Colin Searle

Published on: 23 -11-2025

Richard McNally writes:

It was very sad news to learn this week of the death of Colin Searle.

Having lived a life of service to Stratford upon Avon Chess Club and Warwickshire County Chess.

Colin joined Stratford Chess Club in the late 1970s and was noted and feared for his aggressive tactically oriented style, being an exponent of such sharp openings such as the Latvian counter-gambit. However, he could also play a strategic game if necessary and regularly scored well with the London System.

Aside from winning the Leamington League Division One title on several occasions, he also played successful games for South Birmingham Chess Club in the Birmingham League.

In later years, Colin wrote a very memorable history of the Leamington League from its earliest days.

Kind and encouraging and with self-effacing humour, he also did a considerable amount of coaching and played regularly online, even into his later years, he still maintained solid strength.

Aside from chess, he was an avid stamp collector, building up a remarkable collection of the stamps of Gibraltar, charting the history of the colony from its earliest days.

He will be greatly missed by all. RIP Colin

LDCL Indy KOs

Published on: 17 -08-2025

Tom Darling writes:

I'd like to check for interest in our league-wide individual knockouts in the upcoming season. Each of these will run if there's enough interest - four players or more. They're open to any registered player, league-wide, though the second and third competitions listed are restricted to players whose registered grade is below the number given. Contestants will play roughly half their games at home and half away.

• Open
• Under 1650
• Under 1450
• Handicapped rapidplay

The first three of these are played at standard league time controls and are graded. The rapidplay is a set of three games each lasting one hour, with higher-rated players having less time on the clock. I'll give more details on the format once I know which are running and with how many people.

Please email me at tomjd1978@btinternet.com to express an interest.

The new Coventry International

Published on: 13 -08-2025

The new Coventry International will take place between 26-31 October. Entry is open to all players whose FIDE rating exceeds 1800. A Blitz tournament on 28 October is open to everyone.

Full details can be found here: https://www.englishchess.org.uk/coventry-international/

Alex Holowczak

ECF Director of Events

RULE CHANGES

Published on: 06 -08-2025

The league AGM passed a number of amendments to the league rules.

The most significant changes, which all secretaries and captains need to be aware of are:

• the extent to which board order is permitted to be out of rating sequence is increased from 75 to 100 points, and for juniors is further increased to 150 points relative to higher rated players only. The same restrictions apply to initial registrations. The penalty for breach of this rule is also amended.
  
  
• a player is now permitted to play up to five times for a team higher than that in which they are registered without becoming re-registered for the higher team, _but_ appearances on bottom board now count against that quota.
  
  
• as a clarification, rather than an amendment, eligibility for selection for a knock-out team is based on rating at the time the player was registered, but legality of board order is based on rating at the time of the match.

The full rules are available here