All games will be played according to the Fide Laws of Chess.
7 rounds will be played over the course of the season, with each round beginning on the last Tuesday of each month (except December), to be completed within a 3 week window.
Time Control is 60 + 10.
You start with 60 minutes and you receive an increment of 10 seconds with each move, starting from move 1.
Main changes from last season
- In the event of a tie, 1st equal will be awarded
- Accelerated swiss pairings to be used
- Players will be able to take unlimited byes
- The first 2 byes a player takes will be worth 1/2 point*
- *No 1/2 point available for a bye in Round 7
- Games will begin at 7:15pm
Pairing Method
Accelerated Swiss pairings are designed to avoid the early rounds of the tournament being a blowout for the top half of the draw. It means:
- Everyone should be paired closer to their strength earlier in the tournament
- Lower rated players have a better chance of staying in contention for longer
- Higher rated players will meet each other earlier in the proceedings
No More Tiebreaker
If scores are tied after 7 rounds then first equal will be awarded. This was brought in to avoid TPR (Tournament Performance Rating) potentially deciding the outcome, which would naturally favour a higher rated player.
That being said, due to the nature of Accelerated Pairings, the chances of this happening are vanishingly unlikely!
Scheduling
Prior to the pairings being made for each round, a google form will be sent around where you can fill in your availability for the window, or ask for a bye.
This allows the committee to schedule games appropriately through the window and ensures there’s always enough space for games to happen in the right conditions.
If you and your opponent cannot make any of the same days, additional options will be offered at various other local chess clubs. If you are not able to arrange your game within the window for the round, the result of the game will be at the discretion of the committee.
| Round | Pairings | Round Begins | Completed By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23rd September | 30th September | 20th October |
| 2 | 21st October | 28th October | 17th November |
| 3 | 18th November | 25th November | 15th December |
| 4 | 20th January | 27th January | 16th February |
| 5 | 17th February | 24th February | 16th March |
| 6 | 17th March | 24th March | 20th April |
| 7 | 21st April | 28th April | 18th May |
Venue
For the start of the season, the venue will be upstairs at McNeills.
We will be actively communicating with the membership as progress is made to get us back into the Bungo. There may be cases where another venue may be sought for competitive chess in the interim.
Match time
Matches will now be played at 7:15pm, in line with the start of our home league matches.
Please note that if you are late for the match, your clock will be started by your opponent at the match start time. If you are more than 30 minutes late, you will be defaulted for the game.
Defaults
If a player is more than 30 minutes late to a game, or is a complete no-show without contacting their opponent; the committee reserves the right to remove them from the tournament.
Tournament Withdrawal
You can withdraw from the tournament at any time, however we would ask you to be mindful of the integrity of the tournament and try to do this before pairings are made where possible.