Constitution & Rules

YCA League Constitution

• 1 This organisation shall be called the “Yorkshire Chess Association”.
• 2 The objects of the Association shall be:
• a) To encourage and foster the playing of chess, particularly inYorkshire, by any means which may be deemed desirable under the direction of the Officers.
• b) To organise chess congresses, competitions, tournaments and matches.
• 3 Any chess club or association in thecountyofYorkshire,Hulland District orSheffieldand District shall become a Constituent Member (C.M.) on approval of application by the Annual General Meeting of the Association (A.G.M.), and on payment of the annual subscription, defined and determined at the preceding A.G.M.
• 4 Membership
  There shall be the following categories of membership:
• a) Life Member
  Any individual shall become a Life Member on approval of application for such membership by the Principal Officers of the Association, and on payment of the subscription defined by the A.G.M.
• b) Affiliated Member
  Any member of a C.M. organisation shall be eligible to become an Affiliated member on the payment of the subscription defined by the A.G.M.
• c) Honorary Life Member
  At the discretion of the A.G.M. any individual may be elected to the status of Honorary Life Member.
• 5 Officers of the Association
  There shall be two categories of Officer:
• a) Principal Officers
  comprising a President, a Deputy President, an Hon. Secretary, an Hon. Treasurer, an Hon. Competitions Controller;
• b) Other Officers
  comprising an Hon. Secretary for Junior Chess, an Hon. Controller for Correspondence Chess, an Hon. Grader, an Hon. Minutes Secretary, an Hon. Registrations Secretary, and such match captains as may, from time to time, be decided on by the A.G.M.
• 6 Financial Year
  The financial year of the Association shall end on May 31st in each year.
• 7 The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held on a Saturday in June. The purpose of the A.G.M. shall be:
• a) To receive the Annual Reports of the Officers.
• b) To receive the Hon. Treasurer’s audited Accounts
• c) To present Trophies and Prizes.
• d) To elect the Association’s Officers.
• e) To appoint any delegates to other organisations.
• f) To appoint sub-committees.
• g) To define and determine any fees and subscriptions payable.
• h) To consider any amendments to this Constitution that have been submitted in accordance with this Constitution.
• i) To transact any other business relating to the Association that has been included on the Agenda.
• j) To consider any other business at the sole discretion of the Chairman.

YCA LEAGUE RULES 

RULES GOVERNING THE EDWIN WOODHOUSE CUP, THE I.M. BROWN SHIELD, THE SILVER ROOK, THE A.G. SUNDERLAND CUP COMPETITIONS

• A1 The Edwin Woodhouse Cup, the I.M. Brown Shield, the Silver Rook and the A.G. Sunderland Cup are trophies offered for annual competition between the C.M.s of the Association. These trophies are the property of the Association. The winning C.M. shall hold the appropriate trophy for one year from the date of the A.G.M. in the season in which the trophy is won.
  These competitions are divisions of a league competition, the descending order of divisions being as listed.
• A2 The normal date for the receipt of new entries by the Competitions Controller shall be May 31st in each year. All new entries are subject, where possible, to the approval of the A.G.M. In the event of a new entry being submitted after the A.G.M. it may be accepted at the discretion of the Principal Officers.
• A3 For each team the entrance fee and registration fee for at least as many as there are boards per team shall be paid to the Hon. Treasurer not later than October 31^st in the season in which the competition is conducted, such fees being as specified at the preceding A.G.M.
• A4 Registration forms and fees must be returned no later than January 31st in that season and any player who has played in that season must be registered. All players who have played in the season must to be registered by April 30^th in that season.
• A5 The form of each competition shall be determined by the A.G.M. for each subsequent season.
• A6 The dates and places of play in all competitions shall be determined by the Competitions Controller (CC) and may be varied with his expressed agreement under any of the following circumstances:

If any team is unable to field at least six players for a particular match, they may request a postponement / rescheduling from the CC, giving at least two weeks’ notice. With his agreement, a new date may be chosen which is suitable to both teams. The opposing team will have priority in choosing the date. But if the CC is satisfied that the opposing team is unable to find an available date, then the team making the request must either play the original fixture or default the match.

Any team which defaults a match without giving two days’ notice to both the CC and the opposing team will incur one penalty point deducted from their league point score. The only exception shall be severe weather conditions on the day of the match. Any team that cannot fulfill their fixture in these circumstances must advise their opponents before the match is due to start, and also the CC within five days after the fixture date (or incur the default and penalty). The CC may then reschedule the fixture.

In any of the above circumstances, the CC has the discretion to allow or deny a postponement in a consistent manner. If he decides that a default is appropriate, the penalty point will only be applied if due notice (as defined above) was not given.

In the event of a match being rescheduled, the team able to fulfill the original fixture may recover any reasonable additional expenses incurred from the Association.

• A7 Following publication of the fixtures, the CC may reschedule any match to a date or venue mutually preferred by both teams, subject to one week’s notice given before the first round of fixtures.
• A8 The venue of a fixture may be altered, subject to two day’s notice given to both the CC and the visiting team. Any team changing its venue permanently must inform all away teams affected.
• A9 All players in these competitions shall be members of their C.M. organisations and affiliated as required under the Constitution. Any C.M. playing ineligible players shall be penalised by the loss of any matches in which the said players played, the match points being awarded to their opponents.
• A10 There shall be eight players in each team in all the competitions.
• A11 Promotion and Relegation
  At the conclusion of each season the top two teams in any division shall be eligible for promotion to the next higher division if they so wish. If both teams exercise this right then the bottom two teams from the higher division shall be relegated to replace them in that division. If promotion is declined by either team then the next lower placed team shall be offered promotion. If only one team accepts promotion then only one team shall be relegated. Any team which wins the same division two seasons in succession may not decline promotion for the start of the season following. Further transferal of teams between divisions may be approved by the AGM to adjust sizes of divisions, provided it does not deny promotion to an eligible team.
• A12 Ties
  In the event of a tie (dual or multiple) in the places affecting either championship or promotion/relegation issues, the following tie-break procedures will be used:
• (a) The game points of the teams will decide. If this does not resolve the tie then:
  1) With a dual tie, the individual match result between the teams concerned decides.
  2) With a multiple tie, the game points gained in the matches between the tied teams
  shall decide.
  (b) If the teams are still tied then the Principal Officers shall, after consultation with the affected CMs, decide on a suitable tie break.

• A13 No player may play for more than one C.M. in the same division during the course of a season. In the event of a C.M. having more than one team in the same division, any player who has played above the bottom two boards in one of those teams may not thereafter play for another team in that division that season. The penalty for any team infringing this rule shall be the loss of the match, with all game points being awarded to the opposing team. In the event of a C.M. having more than one team in the same division they are to be paired against each other before Christmas.
• A14 No player may play in two matches originally scheduled for the same day.
• A15 Any player who has played on board four or higher in any division may not thereafter play in any lower division in the same season. In its last match of the season a team may not field a player who has played in a higher division for the same C.M. in the same season unless the player has played for the team in a previous match in the same season. The penalty for infringement of this Rule shall be the loss of the board concerned and the additional loss of one game point, such point(s) being transferred to the opposing team.
• A16 All matches shall commence at 2.30 p.m. other than by mutual agreement.
• A17 Before the start of play the opposing captains shall exchange lists of their respective team members, arranged in order of playing strength, and players shall be paired in accordance with these lists. The list should include the most recently published YCA grade. If unavailable another grade, for example ECF or ELO should be used. Players grades and previous board order shall be the prior factors for determining the order of playing strength, but the controller will give consideration to any other relevant information made available to him. If a captain declares he has insufficient players at his disposal and so must default one or more boards, then the opposing captain may insist the lowest board or boards are those defaulted. The penalty for any proven infringement of this rule shall be the loss of the board concerned, one game point being awarded to the opposing team. For this purpose any player considered to be stronger than a higher placed player shall be penalised.
• A18 The AWAY  team shall have WHITE on the ODD  numbered boards and BLACK on the even numbered boards.
• A19 All games shall be played in accordance with the Laws of Chess as published with the authority of the British Chess Federation.
• A20 At the time play is started in any match the clocks of all absent players shall be set in motion. One hour’s grace may be claimed for any absent player, but unless a substitute has been nominated and placed in the team before the end of that period the game shall be forfeited to the opponent. The introduction of a substitute in these circumstances shall not be held to be a violation of Rule A20, and shall subsequently be disregarded for the purposes of applying Rule A18 to the substituted player.
• A21 All games shall be played at the rate of 42 moves in one and three quarter hours plus a quarter of an hour to complete the game.
• A22 Each player shall play one game in a match; one point shall be awarded for a win, half a point for a draw. No points shall be awarded for a double default.
• A23 Both teams in each match shall supply the Competitions Controller with detailed results of that match, where possible on result cards provided for that purpose. Such results shall be posted or sent by e-mail within 48 hours of the completion of the match. The names, including full initials, and an indication of the players having white shall be included. In the event of a team defaulting a match, the opposing team must submit a team-sheet to claim a won match. One game point will be given for each bona fide club member listed on that sheet who would have been eligible and available to play on that date. No such players will be admissible in the last two fixtures if they have not played for any team previously that season. Any team which fails to submit detailed results to the Competitions Controller (including walk-overs) for more than two matches will have one league point deducted for each unreported match thereafter.
  [Subject the rewording by Executive Committee after changes at 2002 AGM.]
• A24 The Captains, if possible, shall settle disputes between individual players but may refer such disputes to the Competitions Controller for decision.
• A25 The Competitions Controller shall make an initial ruling in all cases of dispute between teams. Subject to appeal by either or both parties this decision shall be binding.
• A26 Appeals procedure
• In the event of a C.M. being dissatisfied with the decision of the Competitions Controller there shall be a right of appeal to a Committee of the Principal Officers. This committee shall hear the submissions of the parties to the dispute and any decision they make shall be binding. Three Principal Officers, excluding the Competitions Controller, shall constitute a quorum.
• A27 All new teams entering the league programme shall be place in the lowest division, unless the A.G.M. otherwise resolves.
• A28 No smoking is allowed in the playing room of any Yorkshire League match. If a player continues to smoke in the playing room after being warned, any player in the opposing team may stop his or her game immediately and claim a win by default (the game will not be graded) on that board.