1. Competition rules
The tournament is played according to the FIDE LAWS of CHESS, latest edition.
A copy is available at the playing venue.
The default time as mentioned in Article 6.7.1 will be 30 minutes.
2. Tournament Schedule
The tournament consists of :
Open Group A (>2100) 21–30 Dec.
Open Group B (1800 – 2150) 21–30 Dec.
Open Group C (<1850) 21–30 Dec.
Minis 22–24 Dec.
Compact groups 26–30 Dec.
The organization can decide to give some players a ‘Wild Card’, or to put group B and C together.
In the Open Groups A, B and C will be played nine (9) rounds, in the Compact Groups five (5) rounds, and in the Minis three (3) rounds.
The pairing in the Open and Compact Groups is according to ‘Swiss on rating’. In the Minis groups of four will be formed. Each group will play a round robin.
FIDE rating is leading, in case it is missing a national or an estimated (reasonable) rating.
In the Open groups a player may ask for a higher group if a national rating is suitable for it, not for a lower group.
In the compact groups and minis other decisions can be made.
3. Bye
It is not possible to take a bye in the Open A Tournament.
Players in the Open B/ C can take a bye in one of the first five rounds.
Players in the Compact groups can take a bye on December 26 (1st round).
All byes (with round number) must be reported preferably on the entry form, or during registration, or by separate e-mail or by telephone, but anyhow before the end of the registration.
A bye will be rewarded with the score of a draw, an extra absence or absence in other rounds as mentioned is not rewarded.
4. Rate of play
The rate of play in all groups is:
90 minutes for the first 40 moves; followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game; with an increment of 30 seconds per move from the start.
5. Pairings
a) After a round has ended, the new pairings will be published as soon as possible.
b) Once the pairings have been published, they cannot be changed anymore, except in unforeseen extraordinary circumstances.
c) There cannot be made fixed pairings to make title norms possible.
d) When a player checks out from a round because of special circumstances, he must inform the organization before 19:00 hours at the evening before the round.
6. The recording of the moves
Each player is required to record his own moves and those of his opponent, move after move on the score sheet prescribed for the competition.
At the conclusion of the game both players shall sign both score sheets or the result form, indicating the result of the game.
The (originals of the) score sheet or the result form must be handed over to the arbiters simultaneously.
7. Wrong result
In case of a wrong game result, the pairing for the next round will not be changed if it has been published already. Yet the wrong result will be corrected.
8. Protests ; Commission of Appeal
An appeal against a decision of an arbiter should be submitted to the tournament director, in writing within an hour after the conclusion of the round. The direction convenes the Commission of Appeal, which consists of three representatives of the players and two substitutes. The decision of this commission is binding and will be published before the start of the next round.
9. Final ranking & tie-break systems
In case of joint finishing the final ranking will be agreed upon as follows:
a. (only to determine the tournament winner): the results between the players involved in the tie;
b. Buchholz (sum of opponents’ scores);
c. Sonneborn-Berger score;
d. progressive score;
e. number of won games;
f. drawing of lots;
10. Prizes in case of joint finishing
In case of an equal number of points prize money will be shared, except for special prizes (eg rating prizes).
In case of a shared prize the amount of money will never be less than one third (1/3) of the smallest prize in the group.
If a final individual prize is less than one third of the lowest prize in the group, one or more players will lose their prize money according to the rules mentioned in article 9, until the minimum prize has been reached.
11. Rating processing
All results will be processed for Dutch national rating and FIDE rating.
12. Sanction
When a participant leaves the tournament early or doesn’t appear for one or more rounds of play without informing the tournament organization on beforehand, the organization committee can double the entry fee for this participant for the next tournament. This extra paid fee will be refunded if the participant has finished this next tournament completely.
13. Electronic aids
a. During the match, a player is prohibited from carrying a mobile phone or other electronic devices. If a player is found to be carrying such a device, that player will lose the game. Players, including those arriving after the match has started, must immediately turn off and put away their mobile phones or other electronic communications devices before making the first move.
b1. For players in the Open A-group it is only permitted to take a mobile phone into the playing room if the phone is immediately deposited at the Arbiters’ Desk.
b2. In the other groups it is permitted to take a mobile phone into the playing room provided it is switched off at the start of the game.
This phone may:
– be kept in a bag or jacket next to the table, or hanging on a chair
– lie on the table
c. If it is determined that a mobile phone is not switched off in a permitted location in the room, the playing time of the player will be halved for a first violation with a maximum reduction of 10 minutes. In the event of a second violation, he loses the game and the arbiter determines the opponent’s result. For the first violation, the arbitrator has the right to impose a less severe sanction, for example a warning.
d. During the match a player is prohibited from wearing a watch. If it is found that a player is wearing a watch during the game, the referee will determine which sanction will be applied.
14. Final provisions
It is not allowed to smoke, or drink alcoholic beverages in the playing hall.
In cases not foreseen in these regulations the tournament director decides, after consulting the arbiters.
