varied except by the 
     agreement of both captains and with the permission of the 
     controller.  The draw should be arranged so that the matches 
     take place on the dates 'set aside' for County matches - the 
     3rd weekend in October, November, January, February and March.
 
     c.   The number of boards in each match (at least 12) shall be 
     agreed by the two match captains at the same time the venue is 
     agreed.
 
6    Tie splitting procedure
 
     a.  A Championship is awarded to the team scoring the highest 
     number of match points.
 
     b.  Individual County match result 
 
     c.  If a. or b. produce no result the controller shall apply the 
     rules given in the 'Memorandum on Method of Resolving Ties in 
     the County Championship' approved by the NCCU in June 1980 and
     amended in Sep 2006 at the request of the NCCU Committee.
 
7    Eligibility of Players
 
     a.   A player may represent a County in the Counties Championship 
     only if they have not played for another County (NCCU 
     or otherwise) in the same season.
 
 
 
     b.   The qualification for a player to represent a County in 
     the Counties championships is:
 
            i. They are a subscribing member of that Association, 
               either direct or through an affiliated Club.
 
           ii. They are registered with the NCCU.
 
          iii. They must fulfil one of these conditions:
 
               a.   Birth in that County.
 
               b.   5 years consecutive residence in that County at 
               any time.                              
 
               c. One month's immediately previous and present 
               residence in that County.
                                      
               d.   2 year's immediately previous and present membership 
               of a club either in or affiliated to that County.
                       
               e.   Present attendance as teacher or pupil at a school, 
               college or university in that County.
 
               f.   A player whose qualification is valid under the 
               preceding rules when first playing for a County, 
               shall remain qualified for the rest of that season.
 
8    Grading Limited Championships
 
     a.   No player should take part in the U-175, U-150, U-125 or 
     U-100 Championships if their gradings in the ECF National list 
     for that season are equal to or over the appropriate limit.
 
     b.   A team captain must obtain permission from the controller 
     at least seven days prior to the match (otherwise rule 9a applies)
     to play an ungraded player in a gradings limited competition.  
     This may be refused if the ungraded players known or estimated 
     strength is thought inappropriate for that competition. 
 
     c.   If it is known that a player's grade is incorrect in the 
     current ECF grading list, then notice must be given at least 14 
     days before the match date, to the Controller.  This must show 
     proof of correct grade with authority from a National/County 
     grader, otherwise rule 9 will apply.
 
9    Penalties for playing ineligible players
 
     a.   The penalty for playing an ineligible player in any match 
     shall be the loss of that players game and the deduction of 
     one game point from the teams total for each such player.
 
     b.   A request for a penalty to be exacted under this rule 
     must be made to the controller within 7 days of the match.
 
 
 
 
10   Rules for Matches
 
     a.   Before the time fixed for the start of play (arranged so 
     that the playing session will conclude no later than 6pm) the 
     team captains shall make up their respective playing lists, 
     placing the players in order of playing strength; they shall 
     exchange lists and toss for colours.  The team whose captain 
     wins the toss shall take white on the odd-numbered boards.
 
     b.   At the time fixed for the start of play, the captains 
     shall start the clocks of those players having the move.  If a 
     player be absent, an eligible substitute may be put in within 
     the first hour; otherwise his opponent, if present, shall 
     score the game as a win.  If neither player is present or 
     substituted then the game shall be scored a loss for both sides.
 
     c.   The duration of play will be a maximum of 5 hours.  Each 
     player shall make not less than 40 moves in 2 hours and then the 
     game played to a finish with 30 minutes extra for each 
     player for the remainder of the game.  The rates of play and the 
     duration of the sudden death finish may be varied by mutual 
     agreemment of the two captains.
     d.   One game will be played between each pair of players.  A win 
     will count one point and a draw half a point.
                                  
     e.   It is the responsibility of match captains to agree between 
     themselves as to the provision of clocks and other
     equipment.  In the absence of agreement to the contrary each 
     County should provide half the equipment required for the agreed 
     number of boards to be played.
 
 
 
 
     f.   If insufficient clocks or equipment are available at the 
     start of a match then the available clocks and equipment are 
     allocated by the match captain responsible for their presence.  
     For those boards where no clock or equipment is available, the 
     time elapsed from the agreed starting time up to the arrival 
     of the clock or equipment at the board shall be counted 
     against the county whose responsibility it was to provide the 
     clock or equipment.  In the event of clock failure, the time 
     between the clock being found faulty and its replacement by a 
     working clock is counted against the county which originally 
     provided the faulty clock.
 
11   Disputes
 
     a.   All games shall be played in accordance with the Laws of 
     Chess compiled by FIDE and published in Britain with the 
     authority of the ECF.  It is the responsibility of match 
     captains to have a copy of the Laws available for reference at 
     each match.
 
     b.   All disputes concerning the interpretation or application 
     of the Laws of Chess on which the Counties cannot agree, shall 
     be referred to the controller.  If agreement cannot be reached 
     the controller may refer the dispute to the ECF for 
     adjudication.
 
     c.   Any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of 
     the NCCU Counties Championships Rules on which the Counties 
     cannot agree shall be decided by the controller.  Appeals 
     against a decision of the controller shall be referred to a 
     neutral sub-committee of the NCCU whose decision will be final. 

12   Results
 
Each county shall send to the controller, within 10 days, the 
detailed score of the match, an indication of which side had White on 
the odd boards and the date and venue of play and the players' 
ECF GRADING NUMBER (7 characters) or their NMS Number and the date of 
birth of all juniors.  An additional copy should be sent to the ECF.
 
13   Amendments to Rules
 
     a.   No amendments to these rules shall be made unless due 
     notice of such an amendment has been given to the Annual General 
     Meeting not less than 21 days before the date of that meeting.
 
     b.   Amendments to the rules may be passed by a simple majority 
     of those present and voting.
 
                                 Sep 2006