League Feedback Results
Thank you every one who completed our League Feedback questionnaire. Here are the results together with Steve’s comments. Note what he says at the end…we need one or two more people to help run the League. If you could help please contact Steve or email me via chess@u3a.org.uk
Time Control of 10 Minutes
About right = 16 (70%)
Too short = 7 (30%)
Most players seem comfortable with the 10 minute time control. However there is a sizeable minority that would like a longer time control, say 30 minutes.
Some of you have struggled at first and then have become used to the 10 minute time.
Maybe the solution here is to have another league for those players who would like a longer time control. However it would need someone to come forward to organise it.
Another reason might be that in the earlier months of the league players were getting fed up being smashed by their opponents. This was a consequence of randomising the starting league in September. Since then stronger players have been working (smashing!) their way up the league and weaker players have been working (despondently!) down the league.
We are nearly at the point where most of you will be getting more equal matches.
However, as it stands, new players are put into the bottom division and work their way to the correct division. To overcome this problem of players in the lower divisions being constantly smashed I am going to place future new players into a division that suits their rating.
Number of players in a division
About right = 20 (87%)
Fewer opponents = 3 (13%)
Most of you are happy with 6 players in a division. However a few struggle to get all their games played.
Frequency (monthly)
About right = 23 (100%)
Monthly turnover in the league seems to suit everyone.
Duration of League
Throughout the year = 15 (65%)
Winter only = 3 (13%)
Don’t mind = 5 (22%)
Having the league run throughout the year is the majority view. The advantage is that momentum is not lost.
This gives me some problems though; I would need some others to step in and run the league when I can’t. A knowledge of Excel is the main requirement.
We could run a 2 month period during the summer; say, May & June then July & August. I.e. we’d have 2 months to complete our matches in those months.