Bradford District Chess Association

Please see the below note from Dave Barlow of South Bradford Chess Club:

South Bradford Junior Chess Club
Thursdays 5:00pm-6:30pm
at the Ukrainian Community Centre
169-171 Legrams Lane, Bradford, BD7 2EA

 Starting 18th August 2022
 Ages 6 to 16
 First two sessions free
 Join at any time
To book a place and for more information contact
David Barlow 07504 095 398 davidbar@blueyonder.co.uk

South Bradford Social Chess Night
Every Thursdays from 7.00
Field Sports and Social Club, Chelsea Road, Hollingwood Lane, Bradford BD7
2RE
Free – all welcome, especially those new to chess.
Starting 25 th August 2022

For more information contact
David Barlow 07504 095 398 davidbar@blueyonder.co.uk

Please note that all tournaments are now completed for the 2021/22 season and all results are uploaded to the ECF League Management System and the website. If you have played any competitive matches this year, please can you ensure that you sign up to the ECF so that your matches can be officially graded.

The BDCA AGM will be taking place on 17th May at the Latvian Club starting 7:30pm. Please can you attend if possible, as all contributions are valuable to developing and improving chess in the Bradford area.

Welcome all to the 2021 / 22 season! We are all very excited to see over the board chess return with league chess, the hepolite rapidplay and the clough tournament all taking place. There are some changes to previous seasons, please see the minutes attached under the administration page for details.

To kick off the season, there will with be a friendly social event, The Boyd, taking place on 14th September at Owlet Hall in Shipley. This will be an individual event with a £1 entry fee, please come on down and start the season off with this informal enjoyable event.

Further details of the season will be added to the website in the coming weeks.

Apologies for the lack of updates recently, but unfortunately there hasn't been a significant amount of Bradford chess news to pass on. However, things are starting to turn a corner and with the introduction of vaccines for the pandemic, over-the-board chess will hopefully soon become a reality again. With that in mind, the BDCA are in regular contact discussing a viable timetable to bring chess back to Bradford. In the meantime, there is some exciting news courtesy of Andy Wainwright:

Firstly, I am very proud to confirm that we have now moved into our new dedicated Chess Centre premises in central Ilkley - The Chess Centre - Crescent Court, Ilkley, LS29 8DE. Decorating is well under way, and we will be opening our doors to players new and old from the 17th May (subject to government rules). We are easily commutable by road and rail, and there is ample free evening parking nearby. I am also pleased to confirm that following the government's recent updates on the phased reduction in lock down measures that it looks like a return to over the board chess will be possible from the summer onwards.

Bob Burns Tournament

Accordingly, we have been invited by the BDCA to host this year's Bob Burns Summer Swiss Tournament. The event will be run this year as a 5-round Swiss under standard BDCA evening league times. The only difference is that this year we will be limiting entries to 18 players, as part of a safe phased return to OTB chess. Dates for the competition this year are: 22nd June, 6th July, 20th July, 3rd August, 17th August. As in previous years, a half point bye may be requested in any of the first 4 rounds, and games can be rescheduled to alternative dates to accommodate holidays etc.

Please note that our venue is a first floor property, accessed via external stairs, and unfortunately there is no disabled access. All applicable government guidelines will be in place for all 5 rounds of the competition, and we await further confirmation as to what these will entail in the coming weeks and months. If you, or your club members would like to enter the Bob Burns this year then please email us at info@chesscentre.online. Entry fees are £5.00 per player, which will need to be paid online via bank transfer following registration, and in advance of Round 1. If for any reason the tournament falls foul of changes in the government's restriction easing plans then a full refund will be made to all entrants. Many will be hesitant in relation to a return to OTB chess after so long, and this is completely understandable. The BDCA believe that where possible it is important to provide choice to our players who may wish to return to OTB chess in the summer. If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to get in touch, and please do share this with your members.

The BDCA committee have been in regular contact since the pandemic took over our lives. The most recent meeting has brought about the following significant points:

We have reluctantly decided to cancel all over the board league and group tournament fixtures for the 20/21 season. Individual tournaments have also been suspended, although this will be reviewed on a regular basis on the off chance that circumstances permit some small form of competitive play
Andy Bak will bring back the online speed tournaments on a Tuesday evening. These will take place on either chess.com or Lichess.org at 7:30. If you are interested in taking part, please make sure that you have an account set up with the relevant website (click the link above to access), and let Andy know that you are interested in taking part, as you will need to be a part of the BDCA group on that website. Andy will be providing details of the tournament format prior to the match taking place and I will be updating that information on the calendar page

Unfortunately we have to report the loss of another member of our chess community. Please see below from league secretary Andy Bak:

It is with great sadness to inform you that we have learned about the recent passing of Winston Williams, who died on Wednesday 29th July. Since arriving in Bradford, Winston has played for Bingley, Bradford and most recently South Bradford and has consistently been one of the strongest players in the league. In recent years, Winston had been involved in chess education, most notably as part of the Chess in Schools programme. His enthusiasm for the game and his generous personality will be greatly missed.

Winston's daughter has been in touch regarding the arrangements for Winston's funeral. The funeral will be at Lawnswood Crematorium (LS16 6AH) on Fri 21st Aug at 12:40. Due to COVID-19 there is limited capacity so they would be able to invite a few people if they would like to come. Please let me know if you would like to attend as we will liaise with Winston's family to ensure that not too many people come with the limited capacity in place.

Kind regards,

Andy Bak

Hi to all in the Bradford league and beyond. Firstly, I hope you are all keeping safe and well in these unprecedented times. As you are all probably aware, it is looking increasingly unlikely that any form of over the board chess will recommence soon. However, in the meantime, I'd like to direct anyone who is not currently aware to the website chess.com where Andy Bak is currently running some informal and fun tournaments on Tuesday evenings. If anyone is interested in taking part, please contact Andy for details, or follow the information on the BDCA facebook page.

There is also a slowplay league starting up in the next couple of days. Please follow the all the information and action on the new "online league" tab on the website

IMPORTANT - REGARDING COVID 19:

Like most of the country and the globe, chess has been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. Following advice from the English Chess Federation, the BDCA committee have agreed to follow their advice and suspend all competition with immediate effect until further notice. We take this decision as a number of clubs have indicated they will struggle to field teams due to a combination of self isolation and need for social distancing for people in vulnerable groups. Keeping our members and the wider community safe at this time is our priority.
>>
>> This leads to some questions around completing competitions this season. At the moment we cannot answer this. The situation is changing rapidly. By Easter we may be returning to a more normal state of affairs, or we may face restrictions for a number of months.
>>
>> The ECF advice can be found here. https://www.englishchess.org.uk/the-ecf-and-coronavirus-guidance/

We thank you for your support and understanding in this matter. If you have any questions please contact me.

Best wishes.

Wil Quick
BDCA Secretary on behalf of the committee

Please note that the summer calendar of events has been published. Please take a look at the calendar page and be sure to come down and take part in some or all of the evenings. There are a variety of different variants on the usual match and all are well worth a look. Please note that even though some versions require a partner, people are very welcome to turn up on their own; you will be paired up on the night.

The AGM took place on the 28th May, minutes from the meeting will be available to download in due course.

From Andy Bak:

The Presentation Evening for the Bradford League is taking place on Tuesday 4th June, 7pm for 7.30pm start at the Stansfield Arms, Apperley Lane, Apperley Bridge, Bradford BD10 0NP.

This is a two or three course meal. All attendees will be asked to pre-order their meals. Unfortunately due to the menu change, we won't be able to choose/submit our orders until after the Bank Holiday weekend.

For now, please let me and Dave Barlow know if you'd like to attend. For those that have signed up already, we've got your details.

I've attached a list of the winners of all the trophies this year.

Update from Dave Barlow:

2 courses for £12 , 3 courses for £16

NEW Menu can be viewed on Facebook here. It's not on their website yet.

https://www.facebook.com/TheStansfieldArms/photos/pcb.1334261293404266/1334261050070957/?type=3&theater

I will send a menu asap and have them available at the AGM.

If you do manage to view the menu, please let me know your order, starter and main.

We need to place our orders by Friday 31st.

A couple of points of interest in the upcoming weeks. Firstly, the AGM will be taking place in the bar of the Latvian Club on the 28th May. It is important that as many people come to this as possible, as it is an opportunity to share your views on the structure and performance of the BDCA and its various competitions. Andy Bak has received some proposals for the AGM [click here] and any others are welcome for discussion. Further to this, at the time of writing, the current chairman and secretary will be standing down and replacements need to be elected.

Secondly, I have received a message from Ihor Lewyk of Bradford chess club informing me that there will be a club night running every Thursday between 7 and 9 at the Latvian club for all standards. Ihor and Chris Bak will also be on hand to provide opinions and analysis on games. This is definitely a worthwhile way to keep your chess sharp over the summer break!

The league has (almost) drawn to a close for another season. Congratulations to Bradford 165 on winning division 1 with a storming second half of the season! The league title was decided with a top of the table clash away to Ilkley, where they showed their class to come through with a strong 4 - 2 victory. They will be the team to beat next year. Keighley fought many hard battles over the board but were ultimately relegated. They will no doubt be a fearsome force in the second division and will be fighting to go straight back up.

The second division title goes to South Bradford B who comfortably won their last round match whilst title contenders Ilkley B were beaten by their little cousins at Ilkley C. Shipley's A team may end up being renamed as they succumbed to the relegation place in another tough division.

The third division depends on one postponed game between Bingley Bees and Undercliffe C. Currently, Legion hold the promotion spot but Bingley can leapfrog them at the 11th hour with a win. The BDCA website will be reporting the result as soon as it becomes available.

Don't forget that although the league season is essentially over, there are still title fights taking place in the hepolite, clough and individual tournaments. Be sure to keep an eye on the relevant pages!

This particular section of the website has been rather quiet whilst all heads have been down competing in the various competitions. As we approach the Christmas period, please take the time to reflect on the current league tables. In division 1, the table is extremely bunched up with three teams on nine points at the halfway point. Division 2 is more widely spaced out with Ilkley B sitting firm at the top, whilst previous division 1 team Shipley A are currently propping up the foot of the table. In division 3, the Spitfires are looking strong at this point but with the other four teams having postponed games to play, promotion could still bein anyone's hands.

Please note that next Tuesday, the Latvian club are holding the TEAM LIGHTNING competition. This is a five board competition and is played at ten seconds per move. If you are unable to field a team but would like to play, please go down to the venue anyway as there is almost certainly the opportunity to play as part of a cross-club team.

A new statistics document is available to download! It requires Microsoft Excel in order to run it, and is found in the "Links and Downloads" page. I hope it will be of interest for people to view. The document will be updated by Thursday evening every week so please be sure to download the latest copy. The document contains access to detailed results on all players this season, every match card and all league tables. If people want to request any further developments to the document, or have any views / criticisms, please let me know.

Below are two notes from league secretary, Andy Bak:

Parish notice 1 - Central Division club have kicked out the Central Division and College teams at no notice before Tuesday's ( 2nd October) fixtures, which has led to some postponed fixtures in the leagues. They are also temporarily homeless but are actively seeking alternative accommodation. I will keep you all updated with the situation as it progresses. For the first rounds of the Clough and the Hepolite, all the teams previously based at that venue have been drawn in away ties to minimise any disruption.

Parish notice 2 - I am pleased to announce that Bradford University are entering teams into the Hepolite and Clough. More details will follow about this in due course.

Some important news to start with. The Central Division Working Men's Club is NO LONGER AVAILABLE AS A VENUE FOR CHESS. This affects Bradford College, Central Laners, Bradford Spitfires and Legion. Updates will be provided as soon as any news is available. In the meantime, please contact the relevant captain if you are due to play a match there.

There is a final call for Clough and Hepolite teams for this year's competitions. The draws are due to take place tomorrow evening so please send any last minute entries to league secretary, Andy Bak.

A couple of points to note as we go into the weekend. Firstly, the individual tournaments start on Tuesday 25th September. If you have never played before, visit the individuals page and pick a tournament to join. Please send all entries to the competition controller, Karim Khan.

Finally, Rupert Jones of Ilkley chess club is travelling to Georgia to take his place in the Papua New Guinea team at the global Chess Olympiad. Click here to follow the action, check out the teams and see how well Bradford represent themselves amongst the world elite!

Hi, please note that the league tables have been updated. I have had reports that there have been problems selecting the individual league tabs from the main page. therefore the pages have been separated and should be easier to click on.

There is a new page showcasing links to useful pages and document downloads. If anyone would like a specific page adding to the links, please let me know. The page includes a link to the new league management system so please be sure to visit this page and become acquainted with it. The scorecards have been moved here as well. Coming soon, there will be a statistics download for anyone that way inclined!

Finally, Les Johnson has drawn my attention to the success of a former Bradford chess player, Peter Gayson. Please click here for the link.

Welcome to the BDCA website. My name's Lee and I'm the new web editor. As the season commences, weekly updates will appear and significant points will be noted here in the news section. At this point, please note that the season's calendar and league tables have been updated along with the grading lists to be used from the start of the season.

Please note that the Bradford Congress commences on the 14th September and is currently available to enter. Please click on the above page and download a copy of the entry form to take part in this fantastic local event.

If you have any questions, comments or queries, please contact me using the "Contact" page above. We want to improve this website for the benefit of all members and prospective members of the Bradford chess community and so your suggestions are all welcome.