* = Loughborough2 win on board count

The matches should be completed and reported by Friday July 7th please.

 

A note from Jim Miller to explain how the 16 teams for this competition have been arrived at. They are (a) the 12 losers from round 1 of the Chapman Cup (Birstall 1 have dropped out); plus (b) 4 losers from round 2 of the Chapman Cup. As stated in previous messages these last 4 teams were intended to be the "best 4 losers" from the CC round 2. However, the excellence of our handicapping system has meant that these "best 4" have been quite unexpectedly difficult to determine.  I decided that Uppingham and Littlethorpe 4 did well enough in the Chapman Cup by any standard to qualify: Uppingham took a half-point off Littlethorpe 5 despite a huge grading deficit, and Lttlethorpe 4 drew 2-2 over the board with their L3 colleagues, whose grades were pretty similar. By contrast Wigston 2 lost 3-1 to Loughborough despite a very modest grading difference. Syston 2 and DSS both lost 4-0, but against huge grading differences, while Braunstone 1 dropped half a point when, on a grading basis, they perhaps should not have done so. On this basis I decided to include Uppingham and Littlethorpe 4, and draw lots between Braunstone 1, Syston 2 and DSS to decide the other two teams.  Braunstone 1 were the unlucky side and missed out.   I accept that, whatever had been decided, it would have been impossible to satisfy everyone, and the LMC will review the system in time for next year's cups - the present arrangement was designed to provide as many matches as possible, with as few byes as possible, for a very large entry. Apologies to the disappointed ones.