We welcome email entries for this event. If you enter by email you pay at the event. Email entries to gmccacongress. Put Summer as the subject. Give your name. Your club. Your grade. Details of any half point bye
Please send postal entries to Peter Dodsworth 62 Kendall Road, Higher Crumpsall, Manchester M8 4NF. making cheques payable to Manchester Chess Federation Congress.
DATE : Friday 27 to Sunday 29 June 2003

ENTRY FEE : £18


LATE ENTRY FEES

Postmarked or emailed after the Sunday before the event £2

Entries on the day £5


ENTRY FEE REDUCTIONS

GMCCA Vice Presidents £6

Schoolchild £5

BCF Direct Members £1

You can claim all appropriate reductions. To claim give us your Membership No. / date of birth


TOURNAMENT FORMAT

Everyone plays in the same section. The tournament is seeded to keep strong and weak players apart except where the weaker players are playing well.

This is the normal structure in continental Europe. It works well. Its advantages are

The prize fund is proportional to the entries so the congress finances are more secure.

There is a big money prize for everyone to aim for.

You have much less chance of having a bye.

We ran our Autumn 2002 congress on this principle. Although initially worried over the system most competitors liked it. To quote one of our weaker competitors. "I enjoyed it. I played one very strong player and did not disgrace myself. It was good for my confidence."


PRIZE FUND

First £200 Second £100

Grading Prizes £100 each. Awarded in groups of 15-20 players


TIMETABLE

Rd 1 Friday 6.45-10.45

Rd 2 Saturday 9.45-1.45 Rd 3 Saturday 2.30-6.30

Rd 4 Sunday 9.45-1.45 Rd 5 Sunday 2.30-6.30

Prizegiving Sunday 6.40


RATE OF PLAY 40 moves in 100 minutes. After Black’s 40th move both clocks will be put back 20 minutes and the game finished in the time remaining.


ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation is available at the venue Allen Hall. The price is £26 per night bed and breakfast. You can also stop there Thursday and Sunday nights. If you want accommodation you must enter by post before the late entry date enclosing your entry fee and accommodation charges. As once we book your accommodation we are committed to pay for it. If you want accommodation after the late entry date please contact the congress director phone Tel 0161 795 4856


VENUE

Allen Hall, is a Manchester University Hall of Residence. It is 3 miles south of the City centre on the corner of Wilmslow Road a major bus route and Cromwell Range. The are excellent meals at the venue and it has a spacious and comfortable lounge making it ideal for those people, particularly parents, who accompany our competitors.


By Car. From the South take the M56, then the M60 signposted Stockport. Take the Didsbury A34 exit. Note this exit is not available travelling West on the M60. After three miles on the A34 turn left at a roundabout. Go straight on at the mini roundabout. Turn right at the lights into Wilmslow road and Cromwell Range is 500yds on the right. From the North West and East get onto A57M (the Manchunian way) and exit south down the A34. 2.3 miles down the A34 you come to the mini roundabout mentioned above and turn right.


By Public Transport If convenient arrive in Manchester at Oxford Road station. Cross Oxford Road and get a bus to Owens Park a journey of about 1.6 miles. Walk back from the bus stop, and Cromwell Range is on the right.


PART OF THE BRITISH CHESS FEDERATION GRAND PRIX

Game Fee Registered. Meals. A No Smoking Venue