Update and sent to players from the T80 season.
Good Day!
Just a note to thank you for playing on the DHLC teams and to bring you up to speed for the next T81 event.
We had an excellent season and the U1500 team made it to the playoffs. Furthermore, we competed in 3 divisions with the strongest rating average. I met many new players and had a chance to watch quite a few great games. I used to live near a popular horse track and “played the horses” for a few years. Similarly, I felt the same passion for our teams and your games as I did for those horses and trainers. That is, when you have a “skin in the game” it generates the passion and intensity. I am sure you understand that “rush”. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the race.
I spoke with Dave, one of the two organizers of the Dan Heisman Learning Center. He was the original leader for the DHLC CC&T branch of slow chess play for the Team 4545 League. The idea was to play quality chess in a competitive team environment consistent with the Dan Heisman methods of chess practice. We spoke on the phone and reviewed the challenges I faced this past season.
All in all, we agreed to reinvigorate the program and work through the rough challenges. Given the enormous responsibility of guiding our best team’s forward, I most avoid putting out fires in the middle of the season so we can all focus on the “board”.
I intend to captain players interested in a productive and mature team who find competition in a slow chess venue rewarding and supportive for their desire to improve. A few of you have already indicated that you would like to continue playing for the DHLC brand. We will continue to roster a four board team and must approach the play as a “no vacation” tournament. When available, we will have an alternate for emergencies but they will only play the fourth board and everyone else moves up. Players must understand and agree to play regularly before joining the group. Furthermore, although all rules of the tournament are well laid out in the handbook and it is your responsibility to read/know, negotiating in a game forum should occur in within 24 hour margins including when the game forum announcement is e-mailed to you. Obviously, this is a pet peeve and I am not interested in any more heartburn.
Players are not obligated to play on the DHLC team nor are DHLC teams obligated to roster any player. If you played for DHLC in the past but are interested playing more than one game, want to play every week or have a desire to play with a different group, we support and encourage you. We understand that playing chess is the universal goal. At DHLC, we will strive to roster players who have committed to play on our team when they avoid checking a box in section 7 on their profile page. That is, those who do not check section 7 (“I need help finding a team”) must let me know immediately (since I receive no alerts telling me your preference) that you would like to be on a DHLC team.
After each season the ratings are updated on the same day the profiles open ( May 28th). Also, people also come and go so it is often unclear how a team will be staffed. We need an early start!
We will maintain a homepage at: https://www.chess.com/club/dhlc-checks-captures-and-threats
Much Regard and good chess to you for T81, Joe
***** Under Constuction ******
According to the constitution of the Team 45 45 League:
Team internal structure is beyond the scope of League Management, and teams are free to establish any sort of structure that complies with the Statutes and By-Laws, including the designations of Assistant Team Captain, Archivist, or any other position they wish to establish. Regardless of any internal team positions, only the officially designated Team Captain can speak for the team when communicating with other teams or League Managers.
Therefore…let it be known…
DHLC-CC&T for Team 45 45 League Vision, Organization, Structure and Objectives.
Vision - Coming soon
DHLC
DHLC is an acronym for the Dan Heisman Learning Center (currently residing with over 15,000 members on Chess.com. CC&T refers to a learned catch phrase for Dan Heisman students asking players to always watch for Checks, Captures and Threats.
ICC
ICC is the Internet Chess Club hosting team play in a group titled “Team 45 45 League. The ICC site requires premium membership in order to participate.
DHLC Checks Captures and Threats
DHLC – CC&T members have a free “homepage” (or group page) on Chess.com. Some players elect to have a premium membership to enjoy the many additional benefits but a free membership has access to the homepage). The group’s title is DHLC Checks Captures and Threats. The homepage will have team updates, chat, reminder notes page, forums with schedules, games, opening preparations among other team chess related material. Anyone can post a message there at any time and replies are very timely. The homepage include all previous, current and future members of DHLC – CC&T teams so when each tournament begins open enrollment we have one place to go to find who is willing and wanting to play.
ICC Team 45 45 League
This is the location of the League. As the name suggest, all games have a time control of G/45 +45. Four to six players band together as a team, and compete in divisions of 4 – 7 teams in one of five ratings sections. One round is played per week, for six weeks, from Tuesday to the following Tuesday. Before each round, each captain decides which four players will play that week against players from the opposing team. The teams are organized by rating averages and include U1200, U1400, U1600, U1800 and U2000 divisions. The League homepage has everything you need to get started including captain, player and TD handbooks, Quick Guides, Bylaws, schedules and historical records.
DHLC – CC&T Teams (Divisions include U1200, U1400, U1600 and U1800)
DHLC players must be familiar with the player’s handbook to avoid any misunderstandings especially during negotiations where most of the challenges lie.
Each season, we will field players for each division using the above combined team names. Each team will consist of a captain and co-captain who are in that particular team’s rotation. The captain and co-captain fulfill the rotations each week, participate as needed in game forums and serve as archivist for our DHLC homepage for their respective teams. The captain and co-captain for each team may divide the duties as they see fit for each tournament. Captains and co-captains must be familiar with the Captain’s handbooks.
All players play! Especially in a 4 person team, but In a 5 or 6 person team, every team member gets rotated “out” for one week starting with Board One beginning with round two. Those who request a “bye” one week are still in the rotations. A 4-person team must plan to play every week, hence a “no-vacation” tourney.
All should know the upcoming schedule and help captains be aware of any needed changes to the roster prior to the captains’ roster confirmations. It might help to set a deadline for Sunday for requests of absence. Captains may need a day to identify roster changes since updated board assignments must be turned in by 1600 Tuesdays.
Forfeits can happen. The league has an aggressive but tolerant forfeit policy. Players who earn a “zero” reliability rating are removed from the teams until their rating returns to +1 or better.