ChessBase.com Scottish Grand Prix 2008

1. Purpose To stimulate the development of the tournament circuit. To provide another benefit for Chess Scotland members who play chess regularly.

2. Target group Members of Chess Scotland, 17 years or over as at 1 January 2008, with gradings of 2150 or less (To qualify for inclusion in the Grand Prix players must have taken up membership by 1 January 2008. Players outwith Scotland (of any nationality) are eligible provided they become members by the due date.) Juniors up to 16 years old and graded below 1350 have their own Grand Prix - details here.

2a) Juniors under 17 AND graded 1350 or above will appear in the Main Grand prix leaderboards but will be competing for a specific junior prize - see detailed explanation (from Sep 2004).

3. Categories: Chess Scotland Members with 2007-2008 gradings in the Main List within the following limits (the allegro grade is not used in deciding for which GP category you are eligible) :

Grading limit 1901-2150 - Candidates Grand Prix

Grading limit 1701-1900 - Challengers Grand Prix

Grading limit 1451-1700 - Major Grand Prix

Grading limit 0-1450 - Minor Grand Prix

Ungraded players will be placed in the appropriate category according to their unofficial grading covering all events played up to 1 January 2008. Initially, they will be placed in the Minor Grand Prix. No concessions have been made for players 'playing up' eg a 1600 in an Open.

4. Rules To score points in the Grand Prix simply enter a chess tournament (normal time rates or allegro) and score well! Points scored at congresses and allegros will be accumulated throughout the season:

(a) Only performances of 50% or more will count. e.g. 2.5/5 or 3½/6 or 4/7

(b) Half point byes and defaults will not count. However, discarding byes and defaults, a score of 2/4 would count, or 1.5/3.

(c) Points scored at the Scottish Championships and the large weekend congresses will be doubled.

(d) You must play a minimum of three games in an event for your score to be eligible for GP points.

4 b) Player GP totals are based on the 10 best GP scoring events (Oct 2006) The idea is to address repeated concerns that players unable to participate in every congress had little chance to catch a runaway leader. This way more players should be in contention for prizes throughout the season. The more active player still has something to aim for since they can try and replace lower scoring events.

Criteria used to formulate the rules: The rules must be simple to administer, meaningful to players and, above all, must not add anything to the burden of Tournament Directors.

5. Season The Grand Prix 2007/2008 season will be the same as the grading year commencing in July 2007 and ending on 1 July 2008. (Tournaments in early July may be included - an appropriate announcement will be made).

6. Tournaments Swiss tournaments including congresses, championships and allegros, listed in the Calendar of Events will be eligible for inclusion provided all their results are submitted for grading. (See Note 11) NB Domestic Club events are not eligible. Rule Clarification Nov 7, 2007: "Where conditions of entry restrict the event to players from a certain area eg Lothians, Lanarkshire, West or East of Scotland etc, scores will count unadjusted (ie no multiplier will be applied)." Hugh Flockhart.

Scores in the Grand Prix are calculated as soon as the results of an event appear on the Chess Scotland website.

The events included in the GP last season were: Scottish Championships Troon, Marymass Congress, Cathcart Open, Grangemouth Congress, Central League Allegro, Lothians Allegro, Dalguise, Dundee and Angus Congress, Glasgow Congress Oban Congress Lothians Congress Perth Congress Lanarkshire Championships, Glasgow Allegro, Glenrothes Congress, Fair City, Edinburgh Congress, Polytechnic Quickplay, Dragons Allegro, East of Scotland, Eastwood Allegro, West of Scotland, Stewarton Allegro Hawick Congress

7. Prizes In each category:

1st Grand Prix Shield, Chessbase Database Software, plus £100, plus book, plus magazine.

2nd Chessbase Playing program eg latest version of Fritz, plus book, plus magazine.

3rd Chessbase Playing program, plus book, plus magazine.

(Ties will be resolved in favour of the lower rated player.)

8. Sponsorship Chess Scotland would like to thank Chessbase for their sponsorship of the Grand Prix. We would like to welcome new sponsors Everyman Books and NewinChess.com.

9. Publicity Information about the Grand Prix will appear in Scottish Chess magazine, on the Chess Scotland website and on leaderboard notices at tournaments. It would be helpful but not essential if the Chessbase.com Scottish Grand Prix could be mentioned in entry forms.

10.Organisation

Chess Scotland reserves the right to take measures to facilitate the smooth running of the Grand Prix and to ensure that the rules and conditions are applied fairly. The organiser cannot be a beneficiary of the prize fund. Chess Scotland has appointed Hugh Flockhart, 3 Meadowfield Terrace, Edinburgh EH8 7NR Tel 0131 661 3022 as its first organiser.

11.Notice of events

New events should give at least six weeks notice before an event will be deemed eligible for GP inclusion. Notice can be given by any of the following methods: inclusion in the printed CS calendar, by providing event details for the website Noticeboard, Calendar or tournament advert page; Scottish Chess magazine; a published entry form available at other events, or posted directly to potential participants. (Rule addition June 2002).

Hugh would be happy to clarify rules and receive any constructive suggestions about the Grand Prix. Modification of rules and conditions will be necessary as experience of its operation is gained. Please help to continue to make it a success!

12.News

GP News - Nov 7: Rule Clarification: "Where conditions of entry restrict the event to players from a certain area eg Lothians, Lanarkshire, West or East of Scotland etc, scores will count unadjusted (ie no multiplier will be applied)." Hugh Flockhart.

Oct 5: Everyman Books have been added as a sponsor. Aug 31: New in Chess have been added as a sponsor.