EACU Team Championships
As noted yesterday, the EACU Team Championships will take place at Whittlesford Memorial Hall on Sunday 19th January.
This popular event is organised most efficiently every year by Patrick Ribbands. In the past, the only Suffolk club to enter has been Bury St Edmunds, who won a digital chess clock for their efforts a couple of years ago.
It would be good to see some other Suffolk clubs represented, although, as Patrick points out below, teams do not have to be all from the same club.
He says:
“Teams consist of four players from the EACU but not necessarily from the same club. EACU players are those living in or from clubs located in or affiliated to Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk or Suffolk.
The Open is for any four players.
The Team 600 is for teams with an aggregate grade of 600 or less, though for this calculation anyone with a grade under 100 will be taken as 100.
The Team 500 is a team with an aggregate grade of 500 or less, though for this calculation anyone with a grade under 75 will be taken as 75.
There will be an inscribed digital clock or a cash prize for the team with most game points in each category but the number and value of prizes will depend on the number of entries. If there are ten entries two weeks before the event the EACU has undertaken to buy a trophy.
The event uses the county match format of two rounds but starting at 09.45 and 14.00. The time limit is 36 moves in 90 minutes then 20 minutes to finish the game.
The exact format of the competition will depend on the number of entries.
The entry fee is £20 per team payable on the day. Any player who is not a member of the ECF needs to pay an extra £4. The clubs that won the top division of the six EACU county leagues (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Bury Area League) in the last season are entitled to enter a team of entirely their club players at half price into the Open.
Tea and coffee will be provided free of charge. There is a pub or two in the village and a village shop.
Enquiries and entries should be made to Patrick Ribbands or to 01223 842197. Entries by 12th January please, though an early indication that you might raise a team would also be much appreciated. Later entries will be at the organiser’s discretion.
If you do not have the four players for a team I may be able to put you in touch with others who would like to play.”