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Here are a couple of suggestions for those who are merely pawns in their game.

Last summer I went on several day trips to Leeds visiting a quaint little WMC, where chess was played. They had this brilliant thing called a chess ladder, where players challenged each other. I was wonderring if we could have something similar. Trouble is how do we challenge each other on live chess?

Before reading this, please go to this link; http://yorkshirechess.org/forums/topic/the-art-of-draw/ My eyes are getting bad and I find Ihor's site difficult to post on. I had suggested the carrot, which I think most find acceptable for 'Individual' competitions, now I suggest the stick for team matches. Only wins to be counted for the match result. Thus six draws( or 8 etc) counts 0-0,one point each team. Three wins, 3 losses counts 3-3, one point each team, but when the season ends game points FOR are now more important. Secondly match cards to show more information. Instead of draws being 1/2-1/2 we indicate by one of three letters, C for claimed, that is repetition, stalemate etc, R is for requested(offered-there is a problem with O), Y is for yes. When results are forwarded to chessnuts C,R&Y are shown as draws, but for the individual leagues we now have not damn lies, but statistics to help decide what is needed to deter draws.

Try again!

Last night we, Calderdale, travelled to Lindley for the second and third rounds of the Bill Lumley Rapidplay. I have recovered from Black Wednesday and am beginning to enjoy my first taste of Team Rapidplay with the added pressure of handicaping. All Calderdale players were on 100%, so who would slip up firrst and take the pressure off the rest. I was lucky my opponent left his queen on pris. Angel lived up to his name and took the pressure off, we won 51/2-1/2 on boards, 51/2-41/2 on h/c. 11.5 from 12 ain't bad. Round Three, we have Huddersfield, at last we will get a start, think again,numbty! Dave tells me, we outgrade Rooks on all boards except 1&2, contemplate sitting at board 3, but Dave is captain, he'd notice. So I sat down to play Mitchell. The Singing Detective was on BBC4 at ten o'clock, so I wanted to get home, I missed it last century. So I set my sights on a quick draw(see YCA site) Played this sequence, rather than double up on d file and after an exchange of knights offered a draw, Mitchell refused. Then a clock bell rang, one ..two.. three... four..five...six...seven....eight... nine, bloody hell it's only nine o'clock, I should have doubled rooks. Anyway final position and let that be a lesson, buy a watch. Mitchell's flag was hanging when he offered a draw, which I sportingly accepted. You never know when you might fancy a bit of poaching.

Most of the things people propose I should do are physically impossible (well NOW they are). I have a proposal of my own which is probably impossible. The final rounds for the Bill Lumley Rapidplay are to be played at West Bretton on the 29 th February, a Wednesday. Because only seven teams entered, 3 teams will have byes on the night. Could it be possible for players from the north side of Sheffieild to organise a six-board team to play a mini-tournament against those teams(they would have a big advantge play 3 times to their opponents once). Not much time but maybe this could lead to an extra team in the Bill Lumley next year, and more inter-league intercourse.

I see Carlos is updating Halifax Chess Club website, along with individual website of the month, could we have a team event between associations. Judgement could be divided into catagories, points awarded, totalled, winner declared. My own feeling is Calderdale are slightly edging Sheffield, but until catagories are decided, who knows?

For those who followed the link to Woodseats, how;s this for a suggestion. If Pete and Bill continue with the pre-match analysis, they invite a different guest commentator each week, nicknamed Curly, who sits between them(no slapstick-please). Could other sites find pundits for youtube?

This is really up to date! http:/woodseatschess.org.uk/

Central 5 Netherton 3. Due to illness numbty found himself on board 3(black!!!?). Anyway most games finished fairly early(before 6), so we went downstairs to wait for board 7 to finish. Gary suggested we played through our games(ah memories) We looked at Mark's first. He won but was very self critical. Gary's next, his draw had won the match, but his head was still upstairs. Next me, as we played through the game Gary and Mark commented that David didn't have a plan(neither did I!). My plan was catch him on the break, on move 14 I made a plan if he played f4, he didn't so much for planning! You will be getting bored now, so here's the game.

I have received a queerie regarding joining YOBS/ chess.com from Peter Hulse. I have been a member 4 years and have forgotten what I did to join!!! Help!! Peter's email is on LOCAL-clubs Woodseats, can someone advise him, I think he has plenty of good ideas.

Last week Huddersfield A hammered us, Belgrave hammered Huddersfield B! My tip A champions, B relegated. Though when I left Brighouse weren't doing Belgrave any favours, the score was 2-0. My game.

I have harped on often about the effects of chessnuts on recruitment. I do feel this has been positive in Calderdale. In fact I wonder with new comers, who will be the highest graded player in the League list? A few weeks back I posted on Ihor's site; http://yorkshirechess.org/forums/topic/the-art-of-scouting/ It would seem that T.C. is based in Leeds and if persuaded to play in Calderdale, would really put the cat among the pidgeons. I hope he is approached by one of the relegation threatened teams(what is the point of strengthening top teams further?).He could then play top board against top boards. If Bruce is interested in recruiting T.C. I will gladly pick T.C. up and Bruce doesn't even have to play me.

WOOF WOOF! http://www.hebdenbridgechessclub.co.uk/ Don't keep a dog, etc. Especially one so talented!

We have a child in our midst, Jeremy qualifies on this site to be Super-Admin! Voting starts now!

A bad night for the Easternmost team in the league as we were swept aside by Huddersfield. I think we got one draw from the five games. Here's my defeat against Richard Boylan. I kind of know now what it must have felt like to play someone like Petrosian as Richard kept the noose tightening and the pressure increasing.

I see there is an interesting post on the Yorkshire Champions League mentioning neutral venues. Where would the final be played if it was between Chesterfield (Derbyshire) and Todmorden (presently occupied by the House of Lancaster)?

We all know about the 50 move rule and en passant but I can think of a couple of tournament rules that could save or win a game. These are my interpretations so might not be watertight but I think the jist of them is about right. The first is if the position is dead drawn, e.g. king and rook v king and rook, and you're down to your last two minutes you can claim a draw. This stops unsporting players making you lose on time in dead drawn positions. The next is if your opponent makes an illegal move then the move must be taken back but, more importantly, you should be given an extra two minutes. Feel free to add any more that people might not be aware of. I've used the two above but noticed blank stares from watching players when I spoke up at the time; makes me think there are not as many people as might be thought who are aware of some of these rules.

Tonight was the sixth and final round of the Huddersfield Examiner. I finished with four draws, one loss and this win. No analysis 'cos I'm upset no-one is posting games.

this was a difficult game, and if Steve hadn't blundered and went for my other pawn on the h file then it would have been very different.