Untitled Document

Chess Scotland Rule Book - Tournament Rules

Richardson Cup Rules

The competition for the Scottish Club Championship shall be limited to 16 clubs in membership of Chess Scotland. The winner shall hold the Richardson Cup for one year.

The competition shall be an unseeded knockout with a new draw made for each round. If necessary, matches will take place to determine which teams will be relegated to next season's Spens Cup. Their places in the next season's competition shall be taken by the Spens Cup finalists.

The method for resolving ties shall be as follows:

(a) Board count, (b) Board elimination (c) A 15-minute allegro match with colours reversed.

Each club shall be represented by eight players who shall be bona fide members of the club they represent. They must be normally resident in Scotland or within 50 miles of the normal meeting place of the club. They need not be the same throughout the competition, but no player shall represent more than one club in the Richardson and Spens Cups or Campbell Rosebowl in any one season. For every infringement of this rule, one point shall be deducted from the score of the offending club and added to the score of the opposing club

To be bona fide a player should have:-

Paid the required membership fee for the current season

Satisfied at least one of the following:
* Represented the club in other events in the current or preceding season
* Represented that club previously for an extended period
* Represented that club previously and no other Scottish club between times
* Had no affiliation to a Scottish club for at least 5 years and the chosen club is geographically acceptable (ie not necessarily the closest but either near to being the closest suitable club or one more easily reached by road or rail)
It would be desirable for the player to be participating in other activities of the club.
Any club in doubt about the bona fide status of a proposed player must contact the Arbiter as early as possible and no later than seven days before the match.

The order of players in each team shall be that of current playing strength. After team lists are exchanged, the captains shall toss for choice of colour at board one. The move at the remaining boards shall alternate accordingly.

Failing agreement, clubs more than 80 map miles apart shall play at an intermediate venue to be fixed by the Arbiter. Detailed arrangements shall be made by the away team and expenses shared. A match may be played by telephone, but this is advisable only in exceptional circumstances.

The Arbiter shall fix a date for each round. Each match shall commence at 2.00pm. If mutually agreed in writing by the clubs concerned, or if so determined by the Arbiter, a match may take place at an earlier date or commence at another time. (A central venue final is an exception).

All games shall be played in accordance with the Laws of Chess, as laid down by the Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE).

It is the responsibility of the home team to provide sufficient clocks and suitable sets, boards, etc. When play takes place at an intermediate venue, each team shall provide half the equipment required (plus one additional clock). The time limit shall be 40 moves in 2 hours. In telephone matches, the rate of play shall be 40 moves in 105 minutes.

Games unfinished at the time check (as defined in rule 10) must be (except in telephone matches) completed by a quickplay finish (see FIDE Law 10), each player having an additional 30 minutes for all moves. In telephone matches such games must be sent to the Arbiter for adjudication. Each position so sent shall be accompanied by a claim for a win or a draw, attested by the team captains. Each club shall also forward to the Arbiter the adjudication fee of £6, all to reach him within 7 days of the match. The fee shall be returned to the club whose claim is upheld by the adjudicator.

In the event of an appeal against a decision by the Arbiter, the case shall be referred to the Arbiters' Committee whose decision shall be final. The club's claim must be accompanied by a £20 fee, refundable at the discretion of the committee. The Director of Home Chess shall have the power to alter or modify the foregoing rules in such manner as he may think necessary.

Smoking in the playing room is not permitted. The smoking rules of the venue must be observed.

It is strongly recommended that the home team supply refreshments to the visiting team during the playing session.

Either side involved may appeal against adjudication decisions in accordance with the procedure specified below.

* Number subject to alteration.

Spens Cup Rules

These rules are the same as the Richardson Cup, except for:

The Spens Cup shall be open for competition to clubs in membership of Chess Scotland not in the Richardson Cup for that season. The finalists shall be promoted to the following season's Richardson Cup competition.

A club which has entered a team in the Richardson Cup may also enter a ‘B' team in the Spens Cup. The team squads must be separate but a player may play on boards 7 or 8 in the Richardson Cup for the ‘A' team and for the ‘B' team in the Spens Cup in the same season. The ‘B' team may not gain promotion to the Richardson Cup and if they reach the final of the Spens Cup then only one team shall be promoted to the following season's Richardson Cup competition.

In Richardson rule 4, substitute 'six' for 'eight'.

Byes arising in the preliminary round shall be awarded as far as possible to the preceding season's Campbell Rosebowl finalists, Spens Cup semi-finalists, and teams relegated from the Richardson Cup, in that order.-

A competition for the Jack Campbell Rosebowl shall be held for all clubs which are eliminated in the preliminary or first round, other than those which choose (on the entry form) not to be considered as eligible. A club which is eliminated without playing a match shall not be eligible unless the Arbiter decides otherwise. For the purposes of Richardson rule 4, this competition shall count as part of the Spens Cup.

Appeals Against Adjudication
(Applicable only to telephone matches)

1	These must be submitted by one of the two sides who submitted the original position for adjudication. No third party may appeal.
2	The appeal must reach the Arbiter within four days of the original decision being received by the side or player appealing, and be supported by a reasoned line or lines of analysis, in triplicate, opposing the original decision, together with the original position.
3	At the same time, the appellant must notify the opposing match captain that an appeal has been made, giving details of the decision(s) in question.
4	Appeals must be accompanied by a fee of £10, which is returnable if the appeal is upheld.
5	If two or more games in a match have been adjudicated, and an appeal is made against one or more of the decisions, the opposing side may counter- appeal, within 3 days of receipt of the notice of appeal, in any of the other adjudicated games of the same match. Such counter-appeals must comply with rules 1-4, reading 'notice of appeal' for the first mention of 'original decision' in rule 2. The decision of the Appeal Judge shall be final and binding.
6	Any notification of adjudication results by the Arbiter may be given by telephone and confirmed by letter, and shall be deemed to have been given at the time of the telephone call.
7	Any claim which does not comply with the rules will be invalid.
		Revised Sept 2009

MacIsaac Tournament Rules

1	Each club in membership of Chess Scotland shall be entitled to enter one player who shall be the club champion for the previous season, failing whom another bona fide member with a current grading of not less than 1850 may be substituted. The winner of the MacIsaac Tournament in the previous season also has the right of entry to the competition. If he/she exercises this right, then the club of which he/she is a member may nominate a second player if and only if the second player is the reigning club champion.
2	The winner shall receive 30% of the total entry fees and the losing finalist 15%. In addition, the winner shall be entitled to a place in the next Scottish Championship as laid down in the rules for that championship.
3	The competition shall be run on the knock-out principle with one game determining the result unless it is drawn, when a second game will be played. If this is also drawn, then the players will play a game in which each has 15 minutes on the clock to make all the moves. The colours in this 15-minute game will be determined by lot. In the event of a further draw, another 15-minute game shall be played with the colours reversed, and so on until a result is obtained.
4	The pairings shall be determined by ballot and shall be on a zonal basis as far as possible until the semi-finals. In round 1 the lower numbered player shall be at home, and thereafter, home and away draws shall be determined according to the principles of Swiss pairings. The visiting player shall have white. If a replay is required, the colour shall be reversed.
5	Failing agreement, players who live more than 60 miles apart shall play at an intermediate venue fixed by the Arbiter.
6	The Arbiter shall fix a date for each round. Each round shall commence at 2pm. If mutually agreed by the players concerned, the game may take place at an earlier date or commence at another time. If a game is drawn, the Arbiter shall fix a time and date for the replay.
7	All games shall be played in accordance with the current Laws of Chess as laid down by FIDE.
8	The use of clocks shall be compulsory and the clock shall be provided by the home player. The rate of play shall be not less than 40 moves in the first two hours. Unless there is prior agreement between the players play shall be continuous. After black's 40th move has been made, each clock shall be set back by 30 minutes and the game completed under Quickplay finish rules in the time remaining to each player.
9	In the event of the two players becoming involved in a dispute which cannot be resolved by the Arbiter, then the case will be referred to the Arbiters' Committee whose decision will be final. The Director of Tournaments shall have the power to alter or modify the foregoing rules in such manner as he may think necessary.
10	Any player who withdraws or defaults a game without giving an acceptable explanation to the Arbiter will not be permitted to play in the MacIsaac or Nancy Elder Tournaments in the following year.

Nancy Elder Memorial Tournament Rules

These rules are the same as for the MacIsaac Tournament, except for:

Each member club of Chess Scotland may enter one player, who must have a current grading below 1850 (juniors 1775). In addition, the current holder may enter, if qualified on grading.

Qualification for the Scottish Championship (MacIsaac Rule 2) does not apply.