The Cannock & District Chess League
Welcome to the Cannock & District Chess League website
The CDCL was set up by 4 members of St Mary's Chess Club in Cannock - Ray Dolan, Robin Lewis, Brian Lynam & Robert Mayne - to "... promote the game of chess within its area (now designated as within 20 miles of Cannock) and to organise league matches and competitions between the participating clubs...". The inaugural AGM on 14th April 1999 was also attended by Lee Greaves (St Mary's CC), John Montague (Rugeley CC), Pete Collins (Lichfield CC), Robert Ward (Wolverhampton CC) & Steve Wilcox (Rushall CC). It was decided that the League was to be organised into 2 Divisions to start in the Autumn of 1999. Teams from Brewood, Bushbury & Tamworth also participated in that first season. Division 3 was then added in 2001 & Division 4 has been played regularly since 2022.
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Before the pandemic CDCL seasons ran from September until April. After lockdown was lifted in 2021, we were the first local league to restart playing over the board chess, but with a shorter Autumn 2021 Season from October until December. This then allowed clubs to review the number of team entries for our Spring 2022 Season which ran from January until the end of May.
In our 2022 AGM, clubs voted to return to the traditional schedule with effect from the 2022-2023 Season – the current details of which can be found in the League Rules section of this site. We have 11 member clubs with over 30 teams in total competing across our 4 Divisions & the Chase Trophy – our major club knockout competition, which has been held continually since 2011 (barring covid). In the 2024 AGM clubs also agreed to add a 2nd club knockout competition - the Chase Shield.
Divisions are assembled to allow a good mixture of 4 rated players to play in each team, with their combined rating within a set limit for each division. There is no promotion/relegation in the league - clubs choose which division(s) to enter each season based on the rating strength of their members & means that big & small clubs alike can compete on a level playing field. Having similar strength teams playing in each division means that matches are extremely competitive with the result on every board vital.
The CDCL caters for all abilities. Alongside experienced players competing in all 4 divisions, Division 1 teams also include some of the most talented players in the local area, many with ECF ratings around the 2000 mark, while often lower boards in Division 3 & many Division 4 boards contain developing players who are either new to chess or returning to it after an absence.
Individual competitions are also held - these are called the Robert Ward Trophy (our primary individual competition), Robert Ward Plate (for medium/lower rated first round Robert Ward Trophy losers) & Dolan Trophy (unrated & under 1500 ECF rated players).
We use the English Chess Federation's League Management System website to record & show all of our league, cup & individual fixtures, results, standings etc. This means that every game is rated automatically by the ECF. All of the information can be found on https://ecflms.org.uk - just scroll down to the Cannock & District Chess League section or click the link on our main menu.
League Honours
Division 1 winners:
2024-2025 Rugeley
2023-2024 Tamworth
2022-2023 Wolverhampton
2022 Wolverhampton
2021 Lichfield
2019-2020 Sutton Coldfield
2018-2019 Sutton Coldfield
2017-2018 Sutton Coldfield
2016-2017 Sutton Coldfield
2015-2016 Sutton Coldfield
2014-2015 Sutton Coldfield
2013-2014 South Birmingham
2012-2013 Sutton Coldfield
2011-2012 West Bromwich
2010-2011 Stafford
2009-2010 Stafford
2008-2009 Stafford
2007-2008 Stafford
2006-2007 Stafford
2005-2006 Rushall
2004-2005 Stafford
2003-2004 Lichfield
2002-2003 Rushall
2001-2002 Stafford
2000-2001 Stafford
1999-2000 Lichfield
Chase Trophy winners:
2023-2024 Rushall
2022-2023 Tamworth
2021-2022 Rushall
2020-2021 not held - covid
2019-2020 Tamworth & Sutton C
2018-2019 Wolverhampton
2017-2018 Brewood
2016-2017 Sutton Coldfield
2015-2016 Tamworth
2014-2015 Lichfield
2013-2014 Cannock
2012-2013 Sutton Coldfield
2011-2012 Sutton Coldfield
2004-2005 Lichfield
2003-2004 Lichfield
2000-2001 Rushall
Division 2 winners:
2024-2025 Stafford
2023-2024 Stafford
2022-2023 Rugeley
2022 Rushall
2021 Oscott
2019-2020 Oscott & Rugeley
2018-2019 Bushbury
2017-2018 Rushall
2016-2017 Sutton Coldfield
2015-2016 Rushall
2014-2015 Sutton Coldfield
2013-2014 Lichfield
2012-2013 Rushall
2011-2012 Sutton Coldfield
2010-2011 Rushall
2009-2010 St Mary's (Cannock)
2008-2009 Stafford
2007-2008 Stafford
2006-2007 Boldmere St Michael's
2005-2006 Sutton Coldfield
2004-2005 Rushall
2003-2004 Lichfield
2002-2003 Rushall
2001-2002 Tamworth
2000-2001 Cosford
1999-2000 Rugeley
Division 3 winners:
2024-2025 Lichfield
2023-2024 Lichfield
2022-2023 Lichfield
2022 Stafford
2021 Stafford
2019-2020 Rugeley
2018-2019 Norton Canes
2017-2018 Norton Canes
2016-2017 Wolverhampton
2015-2016 Rugeley
2014-2015 Lichfield
2013-2014 Cannock
2012-2013 Rushall
2011-2012 Rushall
2010-2011 Rushall
2009-2010 St Mary's (Cannock)
2008-2009 Rushall
2007-2008 St Mary's (Cannock)
2006-2007 Rugeley
2005-2006 Boldmere St Michael's
2004-2005 Rushall
2003-2004 Rushall
2002-2003 Bushbury
2001-2002 Rushall
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Chase Shield winners:
2024-2025 Rushall
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Division 4 winners:
2024-2025 Lichfield
2023-2024 Lichfield
2022-2023 Norton Canes
2022 Lichfield
2016-2017 Boldmere St Michael's
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Robert Ward Trophy winners:
2024-2025 Steve Whatmore
2023-2024 Stephen Gaskell
2022-2023 Tony Preece
2021-2022 David Gardiner
2020-2021 not held - covid
2019-2020 D Gardiner & Nigel Byrne
2018-2019 David Gardiner
2017-2018 Peter Oliver
2016-2017 Mike Hoare
2015-2016 Rich Wiltshir
2014-2015 Mike Hoare
2013-2014 Dave Wightman
2012-2013 Dave Wightman
2011-2012 Dave Wightman
2003-2004 M Townsend
2002-2003 Giedrius Surplys
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Robert Ward Plate winners:
2024-2025 Ken McNulty
2023-2024 Peter Oliver
2022-2023 John Moughtin-Leah
2021-2022 Chris Cox
2020-2021 not held - covid
2019-2020 Richard Bailey
2018-2019 Nigel Byrne
2017-2018 Kevin Spillane
2016-2017 Jet Ajimal
2015-2016 Sandy Wilson
2014-2015 Andrew Smith
2013-2014 John Fenby
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Dolan Trophy winners:
2024-2025 Oliver Johnson
2023-2024 Peter Rose
2022-2023 Liam O'Connor
2021-2022 Kevin Brooks
2020-2021 not held - covid
2019-2020 Stephen Smithson
2018-2019 Richard Bailey
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