Saxmundham Chess Club has re-opened its doors after the long break due to the Covid restrictions. Several new members have come along already and as we gear up for the return of the SCCA league competition it has been encouraging to welcome the new players as well as the return of old friends. Some of the new members are keen to play in competition and this will be a very heartening boost to the current squad of match players.
For the new season, Saxmundham will be entering two teams; the A team will play in Division 2 of the Suffolk League, and the B team in Division 3. Teams consist of four players, usually ranked in order of their Rating, which is a numerical indicator of their playing strength. The other teams are played twice, home and away, with the away team enjoying the White pieces on Board 1, alternating down the rest of the order.
Competitive chess is played with special clocks that record the thinking time for each player, and the game starts with a particular amount of time allotted to each for the game. In the Suffolk League that allocation is 75 minutes each for the game, plus 15 seconds is added back onto your time every time you make a move (this is known as an Increment). If you run out of time you lose the game! The added pressure of time creates an extra, very exciting, dimension to the game.
The new season is due to start on 14th September