For months chess players in London have been wondering what is happening with the city’s busy leagues and whether matches will ever resume.
Since the impromptu hiatus in over the board play was forced by the coronavirus pandemic, everything has been on hold.
Now the London Chess League has issued a significant update.
The league, which has been “proudly serving the capital since 1886”, has revealed it has suspended plans to restart the 2019/20 season until at least the end of the year.
But it’s not all bad: it was also announced that a new separate London Online Chess League is being developed to stand in.
In an email to member clubs, LCL secretary John Sergent said: “Following a recent LCL Committee meeting as well as the government’s announcements that gatherings of greater than 6 people will be prohibited from the coming Monday onwards, it is sadly the reality that the resumption of over-the-board chess will not be happening for us in the near future.
“I want to communicate that at this time, no decision has been made to freeze, end, or continue the 2019/2020 London Chess League season.
“When clubs spoke at the AGM, there was a significant majority who preferred to put the current season on pause in the hopes of resuming it in the future.
“If we can reasonably do so, we intend on trying to do exactly this. That said, if restrictions last well into next year, for example, then we need to start asking questions about either finishing the season early, or deferring the following season to allow enough time for this one to finish.
“Right now, we will not speculate or jump to no conclusions / make judgement, and will address this together with member clubs when the time comes (likely via an EGM to be conducted online).
“As such, we have agreed to postpone planning for the resumption of over-the-board chess in the 2020 calendar year.
“The Committee will next meet formally in the first week of December to discuss and attempt to plan further, if we are able to do so.”
The Government’s six rule also puts paid to any possibility that Battersea will meet face-to-face in the near future.
The club committee will meet to discuss the implications on Monday.
