Club Championship 2024
Current list of entrants is available here.
Format
The tournament will be organised as a 5-round Swiss event, using Fischer Timing (75 mins + 15 sec / move).
Rounds
We have set aside the following club nights for the five rounds:
Round 1: 23rd May (or before the next round by agreement with organiser)
Round 2: 13th June (or before the next round by prior agreement)
Round 3: 11th July (or before the next round by prior agreement)
Round 4: 8th August (or before the next round by prior agreement)
Round 5: 29st August (or on or before 7th September, by prior agreement)
Entry
The event is open to all club members holding ECF membership. Pairings for round 1 will be finalised “on the day” allowing you to simply turn up to enter. If you want to enter but would like to take a bye in the first round or to play your first round on a different date, please notify the organiser, Steve Lovell.
Byes
Entrants may nominate one round as a half-point-bye, and must do so before that round is paired. A second bye will be permitted, but this will be a zero-point bye. For the purpose of pairing, a player in the top half of the draw who has received a zero-point bye will treated as having scored a half-point.
Failure to play in three rounds will result in automatic withdrawal from the competition.
Members may also express an interest in playing as a “filler” if they know in advance they will not be available for sufficient rounds to fully participate. If both players agree, these games will be rated.
Pairings and Flexible Dates of Play
Pairings for rounds 2 to 5 will be made available in advance as soon as the organiser can manage. Games need not be played on the listed dates. However, if they are not to be played on the listed dates, the date of play (a) must be before the date listed for the following round (or for the final round, on or before the following club night), and (b) in the case of rounds 2 to 5, must be agreed by both parties before the date listed for the round.
Where not playing on the listed date, the agreed date of play should be communicated to the organiser, Steve Lovell as early as possible. This allows a player present on the listed date to claim a default should their opponent be absent, though we will repair if possible. Players will be responsible for sourcing the necessary equipment (board, set, clocks, score sheets), though the organiser may be able to assist if help is required.
To prevent delay in producing pairings for subsequent rounds, where a game has not yet been played, it will be assumed to have been won by any player rated 150 or more points higher than their opponent, and otherwise to have been drawn. The players scores will be corrected retrospectively if required.
Notification of Results
Both players in any game must notify the result to the organiser, Steve Lovell.
Tie-Breaks
(1) Direct encounter
(2) Rapid or Blitz Playoff, playing once with each colour
(3) Step (2) will be repeated until a winner is determined
The first tie break is the result between the players involved in the tie. If this is not decisive or not all the players involved in the tie have played each other, then those involved will play an all-play-all mini-tournament to decide the winner, with each pairing occurring twice to ensure a fair colour distribution. Those involved in the tie-break will decide between time controls of 25m+10s or 3m+2s (because these are easily set on a DGT 2010). If agreement cannot be reached, the time control will be decided by the toss of a coin. These games will take place at the earliest opportunity which is convenient for the players (and not necessarily all in one evening).