Huddersfield & District Chess Association

Constitution & Rules [amended July 2007]

Handicap/Competition Committee

W.F. Lumley

R.J. Sutcliffe

P.H. Jackson

G. M. Peake

A.R. Tuddenham

Affiliated Clubs

Brighouse

Chartist

David Browns

Dewsbury

Holme Valley

Huddersfield

Netherton Family

Wakefield

CONSTITUTION

1. The Association shall be called ‘The Huddersfield & District Chess Association’.

2. All local chess clubs shall be eligible to apply for membership.

3. Officers

These shall consist of the President, Vice Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer.

4. Election of Officers

Officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting from candidates nominated by the General Committee or by the A.G.M. All Officers shall hold office for one year but may be nominated for re-election. A list of nominees shall be circulated with the A.G.M. Agenda to all Club Secretaries.

5. Committees

General Shall consist of the Officers, plus one representative from each Club.

Executive Shall consist of President, Treasurer and Secretary.

Handicap/Competition

The number of members of the Handicap Committee shall be decided at the AGM.

Election shall be at the A.G.M.

Sub Sub-Committees may be appointed for any special purpose by the General Committee or by a General Meeting.

6. Resignations

If any Officer resigns or is unable to carry out his duties, the General Committee may take any necessary action to appoint a replacement until the next A. G. M.

7. Meetings

a. General Committee Meetings

These shall be convened when necessary.

b. A.G.M.

The date and venue shall be determined by the Executive Committee. Clubs shall be given 14 days notice.

c. Extraordinary General Meeting

These may be called at any time by the President or at the request of two Clubs.

8. Voting

Anyone may attend, but only registered players may vote at the AGM or at an EGM.

9. Trophies

The Watkinson Trophy, Littlewood Shield, Examiner Trophy, The Team Challenge Trophy, the FW Brown Trophy, the Bill Lumley Trophy and the Individual K.O. Cups, shall be the property of the Association and may not be won outright. Winners shall hold them for one year.

10. Fees

Affiliation fees and competition entrance fees shall be decided at the A.G.M.

11. Alteration to Constitution or Rules

This may only take place at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting with a two thirds majority of votes cast.

Notice of proposed changes must be sent to the Secretary 21 days in advance.

ASSOCIATION RULES

(A) COMPETITIONS

1. Both scratch and handicap competitions shall be organised.

2. Watkinson Trophy Shall be held by winners of Division 1 Scratch.

3. Littlewood Shield Shall be held by winners of Division 2 Scratch, or when one division only operates, by the runner up in that division.

4. Examiner Trophy Shall be held by winners of Handicap Competition

5. Challenge Cup Shall be held by the winners of Team Knock-Out, which shall be

a Handicap Competition

6. Bill Lumley Trophy Shall be held by the winners of the Rapidplay competition

7. Individual K.O. Cups Shall be held by the winners of the Individual Knock-Out Competitions. The two finalists in each section shall also receive individual prizes.

8. F W Brown Trophy Awarded to winner of the annual Rapid Play Competition.

(B) PLAYER REGISTRATION

1. Each Club Secretary shall submit a list of players for registration before the start of the season.

2. Additional players may be registered on the appropriate registration form which should be sent to the League Secretary. This information may be sent by email or telephoned.

3. New players will not be eligible to play until confirmation of Rating is received from the League Secretary.

4. A player may only play for the Club which holds his registration UNLESS the player’s Club does not enter a competition. In this case (only) the player may play for one other Club in that competition.

5. A player may only play for one team in any one season in the Examiner Handicap Competition, Bill Lumley Rapidplay and the Team Challenge Knock-Out.

6. Rules applying to clubs that enter 2 or more teams in the Scratch Competition.

Once a player has played on one of the top three boards for the A team, he is then no longer eligible to play for any other team.

Once a player has played on one of the top three boards for the B team, he is then no longer eligible to play for the C team.

This formula can be extended.

7. In a season where a club's first B team fixture precedes its first A team fixture, rule 6 above is applied as though the A team had played its first match before the B team's first match.

8. Players must have played a minimum of two league games for the Club to be eligible for play-off games

[note they may have played these games for the Club in other competitions, e.g. in Examiner when Play-Off is in Watkinson ].

(C) Rating System

1. The Rating of each registered player shall initially be based on his/her current YCA grade {or other approved grading system}. The Rating is calculated by dividing a player’s grade by 10 and rounding to the nearest half. e.g. 83 becomes a Rating of 8.5, 122 becomes a rating of 12.

2. If a new player has an ECF or Yorkshire Grading this must be declared when the player is registered.

3. If a ‘new’ player has no previous official grading, the Club Secretary must provide an estimate of the new player’s strength, when the player is registered.

4. Each Club shall be responsible at all times, for providing the Handicap Committee with full information on the playing experience of all its registered players in any competitive chess other than the Huddersfield League.

5. The General Committee shall be empowered to take any necessary action against a Club which fails to meet the requirements of Rules 2 to 4 [C] Rating System.

6. Ratings may be reviewed at any time at the discretion of the Handicap Committee.

7. If a Captain enters an incorrect rating then the secretary corrects the rating, and...

[a] if the offending team is in the correct board order, and there is no change in the points start, there is no penalty.

[b] if the offending team is in an incorrect board order then the wrong board order rule applies – all boards affected by the infringement are forfeited.

[c] if the points start total is incorrect, the offending team has one point deducted from its score [for each incorrect rating].

8. Mistake in the rating adjustment calculation / points start, result totals.

It is the responsibility of BOTH captains to ensure that the rating adjustments calculations, the points start calculation and the calculation of the match result are correct.

If an error has been made in calculation of any of these areas, the secretary shall correct the error(s), and calculate the result on the basis of the corrected figures. There shall be no penalty for such errors.

The secretary shall carry out this duty of correction, regardless of any misconception entertained by either team or any member of either team before, during or after the match.

(D) ORGANISATION OF LEAGUES

Scratch Leagues

1. Final composition of Leagues shall be determined by the General Committee after the closing date for entries.

2. Where 2 divisions operate, promotion and relegation shall be 2 up and 2 down, provided that the total number of teams in the two divisions is 14 or more. If the total is fewer than 14, promotion and relegation shall be 1 up and 1 down. Where the total is an odd number, Division 1 shall be larger than Division 2 by one team. Where the total is an even number, the Divisions shall have the same number of teams.

3. Teams finishing level on points shall play off to determine League Championship or promotion and relegation places

4. In the event of more than 2 teams being involved in a play off, a draw shall be made.

5. In the event of a tie in play off games, the result will be decided on board elimination starting at board 6.

6. If a team drops out of a League, the vacancy shall be filled by not relegating.

7. New teams entering the League shall be placed in the lowest Division.

Examiner Handicap League

1. The number of fixtures per team to be decided by the General Committee.

2. If possible teams will ‘all play all’. In this case, the league winners will win the Examiner Plate.

3. In the event of more than one team finishing level on points, they shall play off to determine the winner.

4. In the event of a tie in play off games the result will be decided on board elimination starting at board 6.

5. If the entry is too large to accommodate ‘all play all’, fixtures shall be taken from a 'dial' system.

6. Teams will be allocated in a circle at random, except that, if possible teams from the same Club will not play each other.

7. Teams will play an even number of fixtures. The total number of fixtures to be decided by the General Committee. Home fixtures are scheduled against adjacent teams moving clockwise, and away fixtures teams against teams moving anticlockwise on the dial.

8. The top 4 teams shall play-off for the Examiner Trophy, (1 v 4 and 2 v 3).

9. Teams finishing first and second shall play at home.

10. The final to be at a neutral venue, unless otherwise agreed by the finalists.

Bill Lumley Rapidplay

1. Fixtures will be arranged by the Handicap/Competition Committee.

2. Teams will usually play 2 matches on the same evening (a maximum of 3 matches).

3. FIDE Rapidplay rules apply.

(E) MATCH RULES

The following Rules shall apply to all games/matches (except Bill Lumley Rapidplay)

1. All games shall played be under F.I.D.E. Laws of Chess, except where the Association Rules provide otherwise.

2. A copy of both Association Rules and F.I.D.E. Laws of Chess shall be available during each match, provided by the Home Team

3. Teams shall consist of 6 players.

4. Board order must follow correct Rating sequence [highest rated player on board 1].

5. Captains shall exchange team lists 5 minutes before the scheduled starting time which shall be 7.30 pm, unless otherwise agreed.

6. Captains shall spin for colours. Winners shall have white on odd boards.

7. All games shall be played with clocks.

8. Players must record moves as prescribed by the Laws of Chess. Moves may however be recorded in Algebraic or English notation.

9. Games shall be played at 35 moves in 70 minutes. After black’s 35th move, both clocks shall be put back 20 minutes, and the game played to a conclusion. Current BCF Quickplay Finish Rules to apply.

10. A player shall be entitled to start his opponent’s clock at the scheduled starting time.

11. The Home Captain shall be responsible for sending the match result sheet to the League Secretary within 3 days of game completion.

12. A team may request a postponement provided the opposition are given at least 8 days notice. The League Secretary must be informed immediately of the rearranged date.

13.Teams should not seek a postponement with less than 8 days notice. A team unable to fulfil a fixture during this period must:-

a. Inform opponents without delay.

b. Inform League Secretary without delay.

c. Concede the match.

14. In exceptional circumstances the League Secretary may approve a postponement. His decision will be final.

(F) INELIGIBLE/UNREGISTERED PLAYERS. PLAYING IN WRONG BOARD ORDER.

1. In the event of offences under these headings, the team shall forfeit all boards affected by the infringement.

(G.) RULES APPLICABLE TO HANDICAP GAMES

1. A player's rating is found by dividing his grade by 10, and rounding to the nearest half. e.g. 132 rating is 13, 87 rating is 8.5

So if a player has a rating of 9 then his/her grade is in the 88 to 92 range.

2. For each individual game an adjustment is given to the lower rated player as follows.

Difference in Rating - - - - - - - - - Lower Rated gets adjustment of...

0.5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1

1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2

1.5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3

2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4

2.5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5

3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6

3.5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7

4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8

4.5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8.5 (this is the maximum adjustment possible)

The higher graded player gets no adjustment.

3. Adjustments are not used with absentees.

4. Players must be played in Rating order.

5. The adjustments for each team are totalled. The total adjustments for each team are subtracted, then divided by ten.

6. This total adjustment is rounded to the nearest half point [note that 1.25, for example, would be rounded up to one and a half points start, 2.75 rounded up to 3 points start]. This is the points start that is awarded to the lower rated team. [examples in Appendix]

(H.) RULES APPLICABLE TO SCRATCH GAMES

1. Games won shall score 1 point. Games drawn, ½ point.

2. A player will score 1 point if his opponent fails to arrive within 30 minutes of the scheduled starting time.

(I). RULES APPLICABLE TO TEAM K.O.

1. The Team K.O. shall be a Handicap Competition.

2. Clubs may enter more than one team, but a player may only play in one team.

3. In the event of a tie in any Team KO matches, the result will be decided by ‘board elimination’, starting at board 6 (result and handicaps eliminated).

4. The Final shall be played at a neutral venue, or by mutual consent, at venue of one of the Finalists.

(J) RULES APPLICABLE TO BILL LUMLEY TROPHY (Rapidplay)

1. All games are 25 minutes on each clock. See FIDE Rapidplay Rules.

2. Match format is based on Examiner Competition.

3. Two points for match win, one point for draw.

4. Trophy awarded to team scoring highest points.

5. In event of tie between 2 teams, the result of the league match between the two teams, will decide winner, with board elimination if necessary.

6. In the event of tie between 3 or more teams, the Committee will organise a suitable play off.

(K.) RULES APPLICABLE TO INDIVIDUAL K.O.

1. The Individual Knock-Out Competition shall be restricted to registered members of the Association

2. Players shall be placed in 4 sections:-

i. Section 1 Grades of 135 or higher

ii. Section 2a Grades 110 – 134

iii. Section 2b Grades 85 – 109 for the The David Woodhead trophy

iv. Section 3 Grades of 84 and below.

All sections are “open” so that players below the grading band could elect to play in a higher section, but only allowed to play in one section.

3. Match venues shall be arranged by the General Committee.

4. Matches may be played by mutual agreement, before the cut-off date. If no such arrangement is made, the game will be played at the arranged venue, on the scheduled date at 7.30 pm

5. Players not ready to start by 8.00pm shall be scratched from the competition.

6. Players shall spin for colour and winner shall have choice. In case of drawn games, colours shall be reversed and a second game shall be played at the same rate of play.

7. If two games are drawn at normal rate, subsequent games to be played under FIDE Rapidplay rules at 30 minutes per player, until a result is obtained. Players to spin for choice of colour at the start of the new Rapidplay time control, and alternate colours in any subsequent games.

8. Results must be recorded on the master sheet at the official playing venue or reported to the League Secretary immediately on completion of the game.

The League Secretary shall be responsible for administering these Rules.

Any matters not provided for in these Rules shall be dealt with by the Executive Committee whose decision shall be final.

APPENDIX

Handicap examples using Rating system