Annual General Meeting Report

This year’s AGM was quite the event—longer than usual, with the weather baking hot and the resolutions reading like a thick book! It’s no surprise that many felt drained by the end. However, despite the length, the reports and season results clearly showed plenty of successes and improvements to celebrate.

First, a big thank you to the White Knights for kindly providing the venue this year. We’ve been rotating the hosting club each year to make sure everyone gets a fair chance to hold the AGM, and it was great to see 28 members turn up, giving a strong representation of the whole club

Championship League Highlights

The Championship League was a definite success, offering players the chance to develop and move up into stronger divisions. The battle for the top spot was tight between the Gremlins and the Castell Nedd Centurions, with only two points separating them – the Centurions finishing on 19 points and the Gremlins on 17. Dylan Greenway was named Player of the Year thanks to his outstanding performance throughout the season.

Division Two

There was a bit of a dispute over a match between Noah’s Yard B and the Hydras, affecting the result - but this was resolved shortly afterwards. The Consuls took the division title, with Noah’s Yard B as runners-up. It’s great to see Noah’s Yard, the youngest club in the league, picking up a title. Sam Brown from the Hydras was named Division Two Player of the Year.

Division One

This season saw the introduction of a new Plate and Cup system in Division One, which brought both achievements and a few bumps along the way. The Plate competition kept the lower-ranked teams motivated right until the end, a welcome change from previous seasons when weaker teams were often out of contention early on. However, there were quite a few repeated matches in the latter half of the season, suggesting some adjustments are needed for smoother scheduling.

Special shoutouts go to Ian Jones for his fantastic play in the Cup and to Steve Smith, the standout star of the Emperors team. Both were given Player of the Year for their sections.

Finances

The league continues to be financially healthy, recording a profit again this year despite limited expenses. However, with the addition of more trophies, the return of the knockout competition, and the use of a buffet in the AOJ, money might be tighter in the future.

Buffet Success

Speaking of the buffet, the AOJ event was a big hit with 35 entries - the second highest ever, just three short of the record set two years ago. This helped cover much of the buffet and prize costs. There will be another article on this event shortly.

New Resolutions

A large part of the evening was spent discussing new resolutions, many of which were passed. Highlights include the introduction of new roles such as Vice Chairman, Publicity Officer, and Funding Officer - the latter already filled. If you’re interested in helping with writing articles or assisting with league operations, please contact Secretary Donovan Sipho or Chairman Hywel Griffiths.

Some important changes to match regulations were agreed upon: • Rescheduled matches brought forward must be reported to the division controller to monitor results and penalties. • Captains can now estimate new players’ grades for their first free match, declared on the match card and reviewed within 48 hours if disputed. This should help to fix grading issues. • New players eligible for free games must be completely new to competitive chess, with clearer rules on registrations to avoid confusion and prevent new players taking part after the 31st of March. • Captains must notify the controller, treasurer, and grading officer within 48 hours if using an unregistered player. • Defaulting on a board now results in a loss for that board and all lower boards, but higher boards won’t be unfairly penalized. • Home teams must ensure match results are sent to controllers and grading officers within 48 hours, facilitated by the new electronic match cards. • Digital clocks are being introduced in Division Two. Away teams can provide digital clocks if the home team only has analog ones—a long-awaited update. However, it should be noted that the away team then takes on responsibility for this equipment and is open to penalisation if it is faulty.

Accessibility

To support players with disabilities, clubs must now follow Welsh Chess Union disability guidelines. Home teams must be notified 24 hours in advance if special accommodations are needed.

Trophy Presentations

After the long meeting, everyone was delighted when trophies were handed out. The enthusiasm was evident as players received awards, including: • Championship Player of the Year: Dylan Greenway (Castell Nedd) • Division Two Player of the Year: Sam Brown (Morriston) • Division One Player of the Year: Stephen Smith (Castell Nedd) • Division Two Cup Player of the Year: Ian Jones (Morriston)

Team awards included the Castell Nedd Centurions as Championship winners, with the Gremlins as runners-up. The Consuls won Division Two, with the Hydras as runners-up. The Emperors took first place in the Plate, with the Banshees as runners-up. In cthe division one cup, the made it to the top with White Knight A as runners-up.

In the knock out cup Balrogs took the open (Emperors runner up), the Consuls took the under 1900 (Harriers being runners up, and White Knights C having the U1650 (with the Gladiators in second).

Thanks and Looking Forward

I would also like to sincerely thank all the members who support the League in so many ways—whether it’s managing the website, offering advice in various roles, helping with organizing trophies, or assisting behind the scenes.

It was great to see members sharing feedback and helping with setup and packing away. As my first year as chairman, I’m especially grateful for the support and advice from Ian Jones and Ian Eustis, giving and advice and tips in the background!

I’m optimistic these positive changes will continue to grow in the coming years.