Well, the sky hasn’t fallen in and civilisation has not come to an end (at the time of writing), despite the demise of the Chessnuts website. The new ECF league management scheme appears to be providing the rapid results service that we have all become used to, although it is not (yet?) linked to the grading system.

Congratulations to Pontefract and Calderdale A on winning the Silver Rook and I. M. Brown respectively, and also to York A on once again winning the Woodhouse Cup, this time by a considerable margin. After losing the last two Open county championship finals on board count following 8-8 draws, Yorkshire are once again county champions after a comfortable 11-5 win against Surrey. Both of David Mills’ teams, the U-140 and U-120, also reached the finals and the U-140 won convincingly 10½‑5½ against Worcestershire. (Note also that Yorkshire 1st team won the County Correspondence Championship. – Editor)

We appear to have developed a new tradition (is that a contradiction? Of moving the A. G. M. around the county (decades ago it was always in Leeds), which makes it easier for different people to attend each year. This year 20 people attended in a record for recent years, perhaps because of (a) lots of free street parking, (b) some controversial proposals.

As a result, we now have a new time limit in division 1, with increments, which a majority of players seem to prefer, and the option to use increments in divisions 2 & 3. The Silver Rook has been reduced from teams of 8 to teams of 6 (will this encourage new teams to enter?). The most controversial proposal, to move to a 4NCL-style system of organising the Woodhouse Cup, was narrowly defeated. Will any of these decisions be revisited at the next A. G. M.?

Jim Burnett