Columbus
Chess League
2020 Season
Rules
1.
The Official Rules of Chess as set
forth by the United States Chess Federation shall govern all aspects of play,
except as specified otherwise in these rules.
- Players
may enter and participate as individuals, or as members of a team. At the time of entry, each player’s US
Chess membership must be current and not due to expire prior to the final
round.
- Teams
- A
team shall consist of from two to five players at any given time.
- Team
members must pay the full season entry fee, not a per round entry fee.
- A
team roster may be changed as follows:
- A
team may not add a member who has already played one or more rounds in
the current season for another team or individually.
- A
team may drop a member only to add another member and not exceed the
roster maximum 5 players, whether or not the
dropped member has already played a round for the team.
- Once
dropped, a member may not be reinstated to the same team.
- Team
changes must be communicated to the TD in advance of pairing the round
for which the change is to be effective.
- No
team changes are permitted once round 4 is paired.
- Pairings:
- Pairing
method will be 1 vs 2 by ratings within score groups (highest rated plays
next highest rated, 3rd highest plays 4th, and so
on).
- Teammates
will not be paired against each other, unless necessary to avoid dropping
a player more than 1 point to a lower score group.
- Each
player must check in with the TD in person or by text at least 15 minutes
prior to each round in order to be paired for the round. Any player not appearing for a round
after checking in will be removed from the tournament (but not a team
roster) and become ineligible for prizes; reinstatement will be at the
TD’s discretion, and only considered for exceptional circumstances.
- Byes:
- A
player may request a maximum of two half-point byes for rounds 1-4 for
both pairing and prize purposes, including for prior rounds not
played. No half-point byes are
permitted in rounds 5 or 6.
- A
player must request half-point byes before round 3 has been paired.
- Zero-point
byes are available and encouraged when a half-point bye is not available
for any round a player will miss, and may be
requested any time before the round is paired.
- For
pairing purposes only, the TD in his/her sole discretion may assign
full-point byes for prior rounds not played; such points will not count
for prize purposes.
- A
player may request any half- or zero-point bye be changed to a full point
bye for pairing purposes, but in doing so will lose the half point bye
for prize purposes.
- A
player who is expected for any given round and who does not appear
without notifying the TD in advance, will be withdrawn from the
tournament, and may re-enter only at the TD’s discretion.
- Prizes:
- Two
sets of team trophies will be awarded: first place overall, and first
place Under X team, where X is approximately the mid-point of the team
ratings after round 3. If at least
two all-scholastic teams participate, one set of scholastic team trophies
will also be awarded.
- A
team’s rating shall be the average of the four highest-rated members’
official November ratings, including members who may not have played any
rounds.
- A
team may not qualify for a lower rating-based prize as a result of
dropping any member after round 1 has been paired.
- A
team’s score shall be the sum of the scores of its highest finishing
members, not to exceed four players.
The scores of players on 2- or 3-member teams shall be summed
without further adjustment.
- Each
member of a winning team will receive an individual trophy, up to 5
maximum per team, and excluding any members who did not play at least
one round.
- Individual
trophies will be awarded by rating class based on official November
ratings (minimum 3 points to win a trophy):
- Overall
1st place (any rating);
- Master/Expert
(2000 & up);
- A
(1800-1999);
- B
(1600-1799);
- C
(1400-1599); and
- D
and under (under 1400)
- Additional
awards may be offered at the organizer’s sole discretion.
- In
case of a tie for any prize, tie breaks shall be determined as follows:
- Team
prizes: first by scores without half-point byes, then by standard US
Chess team tie break formulae.
- Individual
prizes: first by scores without half-point byes, then by head to head
results if clearly definitive, then by standard US Chess tie break
formulae.
- Only
players who pay the full season entry fee (not a per round entry fee) are
eligible for prizes.
- Late
entries may be accepted at any time at TD’s discretion and as playing
space permits. Rounds missed may be
assigned byes as described above.
- Equipment
is not provided. Each player is
responsible to provide a set and delay-capable clock. In the event neither opponent provides
the necessary equipment for a game, double-forfeits
will result.
9.
A TD or the League Director may ban
or disqualify a player or an entire team from league play or prize eligibility
for flagrant or repeated rules violations, disruptive behavior, or
unsportsmanlike conduct.