Norfolk Competitions Rules

Last Amended 2nd June 2007

General
1  The FIDE Laws of Chess as adopted by the English Chess Federation at the
   75th FIDE Congress at Calvia October 2004, coming into force on 1st July
   2005 are to govern all Competitions conducted by the Norfolk County Chess
   Association unless amended by any of the following rules which then take
   precedence.



The League Championship
2  Teams are to consist of four players arranged in order of playing strength.

3  Team Captains are to agree the playing order and enter player‘s names on
   the result slip provided before any game in a match starts. By starting a
   match Team Captains are deemed to have accepted the playing order.

4  Visiting teams are to be white on boards one and three.

5  No player is to play more than one game in any one match.

6  No player is to play for more than one club in any one competition in any
   season.  However in exceptional circumstances a player may apply to the
   Competitions Controller for this rule to be waived. At the discretion of
   the Competitions Controller and in consultation with other Team Captains in
   the competition, the Competitions Controller may grant the players request.
   The Competitions Controller‘s decision is final.

7  Players belonging to clubs with more than one team are to be nominated to
   one team only before their first game, otherwise they will be nominated to
   the first team that they play for.

8  Each team is to consist of at least two players nominated to it, but the
   third and fourth players may be nominated to another team within the same
   club provided that no player plays more than five games in a season outside
   the team to which he is nominated.

9  Rule 8 does not apply to players graded 100 or under who may play for any
   team in the same club as a nominated player for that team. They must still
   be nominated to one team only in order to comply with rule 10.

10  The maximum grade of players guesting in Division 2 is to be 150 and in
    Division 3 it is to be 125.

11  Notwithstanding rules 9 and 10, in matches between teams from the same club
    all players are to be nominated to the team for which they are playing.

12  Any known defaults at the start of a match are to be made starting on the
    board 4 and subsequently on the next higher board.

13  The move rate is to be thirty moves in the first hour and a quarter. After
    black‘s 30th move has been completed, both the clocks are to be retarded 20
    minutes for a quickplay finish.

14  If any player has not arrived at the playing venue within half an hour of
    the club‘s published starting time then that player‘s game will be forfeit.
    This rule is to apply whether or not a clock has been started and
    regardless of what time has elapsed on that clock.

15  (a)  The result of a match is to be sent to the Competitions Controller
         immediately after a match by the Home Team Captain using the result
         form provided.
	(b)  With the prior consent of the Competitions Controller, Team
	     Captains may submit results by e-mail.

16  If the result has not been received from the home team Captain by the
    Competitions Controller within 7 days of the date scheduled for a match
    then 2 penalty points are to be deducted from the home team‘s aggregate
    league score; or if a match is not played and the Competitions Controller
    is not informed by the postponing team captain of the postponement then 2
    penalty points are to be deducted from the postponing team‘s aggregate
    league score.

17  If at any time a Team Captain wishes to request a postponement of a fixture
    then, except in extremely exceptional circumstances, at least 14 days prior
    notice must be given to the other Team Captain concerned. The aggrieved
    Team Captain will have the right to determine whether the reason for the
    requested postponement is acceptable or not. In the event of the aggrieved
    Team Captain claiming the match 4-0 then the offending Team Captain may
    appeal to the Competitions Controller. If the Competitions Controller
    decides that the circumstances of the requested postponement were beyond
    the control of the offending Team Captain and that it is inequitable that
    the offending team should forfeit the match then he may order that the
    match be played or give such direction as he thinks fit in the
    circumstances.

18  In the event of a match being postponed by agreement then the Team Captain
    who did not request the postponement is to offer the other Team Captain 2
    dates for playing the match. One of these must be accepted within 14 days
    by the Team Captain requesting the postponement or  he may be deemed to
    have defaulted the match following a request to the Competitions Controller
    by the aggrieved Captain.

19  Any Match which is not played by agreement between the two captains is not
    to be recorded as being played and no league or cup points are to be
    attributed to either team.

20  League Championships, promotion and relegation will be decided on game
    points. If teams are level on game points then match points, two for a win
    and one for a draw, will be used to decide. If teams remain tied after this
    then the Competitions Controller is to arrange a deciding match. Promotion
    and relegation may be waived at the Competition Controllers discretion in
    order to maintain a balanced league structure or following a request from a
    Team Captain whose playing squad has significantly changed.



The Williamson Cup and Plate
21  NCCA Competitions Rules 1 to 15 apply unless amended by any of the
    following rules within this section.

22  The draw for the first round of this competition will be published in
    Zugzwang and the winners will be entered into a draw for the next and
    subsequent rounds by the Competitions Controller who is to notify Club
    Secretaries by publishing the draw in En Passant.

23  All first round losing teams will be entered into the Williamson Plate
    competition which will be run using the same rules as the Williamson Cup
    competition.

24  If a match is drawn then board elimination starting with board 4 is to be
    used to decide the winner.

25  If all four boards are drawn then the match is to be replayed during the
    following week with reversed venues. The Competitions Controller is to be
    informed of the revised date and the results of both matches are to be
    submitted together.  Failure to comply with this rule may lead to one or
    both teams being eliminated from the competition.

26  No player is play for more than one Williamson Cup or subsequent Williamson
    Plate team in any one season.



The Norfolk and Suffolk Cup
27  NCCA Competitions Rules 1 to 15 apply unless amended by any of the
    following rules within this section.

28  The Competitions Controller has the authority to change the format of the
    competition as he sees fit.

29  Teams are to consist of six boards arranged in order of playing strength.

30  Colours are to be decided by the toss of a coin, the winner having the
    choice of colour on odd numbered boards.

31  If a match is drawn then board elimination starting with board six is to be
    used to decide the winner.

32  If all six boards are drawn then the winner is to be decided by the toss of
    a coin.

33  Rules 31 and 32 only apply in a knockout competition format.

34  The winner of the competition will meet the winner of a similar competition
    played in Suffolk to decide the overall winner of the cup. This match is to
    be played at the home club‘s venue on a mutually agreed date in Norfolk in
    even years and in Suffolk in odd years.



The Handicap Rapidplay Knockout
35  Normal Quickplay rules apply as detailed in FIDE Laws of Chess Appendix B.

36  Teams are to play two matches in one evening at the move rate of thirty
    minutes per player per game.

37  Before starting a match players for each team are to be placed in strict
    grading order.

38  Gradings used for this purpose should for preference be Rapidplay Gradings
    but if a player does not have a Rapidplay Grade then a normal BCF Grade is
    to be used. In the event that a player has neither grade then that player
    is to be assessed  as the average of all the other graded players in the
    team. Any queries on grades are to be referred to the Competitions
    Controller before a match is started.

39  A special result form shall be sent to the home team captain before the
    match is due to be played, this will include  the pairings and colours for
    each board in each game.

40  The average grade for each team is to be worked out and the winning team
    shall be decided depending on the difference in average grading as follows.

	(a)  If the difference in grading is less than 6 and the result is 4 - 4
         then the winning team shall be determined by:
	         (i)  Board count
	        (ii)  Bottom board elimination
	       (iii)  The lower average graded team wins

	(b)  For any other result the winning team shall be determined as follows:  
           Grade       Score needed to win
           difference  by the higher graded team
            6 - 15       4½
           16 - 25       5
           26 - 35       5½
           36 - 45       6
           over 45       6½



Disputes
41  In the event of a dispute then the two Team Captains have the right to stop
    their own clocks in their games and act as arbiters between the two players
    to agree a ruling.

42  (a)  If agreement cannot be reached by the captains without interference by
         other players or spectators, then the dispute is to be referred to the
         Competitions Controller in writing within seven days by either the
         Secretary of the Club involved or the  Captain of the Team.
	
    (b)  No disputes will be accepted orally or from individual players.

    (c)  Each dispute is to be accompanied by a fee of £5 which will be
         returned to the club whose claim is upheld provided that no appeal is
         submitted in accordance with NCCA Competitions Rules No 42.

43  (a)  If either disputing club wishes to appeal against the Competition
         Controller‘s decision then they must do so giving their reasons, in
         writing, within fourteen days of receipt of that decision.

    (b)  An appeal is to be accompanied by a fee of £10.

    (c)  The Competitions Controller will request that an Appeals Committee
         consisting of three committee members independent of either club
         involved be set up by the NCCA County Chairman. The decision of the
         Appeals Committee shall be final and binding on all parties.

    (d)  If the appeal is successful then the full amount of fees received will
         be refunded.

44  (a)  In the event of a claim for a draw being made under FIDE Rules
         Appendix D1(a) or D1(b) and the opponent rejecting the claim then the
         claim is to be submitted to the Competitions Controller by the
         Secretary of the Club involved.

    (b)  The claim is to be accompanied by a fee of £10.

	(c)  If the claim is upheld by the Competitions Controller then the fee
         will be returned.

    (d)  Any claim submitted under this rule which is not submitted in the
         correct format as per FIDE Rules Appendix D1 will be returned to the
         Secretary of the Claimants club and the claim will fail.



Recording the moves
45  If a player writes down his move before playing the move he is to receive a
    warning. For a second and third offence his opponent is to be given an
    extra two minutes on his clock for each offence. If he offends for a fourth
    time then he is to lose the game.



PDAs and other electronic equipment
46  Any player found consulting a PDA or any other electronic device will lose
    his game.



Mobile telephones
47  At the start of a match the Team Captains are to request that all mobile
    telephones be turned off. The mobile telephones are to be turned off for
    the duration of the match not just for the individual player‘s game.

48  If a player feels it is imperative that his mobile telephone be turned on
    then he is to ask the two Team Captains for their permission. The mobile
    telephone is to be switched to vibrate only mode. If the player receives a
    call then he is to leave the playing area before answering the call. The
    mobile telephone is not to be used for any other purpose.

49  The penalty for an audibly ringing mobile telephone is the loss of the
    game. This will still apply even if the game has already been completed. If
    the game has been completed then the opponents score will not be adjusted
    and the original score will be used for grading purposes.



Miscellaneous
50  Where a player drops off the grading list for whatever reason and he enters
    a grade defined tournament then his last published grade will be taken,
    reduced by 5 points for each ungraded year up to a maximum of 5 years.

51  Any cases of unacceptable conduct or breaches of either the FIDE Laws of
    Chess or NCCA Competitions Rules are to be reported in writing to the
    Competitions Controller who will then report them to the next full NCCA
    Committee Meeting. The NCCA Committee will decide on any action to be taken
    considering each case on its own merits and the Competitions Controller is
    to inform the parties concerned of the Committee‘s decision.

52  Any game played in breach of any NCCA Competition Rule will be declared
    void and no score will be recorded for either player. The game may be
    submitted for grading purposes providing it meets the criteria for doing so.

53  In clubs other than those which have a total no-smoking policy the playing
    area is to be clearly defined and players, whether playing in the match or
    not, are not to be permitted to smoke within that area whilst any NCCA
    Competition match is in progress.

54  The NCCA Committee reserve the right to appoint an arbiter at any Norfolk
    Competition match. In this event each club will be notified in advance.

55  Norfolk County Chess Association provides the playing of chess in a
    friendly and sporting fashion. Conduct to the prejudice of the standing of
    chess or the efficient running of competitions may be investigated and
    appropriate action taken.