Date: Sunday  25th February 2018  (Round 1 begins at 10:00 am)

Venue: Moreton Hall Community Centre, Symonds Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP32 7EE 
(The Bury St Edmunds Chess Club venue)

Anyone interested in taking part is advised to speak to their club secretary in the first instance.

Entries to Patrick Ribbands by 11 February 2018 (ribbs [at] waitrose.com or 01223 842197)

Teams consist of 4 players from the EACU but not necessarily from the same club. EACU players are those living in, or from clubs located in or affiliated to, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk or Suffolk. Also eligible are people born in the county, those with 5 years residence in the county at any time, or currently attending a school, college or university in the county.

Aggregate grades will be based on the ECF’s January grading list (not published at the time of writing).

The Team 600 is for teams with an aggregate grade of 600 or less, though for this calculation anyone with a grade under 100 will be taken as 100.

The Team 500 is for teams with an aggregate grade of 500 or less, though for this calculation anyone with a grade under 75 will be taken as 75.

The Team 400 is for teams with an aggregate grade of 400 or less, though for this calculation anyone with a grade under 50 will be taken as 50.

There will be a cash prize for the team with most game points in each category but the number and value of prizes will depend on the number of entries.

The event uses the county match format of 2 rounds starting at 10:00am and 2:30pm. If digital clocks are available for all boards of a match, the standard time control will be 36 moves in 80 minutes, followed by 10 minutes to finish the game, with an increment of 15 seconds per move from move

one.

The exact format of the competition will depend on the number of entries. The entry fee is £20 per team payable on the day. Any player who is not a member of the ECF needs to pay an extra £5. The clubs that won the top division of the six EACU county leagues (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Bury League) in the last season are entitled to enter a team of entirely their club players at half price into the Open.

Tea and coffee will be provided free of charge.

Enquiries and entries should be made to the organiser, Patrick Ribbands (ribbs [at] waitrose.com or 01223 842197). Entries by 11 February 2018 if possible please, though an early indication that you might raise a team would also be much appreciated. Later entries at the organiser’s discretion.

If you do not have the four players for a team Patrick should be able to put you in touch with others who would like to play.