Following the AGM in June, the first task of new League Secretary, Tom Barton, was to get the Essex League up and running again. This was no small task, requiring a re-build in these Covid times, with no League chess since the 2019-20 competition was brought to a grinding halt by national lockdown.
There was no competition for 2020-21, but the Essex League will re-start, for 2021-22 and these will be the features:
- League Season dates: 1 October 2021 – 30 April 2022, Covid-19 permitting;
- Division 1: 8 boards, 9 teams, single round;
- Division 2: 6 boards, 8 teams, single round;
- Minor Division: 4 boards, likely 10 teams, single round;
- Accumulation of Defaults will not attract point-deduction penalties;
- Conditions:
- Masks to be worn, unless medically exempt or U12, or both players in any game agree otherwise;
- One board per table;
- Hand sanitiser to be provided;
- Risk Assessments to be provided;
- ECF League Management System to be used.
Fixtures arrangement is imminent.
In the meantime, the Champions v The Rest Challenge match takes place on Thursday, 30 September at Barking (League Champions 2019-20) over 12 boards.