Chess Cornwall - Cornwall Online League (season 4)

Matches are played on lichess between teams of 4 players. The rate of play is 45 minutes each for all the moves plus increments of 15 seconds from move 1.

The system for starting games will be familiar to those playing in the 4NCL Online League, with the player having White challenging his opponent on lichess. Full details are at http://cornwallchess.org.uk/html/online/lichess-challenge.shtml

Follow the links from the left-hand column of this page for information on rules, fixtures and results, team captains, lichess user names of players, standings, etc.

Please note that only members of the Cornwall or the closed All Cornwall group on lichess are eligible to play in this league.

Draw Offers

There have several instances in our league and congress of players intending to offer or accept a draw and pressing the RESIGN button instead. This is partly due to the poor design of the relevant lichess page where, instead of placing the DRAW button at either end of the page a long way from the RESIGN button, they have put it in the centre of a row of closely spaced buttons with the RESIGN button on the right.

Where this has arisen so far the positions have been dead drawn with no winning prospects for either side. In all cases the situation was resolved afterwards by fine sportsmanship on the part of the "winner" in agreeing to a draw.

In order to prevent this situation occurring in their games, I would urge all players to check carefully before offering or agreeing a draw.

Ian George

Take Back Requests

In common with other online platforms lichess allows players to make a take back request, which the opponent is at liberty to grant or refuse as he or she sees fit. The principal use of this is where a mouse slip cause a player to move a piece to an unintended square.

I understand how frustrating this is, having done it myself more than once. I also understand that momentary loss of control might affect, for example, an arthritis sufferer. Having said that, I believe that competitive online play should, wherever possible, be conducted according to the same principles as over the board play. Furthermore the use of take back requests has the potential for creating a form of "moral blackmail" where the opponent considers that he or she will, unfairly, be thought guilty of poor sportsmanship if he or she refuses.

Accordingly, while I'm not going to a make a rule prohibiting take back requests, I do not think that they should be used in our online competitions. I therefore request all players to refrain from making them. If you do make one and your opponent refuses, please remember that he or she has every right to do so and that for some people this is a matter of principle.

The above remarks apply only to our formal competitions and not to the rapid play Arena/Swiss/Team Battle events that we organise from time to time.

Ian George

Last updated 21/12/2021

Cornwall Online League (Season 3)

League Table - Standings

Bude Surfers A	0	0
Falmouth & Truro Academicals	0	0
Newquay Roosters	0	0
Calstock & Lerryn Killers	0	0
Camborne Pendarves	0	0
Camborne Trevithick	0	0
Calstock & Lerryn Clowns	0	0
Falmouth & Truro Saracens	0	0
Falmouth & Truro Crusaders	0	0
Bude Surfers B	0	0
Win = 2, draw = 1, loss or default = 0 points
Full table Fixture List