NEW YORK STATE SCHOLASTIC

CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP RULES

           (Additional Tournament Rules Appear in the USCF Rule Book, 5th Edition)

1. HOW TO FIND YOUR GAME
To find where you are supposed to be, look at the yellow pairing sheets. The left-most number on the pairing sheet is the number of the board where you will play. Do not confuse this with the number right before your name-- that is your player number in the tournament, not your board number. Double check the pairing chart to make sure of your board number, and look to see your opponent's name, and what color you're playing. Before you start your game, ask your opponent his/her name and make sure you are playing the right person!

2. When your game ends, MAKE SURE YOU AND YOUR OPPONENT BOTH AGREE ON THE RESULT!
If you don't agree on the result, GET THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR. If you both agree on the final result, reset the pieces and leave the room (never reset the pieces if there is a question or a disagreement when the game ends-- by destroying the position, you may be penalized-- even given a loss for the game).

As soon as your game ends, write the result of the game on the yellow pairing sheet, (write a "1" next to the winner's name, and a "0" next to the loser; if the game was drawn, write "2 " next to each player's name).

ALL PLAYERS must promptly post their game results on the yellow pairing sheets!

It doesn't matter whether you won or lost the game-- you are responsible for making sure that the correct result is reported on the pairing sheet. If the result of your game is not posted in time to make the next round's pairings, you might find that you and your opponent are both not paired for the next round! In addition, both players and their teams may be penalized 5 tie-break points (so make sure you and your teammates have marked all their results). Do not write anything on the white tournament wallcharts-- only Directors write on these charts. After you have posted your game result, go to a skittles room if you wish to analyze, talk, play speed chess, etc.

3. WHO IS ALLOWED IN TOURNAMENT ROOMS
If they are quiet and orderly, spectators will be allowed in the Top Boards Room, but no spectators will be allowed near the other Primary or Elementary games. Spectators may be allowed in the Junior High/High School tournament room, but probably not in the Elementary/Primary room. The Tournament Directors may limit the number of non-players in the tournament room, or even not allow spectators at all if it becomes too disruptive to the tournament. Once the games have begun, spectators are not allowed beyond the main aisle or in the rows of players in the tournament room. NO ONE MAY DISTRACT OR DISTURB THE PLAYERS, AND IT IS PROHIBITED FROM INTERFERING WITH THE TOURNAMENT GAMES IN ANY WAY.

4. HOW TO FIND A TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR
If you have a question or problem of any kind during your game, tell the Tournament Director immediately. There are two ways to do this:

Standard Method: When it is your move, quietly say you are calling a Director, stop both sides of the clock, and go to the nearest Tournament Director. The Tournament Directors wear brightly colored "Tournament Director" shirts.

Other Method: When it is your move, stop both sides of the clock, raise your hand, and wait for a Director to come to your board. However, if you don't see a Director heading in your direction, you should go and get one.

5. IF YOU DON'T STOP THE CLOCK
If you have a problem, complaint or question and you need the Tournament Director, but you don't stop the clocks, there is no penalty, except that you will lose whatever time goes by while you are getting the Tournament Director.

6. GET THE DIRECTOR IMMEDIATELY, OR IT MAY BE TOO LATE
If you have a problem or disagreement in your game, get the Tournament Director! It's usually too late to make a claim or a complaint about something your opponent was (or wasn't) doing, after the game ends, or even after you continue playing. If you believe that the Tournament Director's decision does not agree with the Tournament Rules, you should immediately inform the Chief Tournament Director.

7. LEAVING THE ROOM DURING THE GAME
Players may leave the room during play (for instance, to go to the bathroom); no permission is necessary. However, players must not analyze their games while outside the room, and may be penalized for unexplained long absences from the room (over 20 minutes).

8. DO NOT DISCUSS YOUR GAME WITH OTHERS
Chess is a game between two (2) players. Do not consult with anyone-- including your team captain or coach-- about whether to offer or accept a draw, how good your position looks, what move to make, or anything else-- it's your own decision! If teammates, captains, or coaches interfere in the games, the entire team may be penalized!

9. TIME LIMIT, SETTING CLOCKS
High School, Junior High, Elementary Championship, Elementary Novice and Primary Championship: the time control is 60 minutes per player for all six games Saturday and Sunday (set both clocks at 5:00). Digital clocks should turn on the 5-second delay and deduct 5 minutes (Game/55 plus a 5-second delay for each). The time control ends when a player uses up his time and his flag falls.

Primary K-1 Section ONLY: 30 minutes per player for all five games Sunday (set both clocks at 5:30). Digital clocks should turn on the 5-second delay and deduct 5 minutes from each side (Game/25 plus a 5-second delay for each). The time control ends when a player uses up his time and his flag falls.

10. IF YOU HAVE NO CLOCK
If you have no clock, borrow one from another player or buy one from the bookseller. Otherwise, start without one; try to borrow one from games which finish early (subtract half the elapsed time from each side). Directors do not supply sets or clocks. However, if a game without a clock is going too slowly, the Director may put a clock on, splitting the elapsed time. This sometimes will put both players in immediate time pressure (for instance, 5 minutes each for the rest of the game).

11. HOW TO BEGIN THE GAME IF OPPONENT IS NOT THERE AT THE ROUND TIME
If White is absent, Black should start White's clock when the round begins. If Black is absent, White should play his move and then start Black's clock (there is no penalty if Black is absent and White starts Black's clock, waiting for him to arrive before making the first move). If your opponent is late, you may not get a time advantage without first setting up the pieces and starting the clock.

12. IF BOTH PLAYERS ARE LATE
If both players are late, the first to arrive should split the elapsed time before starting the clock. For example, if you are 10 minutes late and your opponent has not yet arrived, take 5 minutes off each clock (start clocks at 5:05 rather than 5:00). If this is not done, the times stand unless later adjusted by a Director.

13. NO-SHOW FORFEIT WINS AND HOW TO REPORT THEM
If your opponent's clock runs for one hour (or 55 minutes plus 5 seconds with Time Delay clocks) and he or she does not show up (in the K-1 section, no-show forfeits occur at 30 minutes, or 25 minutes + 5 second delay), you may claim a win on forfeit. Post a win by "no-show" forfeit as "1F - 0F" on the yellow pairing sheet. Don't forget to write "F"-- it's important, because a player who does not show up without telling the Director before the pairings are made may be thrown out of the tournament!

14. HOW TO CLAIM A WIN ON TIME
To claim a win on time, stop the clock and state your claim. If your opponent does not immediately resign, get a Tournament Director. Your flag must still be up to claim a win on time. Always post a win on time as "1-0" or "0-1." DO NOT WRITE THE "F" if you both played the game and you won or lost your game on time.

15. PLAYERS MUST CALL THEIR OPPONENTS' FLAGS DOWN
You do not need to tell a Director that your opponent is low on time, because Directors will not call flags down-- you must call the opponent's flag down yourself! Stop both clocks as soon as your opponent's flag falls so your own flag can't fall too.

16. MATING MATERIAL IS REQUIRED TO WIN ON TIME
To win on time, you must have enough material to force checkmate. You cannot win on time with just a Bishop (no pawns), just one Knight, or just two Knights.

17. IF BOTH FLAGS ARE DOWN either play may immediately make a claim of a draw to the Tournament Director.

18. WHEN YOU MUST KEEP SCORE
Both players are required to write down all the moves of the game, move by move, until either player has less than five minutes left on his clock. It doesn't have to be perfect but it is very important that you write down the moves-- it shows what really happened in your game! Mistakes in keeping score cannot change the position on the board. To require your opponent to keep score, see the Tournament Director. Players who do not keep score even after being told by the Director may receive a time penalty, possibly causing them to lose the game.  Inexperienced players may be excused from writing down the moves-- but if you don't write down the moves, you'll have a big problem if there is a disagreement about what happened in your game. ALSO NOTE: A player who is not writing down the moves of the game WILL LOSE 10 MINUTES OFF HIS CLOCK (but cannot end up with less than 5 minutes for the game), if his opponent is keeping score. EXCEPTION: If either player is in 1st grade or below, scorekeeping is not required by either player, with no time penalty.  If your opponent is not writing down the moves, you must tell the Director before the game ends or before either player has less than 5 minutes left.

19. CLAIM OF "INSUFFICIENT LOSING CHANCES"
If it is your move and you have less than 2 minutes left, you may stop both clocks and claim a draw by "Insufficient Losing Chances." This is much different than a "book draw." It requires a position where a Class C player (rated about 1500) would be given a 90% chance to avoid losing against a Master (about 2300), if both players have lots of time. You can usually draw with King & Queen vs. King & Queen (no other pieces), King & Rook vs. King & Rook, many opposite color Bishop endings, King & Pawn vs. King with the defending King having the Opposition, etc. But a position like Rook & Pawns vs. Rook & Pawns, for example, even if "drawn" with best play, would probably give a Master too many chances to outplay a C-player, so this claim would likely be denied. Claims of "Insufficient Losing Chances" are not considered in games using time delay.  If your flag is down, it is too late to claim "Insufficient Losing Chances."

20. PROCEDURE AND PENALTY FOR INCORRECT CLAIM OF "INSUFFICIENT LOSING CHANCES"
If your claim of "Insufficient Losing Chances" is denied, up to 1 minute may be deducted from your clock, possibly causing you to lose the game on time (if it's a close call, the Director may deny the claim without a time penalty). If it is unclear if the position has reasonable losing changes, the Director may insert a time-delay clock. The player making the claim continues with half his time (but no more than 1 minute), the opponent keeps all his time, and both get a 5-second grace period before each move. No more rulings are needed, as players who move in under 5 seconds use up no time on their clocks. NOTE: No one may "claim" a delay clock-- this clock is only a Director option for resolving claims.

21. HANDLING THE CLOCK
Don't touch the clock when it's not your move, pick up the clock (unless it's not working), or bang the clock. You may be penalized, at the Director's discretion. If either player has under 5 minutes left, both players must hit the clock with the same hand used to move the pieces.

22. TOUCH-MOVE
The Touch Move Rule is always used. If you deliberately touch your piece to make a move in your game with that piece, you must move it if possible, unless you first warn your opponent that you are only adjusting the piece. If you deliberately touch your opponent's piece to make a capture, you must capture it if possible. Pieces accidently knocked down, brushed over or otherwise accidentally displaced need not be moved. When castling, you are supposed to touch the King first, but there is no penalty if you touch the Rook first.

23. ILLEGAL MOVES
If you make an illegal move and press the clock, two minutes are added to your opponent's time, if the opponent has not already made another move. Touch-Move also applies. If an illegal move already happened, the position may be put back to the way it was right before the move was made (but the time on the clocks is unchanged), if it can be shown that less than 10 moves have been made since the illegal move happened. Exception: if it's pointed out after Move 10 that any pieces were not on the right squares at the start of the game, those pieces may be placed on their correct starting squares, if none of those pieces has moved yet.

24. THE 50-MOVE RULE
If 50 moves (no exceptions) by each side go by with no capture and no pawn move, either player may claim a draw.

25. THE EXACT SAME POSITION HAPPENS THREE TIMES
You may claim a draw if the position now on the board has appeared for the third time, of if you are about to play a move which will make the same position happen for the third time (any 3 identical positions in the game-- they do not have to be 3 times in a row). All the pieces for both sides must be in the same place each time (with the same player on move). To make a claim, it must be your move. State the move you will play to make the same position happen for the third time and stop the clocks. If your opponent disagrees, get the Director. Don't complete the move, or it will be your opponents' move and you cannot claim. Your scoresheet must show how the same position happened 3 times (moves filled in after the claim is made do not count). If under 5 minutes, the Director may also use observation. If your claim is denied, your opponent gets 2 more minutes. In an unclear situation, Director may deny the claim with no time penalty.

26. WHICH CLOCK AND SET TO USE
Clocks with time delay are preferred. Either player who arrives on time may use his time delay clock (with a 5-second delay). Black has the choice of equipment to use if he arrives on time and if he has standard equipment (digital clocks without time delay are non-standard). If Black is late and White has already set up, then White has this choice. If neither player has standard equipment, the Director will rule in favor of the equipment more commonly used at tournaments.

27. NOT PLAYING NEXT ROUND?   YOU MUST TELL DIRECTOR IN ADVANCE!
If you won't play next round, you must notify the Director at least an hour before. Players who don't show up for their games and cause their opponents to win by forfeit, may be thrown out of the tournament!

28. ABANDONED GAMES
It is improper to leave a lost game and not come back without resigning; players doing so may be penalized at the Director's discretion. Director may rule on ridiculous positions, especially if a player disappears or seems to be ignoring his game.

29. COLOR ASSIGNMENT
Pairings are made with the intention of balancing the number of Whites and Blacks each player has received, and also so that both players alternate receiving White and Black in each game.  However, it is not always possible to balance the colors or alternate White and Black every round for every player!
If both players have the same color history and are due the same color, the player with more points gets the due color. Balancing the number of Whites vs. Blacks is more important than alternating colors. If both players have the same score, the higher rated gets due color (players do not "toss" for color). The players' scores are more important than the colors in making the pairings. It is not uncommon, therefore, for players to receive the same color they had in their previous game; however, the same color three times in a row is avoided. A detailed and comprehensive explanation of the rules used to assign colors in "Swiss System" tournaments can be found in the USCF Rule Book, 5th Edition.

30. SAME-SCHOOL PAIRINGS
Players from the same school will not be paired together, unless one or both are in the top score groups (or in the bottom score groups) and no other legal pairings are possible in that score group.

31. INDIVIDUAL TIE-BREAKING
    For individual awards the following tiebreak systems will be used:
1. Modified Median Tiebreaks (add the scores of your opponents, disregarding the least significant (usually the lowest-scoring opponent); any games unplayed by your opponent are adjusted to count as a 2 -point). If still tied,
2. Solkoff Tiebreaks (add adjusted scores of all opponents),
3. Cumulative Tiebreaks (add your cumulative scores after each round),
4. Cumulative of Opposition (sum of the cumulative tiebreaks of all your opponents),
5. Game/10 or Game/5 playoff  (this is the only method used to break 6-0 perfect score ties).

32. TEAM TIE-BREAKING
    For team awards, the following tiebreak systems will be used:
1. Cumulative (sum of the team's 4 top scoring players' cumulative tiebreaks),
2. Median (sum of the Modified Median tiebreaks of the team's four top scorers),
3. Solkoff (sum of the team's four top scorers' Solkoff tiebreaks),
4. Game/10 or Game/5 playoff.

33. TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
As listed in Chess Life, on the website and elsewhere, the Tournament Schedule is:

As listed in Chess Life, on the website and elsewhere, the Tournament Schedule is:

        Saturday:                      12:00 pm, 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm;

     Sunday (all except K-1):   9:00 am, 12:00 pm and 2:30 pm.

       Sunday (K-1 Section ONLY):   10:00 am, 12:00, 1:30, 3:00 and 4:30 pm

     Awards ceremony:       5:00 pm Sunday (APPROXIMATELY).

             You can drive the Tournament Directors crazy by asking them what time the next round is!

 

34. CHESS IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN!

It's not the end of the world if you lose a game! EVERYBODY LOSES GAMES! It's more important to get experience playing in tournaments and in exercising your mind than it is to worry about losing a game. If you should lose, play over your game and see where could have improved (use your scoresheet to play over the game), and try harder next time-- there will be other games!

BUT EVEN IF YOU LOSE, DON'T FORGET TO POST THE GAME RESULT ON THE YELLOW PAIRING SHEET AS SOON AS YOUR GAME ENDS!

 

 

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