The future of York and District Evening Chess League is in the balance.

The league committee have decided that action has to be taken to halt the decline in the numbers of players and teams in the league, but no definite decisions have been made yet about what is to be done.

Proposals by Neil Atkin and Bob Maltby at a recent meeting of the league committee to combine the divisions into one and set up a second division with the emphasis on the social side were seen as a possible way forward.

The committee heard at their meeting last week, however, that not everyone was in favour of this idea.

One committee member stated that a new team would be starting next season and that he could find enough players to produce three other teams in the second division, thus bringing the number up to eight, which would be ideal.

His view was that the existing clubs outside the Railway Institute should all have second or third teams and thus solve the problem of the new teams finding venues.

If four extra team captains could be found this would solve the current problem providing the teams concerned were willing to and capable of hosting new teams.

Existing teams have been very reluctant to start an extra team because of difficulties in finding enough regular players.

If the committee can be convinced that there are players not currently playing evening league chess who wish to and that new teams can be based at existing venues as extensions of existing clubs then the proposals should be accepted.

If the committee are not satisfied there are extra players and of existing clubs having second/third teams then the proposals put forward at the last meeting regarding combining the two divisions will probably be accepted because not to do anything would be a disaster for evening league chess in York.

The committee's next meeting is scheduled for June and whichever proposals are decided on they will be put to the vote at the league's annual meeting later that month.

Anyone else with any input or views is urged to contact a committee member or attend the next meeting.

Updated: 13:01 Thursday, April 19, 2001