TOURNAMENT RULES

This is an addition to the tournament rules and are based upon the National Scholastic Chess Championships’ “Rules Revised for 2007.” CalChess Scholastics adheres to the USCF Rulebook, the National Scholastic Rules and the minor modifications that CalChess has passed for the CalChess Scholastic tournaments. John Mc Cumisky, the Chief TD for the 2007 CalChess State Scholastics has approved the posting of these additions that mainly serve as additions to our frequently asked questions.

Tournament Directors (TD) – Tournament Directors will be on the tournament floor at all times to assist you in the event of any problem or question. They will be distinguished by the light orange polo shirts and a beige cap. Only individuals wearing beige caps can make rulings. To summon a director stop your clock and raise your hand. Keep it in the air until a TD comes to assist you. Remember that a TD will generally not interfere

with your game. It is up to you to make a claim. If you think that a TD has ruled incorrectly concerning your game, you should ask for another TD and make an appeal immediately.

Recording Moves – Each player in the Elementary School Championship divisions and all Junior High School and High School player are required to record the moves, move after move. Neither player is required to keep score if either player has less than five minutes at the end of the game.

Touch Move – If you intentionally touch a piece when it is your turn to move, that piece must be moved if you can do so legally. If you intentionally touch an enemy piece when it is your turn to move, the enemy piece must be captured if you can do so legally. You must clearly say, “I adjust” before touching a piece if you want to adjust that piece on the board. You may do so only when it is your turn. If you accidentally release a piece on an unintended but legal square, you must leave it on that square. You may not touch any pieces on the board when it is not your turn.

Illegal Moves – If it is discovered that one of either player’s last 10 moves was illegal, the position will be reinstated to what it was before the illegal move, and the game shall continue by applying the touch-move rule to the move replacing the illegal move. Clocks will not be reset. Two minutes will be added to the remaining time of the opponent of the player who made the illegal move. The player must call an illegal move. The TD will not do so; neither may other players, parents, coaches, or spectators.

Check – Announcing check is not necessary. It is the responsibility of the opponent to notice the check. A player who does not notice the check may suffer serious consequences (see the touch-move rule).

Time Forfeits – Only a player may claim a time forfeit. No parent, coach, spectator, or TD may make such a claim or bring the fall of a flag to the attention of the players. If both flags have fallen the game is a draw, providing one of the players in the game claims the flag-fall before checkmate or stalemate is played and recognized.

Late Arrivals – Late arrival forfeits will occur 30 minutes from the announced round start time or 15 minutes from the actual start time, whichever is later. The forfeited player will not be paired for the next round unless reinstated by the chief TD.

White’s clock should be started as soon as the TD announces that the round has begun. Black’s clock may not be started before white has made a move. If a clock is not available at the start of a round, any elapsed time before one becomes available will be split between players. If both players are late for the start of a round, the first to arrive must split the elapsed time before starting the clock.

Draws – If you want to offer a draw to your opponent, you should do so after you make a move but before you start your opponent’s clock. Your opponent may decline the draw by saying so or by moving a piece. A draw offer is valid until the opponent turns it down. If both players agree to a draw, then the game is over regardless of previous checkmate, stalemate or illegal positions. A reasonably complete and accurate score sheet is required to claim a draw by triple occurrence of

position or under the 50-move rule. If such a claim is found to be incorrect, two minutes will be added to the opponent’s remaining time.

Sudden Death Rules – A player may claim a time forfeit in sudden death only if he/she stops the clocks before the claimant’s own time runs out. If both flags are down, the game is a draw.The player on move, who has no more than 2 minutes left, may stop the clock and ask the TD to declare the game a draw on the grounds that the player has insufficient losing chances. Such a claim is also a draw offer. The TD may, at his discretion, place a digital clock, set with time-delay

at 5 seconds, on the game. If this is done, the claimant gets half of his remaining time up to but not exceeding one minute while the opponent’s time is not adjusted and the game continues until a result is achieved. If the claim is obviously correct the TD should grant the draw. If the claim is

obviously incorrect the TD may deduct up to 1 minute from the claimant’s time and the game should continue. If the claim in unclear, but no time-delay clock is available to insert on the

game, the TD may reserve a decision while he watches the continuation of the game or may ask the players to reclaim after restarting the game.

Analysis of Games – Do not analyze in the tournament room. Analyze your games in the skittles area or elsewhere.

Reporting Results – Immediately upon completion of the game the players should carefully complete and sign the results sheet at their board, without disturbing the position, and hold the reporting sheet up in the air until a TD or Assistant TD/Liaison comes to get it. Both players must remain at their board until a TD or Assistant TD/Liaison takes the results sheet. Only after the TD has done so should both players set up the pieces and head together to the computer tables at the entrance. There they will tell their results and leave the playing area.

Pairings – The SwissSys Pairing Program will be used for this tournament. Players will generally be paired with other players who have the same score each round. Players should not be assigned the same color three times in a row unless there is no other way to pair the score group or unless necessary to equalize colors. Every reasonable effort will be made to avoid pairing together players from the same school. One exception is the last round when all players in the top group

are from the same school. In this case, they will be paired together. If you believe there is a pairing error, report it to a TD immediately! Once the round starts, it will probably be too late to make any changes. Parents and coaches should check the correctness of the wall charts every round. Errors in scores reported after 2 more rounds would most likely not be corrected.

Conduct of Players – Please try to keep as quiet as possible on the tournament floor so that you do not disturb other players. You may not speak to anyone while your game is in progress unless you have asked a TD to be present. If there is a problem of any kind during your game, call a TD

immediately. If you wait until after your game is over the result probably cannot be changed even if your claim was correct. Be careful what you sign—once you have signed your result sheet, and agreed to the result on it, it cannot be adjudicated later on. You may not consult notes, chess books, computers, or other materials during the game. You may not bring food or soda into the tournament hall at any time. Water is permissible.

If you need to go to the bathroom while your game is in progress, you must use the bathrooms designated for tournament players. You do not need to ask permission from the TD for this. You may not leave the tournament room during your game other than to go to the restroom if it is outside the room. Exceptions can be made only if you have permission and are accompanied by a TD.

Interference – No interference in any game by spectators, other players, coaches or parents will be tolerated. Penalties include expulsion from the tournament. Only the player involved may point out irregularities. This should be done by raising your hand to summon a TD.

Other Rules – This is a team and an individual event. A team may have as many players as desired, but only the top four scores count for team results and tiebreaks. A school must have at least two players in a section in order to be eligible for team awards in that section. Players and coaches/parents are responsible for confirming the accuracy of any and all information.

Tiebreak – Individual ties for trophies will be broken by Modified Median, Solkhoff, Cumulative, Cumulative of Opposition, Kashdan, Game result between tied players, Most Blacks, Coin Flip, in that order. Players can win only one individual trophy. Place trophies take precedence over all other trophy awards.

Penalties for rules violations are at the discretion of the TD and may vary from warnings and time penalties to forfeitures and expulsion from the tournament.

...........