Essex County Chess Online and OTB this summer

ECA Match Captain, Mark Murrell, has outlined a summer of ECF County team competitions, for which the support of Essex eligible players is invited. These events are outlined below together with links to documents you can download for full details. A veritable coruscation of summer activity at national level; be sure not to miss the bargain of ECF memberships taken out or renewed now extending until 31 August 2022.

With the encouragement of a return to over-the-board competition, later in the season a regional over-the-board event is planned.

Essex Clubs have been circulated to canvass their membership.

Second ECF Online County Championships

The Second ECF Online County Championships where Essex are the national U1825 Champions are open for entry. Essex must decide how many of the three Championships to enter and for that we must hear as soon as possible from Essex-eligible players who would like to represent the County in these events.

  1. Traditional Open;
  2. Average team rated Minor Open (maximum team average rating of 1900);
  3. U1800 Championships (for players rated below 1800).

Dates and details: Each involves a qualifier competition run as a team Swiss played at G60+15 with games played on Chess.com – start 6:30pm – by individual challenges. Dates: 12 June, 19 June, 3 July, 17 July & 21 August with the Finals stage taking place on 11 or 4 September (SF) and 18 September (F).

Over-the-board Major and Minor inter-county competition

Later in the summer, Covid-19 permitting, there will be an average-rated team Major and Minor inter-county competition among regional teams of eight played over-the-board with Saturdays 14 August, 4 September and 25 September set aside for the matches.

Both of the above competitions are designed for players of all abilities (there will be an online U1400 team event running alongside the online County Championships Finals stage).

Details of each competition are linked below.

Essex-eligible players who wish to support the County, but who have not yet heard from their Clubs and other Essex-eligible players, are invited to indicate their support, without delay, to Peter Nickals (email link) u140@essexchess.org.uk

If indicating interest in the Online Championships that start shortly please also indicate availability to play on 12 June at 6:30pm.

ECF Membership is required. Minimum of Supporter for the online event and Bronze for over-the-board event.

ECF Membership concession

The ECF has announced that any ECF membership that is taken out or renewed nowwill be valid until the end of next season, i.e. to 31 August 2022. This concession is normally available only in July and is truly an incentive to encourage players back to chess for the new season whilst removing barriers for both online and over-the-board ECF rated events this summer. Three free months of membership – June, July, August, plaus all of the next chess year – for those who renew now.


Links: Second Online County Championships 2021 | ECF OTB Pre-season County Competition


A sysnopsis is given below of the summer events on offer nationally for existing members and those renewing early and look out for Essex events too.

National events to conclude the 2020/21 season

Over-the-board

Saturday 14 August to 25 Sep. Regional Pre-Season Average Team Rating County Competition

Online headliners

Saturday 5 June to Sunday 6 June Charity Marathon Blitz – checkmate covid in aid of the Red Cross
Saturdays 12 June to 21 August County Championships 2021 Qualifiers – Team Swiss G60/15
Friday 25 June to Sunday 27 June Online National Clubs Championship – Team Swiss G45/15
Saturday 24 July to Sun 8 August British Online Chess Championships: Standard, Rapid, Blitz, Bullet
Saturdays 21 Aug to 18 September National U1400 for “regional” teams G45/15
Saturdays 11 & 18 September County Championships 2021 Finals G60/15
Regular Online Speed Events See ECF Online listing
Posted in ECF, Online, OTB.

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