Saturday and Sunday
October 17th and 18th, 2020
ALL tournament games will be held ONLINE using Chess.com
PLEASE READ THIS INFORMATION CAREFULLY
IF YOU DOWNLOADED THE
SERVER iNSTRUCTIONS EARLIER, THEY HAVE BEEN updated.
| Topic | Explanation |
| Tournament Format |
- An Online
6-Round
Swiss System Chess Tournament, this is NOT an
elimination event. Each player will play 5 or 6 games. - Players play in one of three sections based on their tournament exprience, playing strength. - NOVICE: Players rated Under 1200 and ALL UNRATED Players - AMATEUR: Players rated Under 1800, no Unrated Players - CHAMPIONSHIP: Players rated 1700 or higher 
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| Game Dates and Times |
-
Saturday,
Oct 17th:
Rounds 1, 2 and 3 at 10AM, 2PM and 6PM - Sunday, Oct 18th: Rounds 4, 5 and 6 at 10AM, 2PM and 6PM ALL PLAYERS need to be seated at their computers 5-10 minutes before the start of the round. |
| Prizes |
Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals in
ALL SECTIONS -- No Cash Prizes - Gold Medals: 1st Place & tied for 1st (see picture below) - Silver Medals: 2nd Place & tied for 2nd - Bronze Medals: 3rd Place & tied for 3rd - Commemorative Plaques (provided by VA Chess Federation) to the Top 5 Players based on Tiebreak Points Awards will be MAILED to all awardees |
| Memberships, Entry Fees, and Registration |
- Entry Fee is $30
to play - CHANGE OF PLAYING PLATFORM. We will not be using Chess.com, we are using another Game Service Provider that has an interface similar to LiChess. - Each registered player will be sent instructions and ASSIGNED a UserName for the tournament, along with a unique pass-phrase, to log-in for the tournament. - All Players may "test" their game accounts and the platform on FRIDAY EVENING at 8PM -- see your instructions for details. - ALL PLAYERS must be members of the US Chess Federation. If you are not a member of US Chess, or need to renew your account, click here. - REGISTRATION: Closes at 6PM on Friday, October 16th. After 6PM Friday, Oct 16th there is no way to enter the tournament. - Ready to Register? CLICK HERE or click this button ...  - Click Here to see who has already registered, or click this button ...  - See the TD's Instructions here ... 
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| Online Chess & System Requirements |
-
Online Chess refers to chess games played over the Internet
usingyour computer or favorite tablet PC - A "Game Service Provider" is the host for the tournament. For this tournament we are using a game service provider that is a clone of LiChess. Registered players will be provided with a UserName and Login instructions. - But what about Cheating? Great question! We are taking every step to avoid cheating. Click the button below to read more about our Cheat-detection methods for this tournament.  - To play, you need a reliable internet connection. Click the button below to see more about THE RULES for the event. 
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| How Long does each game Last? |
- TIME CONTROL: G/60,
inc +10. This means
each player has 60 minutes to make all of their moves, with an
additional 10 seconds added to each move. - Bye Requests: One half-point bye is available for each player. ALL half-point Byes MUST be declared BEFORE Registration closes, they cannot be requested after the Registration Period ends. |
| How will I be Paired for my Games |
- Pairings will be done using players'
US Chess Regular ratings.
If a player also has a US Chess ONLINE Regular rating, then we will
use the higher of those two ratings. - We will be using the OCTOBER 2020 US Chess Rating Supplement - For this tournament and for purposes of fair play, the Chief TD reserves the right to assign a rating to a player who has a rating in another rating system, including FIDE or Chess.com. Players whose ratings are affected by this tournament rule will be notified by the Chief TD. |
| For More Information |
Mike Hoffpauir, National Tournament Director;
mhoffpauir@aol.com (757)846-4805 Registrations CANNOT be taken after 6PM on Friday, Oct 16th, by phone or email, you must use the registration link provided above. |