Introduction

 

The format for the 2016-17 season will be as follows:

 

  • Divisions 1 and 2 and Division 3 South will comprise 16 teams each.

 

  • Divisions 1 and 2 and Division 3 South will comprise two preliminary pools of eight for the first seven rounds, with the two pools in each division of broadly equal strength as determined by the Management Board. The top four and bottom four teams in each preliminary pool will form two final championship/promotion and relegation pools respectively. With regard to the teams in each final pool, only matches played between themselves during the first seven rounds will be carried forward to the final pools (i.e. matches played by teams against teams in the other final pool during the first seven rounds will not be carried forward).

 

  • We will publish a seeding order based solely on performance in the 2015-16 season for comment by team captains/managers so that Divisions 1 and 2 and Division 3 South can be split as fairly as possible and so that the Swiss system in Division 3 North and Division 4 South also starts as fairly as possible.

 

  • Four teams will be relegated from Division 1, four teams will be promoted from Division 2, four teams will be relegated from Division 2, and two teams will be promoted from each of Division 3 South and Division 3 North. The number of teams promoted from Division 4 South to Division 3 South will depend on the geographical distribution of teams demoted from Division 2 (see table below).

 

Number of Div 3 South teams before promotion/relegation

16

16

16

16

16

Number of southern teams relegated from Division 2

0

1

2

3

4

16

17

18

19

20

 

Number of teams promoted to Division 2

-2

-2

-2

-2

-2

14

15

16

17

18

Number of teams relegated to Division 4

-4

-4

-4

-4

-4

10

11

12

13

14

Number of teams promoted from Division 4 South

6

5

4

3

2

16

16

16

16

16

 

  • New teams may enter either Division 3 North or Division 4 South.
  • Teams allocated to Division 3 South and 4 South may request a transfer to Division 3 North. When a team withdraws or transfers from Division 1, 2 or 3 South, rule 13.4 of the 2015-16 season rules will be applied.
  • Division 3 North and Division 4 South will be run using a Swiss format.

 

Dates and Venues

Dates and venues for the 4NCL’s 2016-17 season can be found by following the “2016-17” link in the “Dates and Venues” section of the 4NCL website www.4ncl.co.uk. The “Hotels 16-17” section of the website gives further information on the various venues.

 

Entry Requirements

All entries, whether for existing teams or for new entrants, need to be received together with the appropriate entry fee by Friday 30 September 2016. Please either:

 

  • Make a direct transfer to the 4NCL bank account (the preferred method); details can be obtained by contacting Mike Truran (contact details on the Management Board page of this website). Please include sufficient accompanying narrative to allow the payment to be identified.

 

or

 

  • Make cheques payable to '4NCL' and send along with your entry to Mike Truran at The Old Farmhouse, 7 Church Street, Ducklington, Witney, Oxon, OX29 7UA.

 

Confirmed team registration lists should also be sent to the Registrations Secretary  and the Assistant Registrations Secretary  by Sunday 16 October 2016. The 4NCL rules set out the information required for each player.

 

Players named on the initial registration list must either be registered with FIDE prior to the list being submitted or eligible and willing to be registered with them as English players. Players registered as ENG, or not registered, must be ECF Gold or Platinum members (including juniors) at the time the registration list is submitted. This rule will be strictly enforced.

 

In early September the Registrations Secretary will send to each team manager/captain (based on last season’s managers/captains list) a spreadsheet for completion and return showing details of players registered for the 2015/2016 season on which players can be added or deleted as appropriate. Managers of new teams will receive a blank spreadsheet with the requisite column headings.

 

Entry fees are as follows:

 

  • Division 1: £250

  • Division 2: £200

  • Division 3 South and North: £100

  • Division 4 South: £100

 

Teams who commit to field at least four juniors (i.e. under eighteen years old on 1 January 2017) in every match of the season in Division 4 can also claim a £25 discount on their entry fee.

 

Entry fees entitle teams to nominate up to 16 players (Divisions 1 and 2) and 12 players (Division 3 South and North, Division 4 South) in their team lists. Nominated players taking team lists over 16 (Divisions 1 and 2) or 12 (Division 3 South and North, Division 4 South) in total will be subject to the usual registration fee.

 

Registration fees and wildcard fees are as set out in the rules. Please note that all outstanding registration and wild card fees must be settled without exception before start of play for the relevant round.

 

Prizes

The prize fund for the 2016-17 season will be as follows:

 

Division 1

First £1,500

Second £1,000

Third £500

Division 2

First £750

Second £500

Third £250

Division 3 South

First £375

Second £250

Third £125

Division 3 North

First £375

Second £250

Third £125

Division 4 South

First £300

Second £200

Third £100

 

Other

See the latest version of the 4NCL rules here.

 

All fines and penalties incurred in the 2015-16 season must be settled before a team’s entry will be accepted.

 

Please bring to your players’ attention that they should not consume food and drink on hotel premises that has been brought in from outside the hotel. Any players who are found doing so run the risk of being disqualified.

 

Could team captains/managers of entering teams please check their contact details in the “Team Captains” section of the 4NCL website and confirm that they are shown correctly. Please notify , the webmaster and , the Registrations Secretary, of any changes.

 

If entering teams would like a link to their own website from the 4NCL website, please let Steve Connor know.

 

Queries

If there are any points that you wish to discuss further then please get in touch with .

 

 

  Download these guidelines 

 

 

© 4NCL

 

Four Nations Chess League

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