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TOURNAMENT RULES
2006 National K-12 / Collegiate Championship
Lake Buena Vista, FL
Posted procedures at the site supercede these published procedures.
Rules & Regulations:
USCF National Scholastic Chess Tournament Regulations - Revised August 2006 changes noted in red
Bughouse Rules
Blitz Rules
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Eligibility Rules
1. All players must be USA residents/students and under the age of 24 years as of January 1, 2006.
2. The following maximum ages apply as of January 1, 2006: Kindergarten-under age 6, Grade 1 -- under age 7, ... , Grade 12 -- under age 18…College under 24.
3. Schools are those defined as full time academic institutions having one name, under one administrator and on one campus.
4. School Teams are those consisting only of players who attend academic classes at that school.
5. This is a team/individual event. A team may have as many players from the same school as desired, but only the top three scores in each grade count for team results and tiebreak. Teams must have a minimum of two players. Each grade will have its own set of awards.
Tournament Procedures
1. Pairing sheets will be posted by grade. Determine your board # and color, and proceed to your table with your scoresheet (in this program), pen or pencil & clock.
2. Parents, coaches and other spectators must leave the playing room before play begins. Please clear the area quickly when instructed to do so, otherwise, the start of the round will be delayed. The floor will remain cleared of spectators for the first ten minutes of each round, and then allowed to return, if space permits. Spectators are never allowed in the Grades K-1 playing area during play.
3. Spectators may take pictures before the round starts (flash allowed), or after ten minutes into each round (no flash). Any spectator who wishes to take pictures must not disturb the players.
4. Only a single ˝-point bye may be requested in advance. Byes must be requested either with your pre-registration or at Chess Control before 11 am Friday, December 8th. Half-point byes are not available in the last round.
5. Chess Control will be staffed during the hours posted to assist with membership renewals, withdrawals, byes, player information corrections, and so forth.
6. If you wish to withdraw or skip a particular round, please sign the sheet at Chess Control at least two hours before the start of the round. You may be penalized if you forfeit without notice. If you phone, be sure you talk to Chess Control. Never rely on a message left with the hotel operator.
7. Grades K and 1 will play their games in a separate area in the hotel. All other games will be played in the Veracruz Exhibit Hall in the Coronado Hotel.
8. Wall charts and pairings will be posted in designated areas (as announced before Round 1). Be sure your results are posted properly. Standings will be posted during the next round. It is possible that incorrect results reported more than one round late will not be corrected, so please check the posted results after each round to ensure accuracy! Report any mistakes immediately to Chess Control.
9. The vinyl rollup chess boards that are used in the tournament, together with the pieces, will be sold at the end of the tournament. Please do not remove these boards from the playing hall. A limited number of Commemorative T-shirts are available. Sales of boards, sets, and T-shirts will be in the US Chess Bookstore.
Tournament Rules
1. The U.S. Chess Federation's Official Rules of Chess, 5th Edition, any published revisions and additions, and the USCF National Scholastic Chess Tournament Regulations will apply to this tournament except as otherwise noted.
2. Time Control is Game in 90 minutes (G/90). Analog clocks should be set at 4:30; digital clocks should be set for 85 minutes with a 5-second delay if possible. If your digital clock does not have a delay capability, you must inform your opponent, accordingly, and set the clock to G/90.
3. Tournament Directors (TD's) will be on the tournament floor at all times to assist you in the event of any problems or questions. TD's will wear nametags and red vests.
4. Players must furnish their own clocks. If neither player has a clock, borrow one from a friend or purchase one from the US Chess Bookstore. TD's do not have extra clocks.
5. Black has the choice of clock, except that clocks using time delay (e.g. USCF GameTime, Saitek, Chronos, DGT, etc.) have priority over other clocks. A player who arrives after the start of the round no longer has the choice. You should know how to operate your own clock -- including setting the original time control and the ability to add or subtract time for either player.
6. Black should start White's clock as soon as the announcement is made to begin play. If Black is not present to start White's clock, then White is to start his/her own clock, make the first move, and then start Black's clock.
7. If both players are late for the start of the round, the first player to arrive must split the elapsed time and then start White's clock. Raise your hand and ask a TD for help before doing this. If neither player has a clock, the elapsed time from the start of the round must be split equally when one is obtained.
8. A player who does not arrive within one hour of the actual start of the round forfeits the game and will be withdrawn from the tournament unless reinstated by the Chief TD. For Round 1, players are expected to be at their board for the start of the round, unless the Chief TD has been notified of a delay. Repairing for no-shows may be performed.
9. Do not leave the playing area during your game without a TD's permission.
10. Touch move rules apply. Players should touch their King first when castling, but there is no penalty for touching the Rook first unless the player has been previously warned not to do so.
11. Players in grades 4-College must keep score move by move; all other players are encouraged to do so. Players in grades 4-12 not able to keep score, as determined by a TD, shall have five minutes deducted from their time.
12. To avoid any appearance of impropriety, coaches, parents, and teammates may not speak to players during play except in the presence of a TD. Speaking to anyone other than a TD about any of the games in progress, including your own, may result in a penalty.
13. Only if asked by the player, the coach may advise the player on how a draw will affect team standings. The coach may not consider the position on the board in giving advice. To avoid any appearance of impropriety, coaches, parents, and teammates may not speak to players during play except in the presence of a tournament director.
14. When making a claim, or in the event of any dispute, either player may stop both chess clocks and raise their hand to summon a TD. Keep your hand up until a TD comes to assist you. Only the players involved may make a claim regarding matters that happen at your board. If you think a TD has made an error you should ask to appeal to the Section Chief, then the Floor Chief and then to the Chief TD. A frivolous claim may be penalized by adding time to your opponent's clock or in other ways.
15. Only a player in the game involved may claim a time forfeit. No parent, coach, teammate, or TD may make such a claim for any player.
16. The game is over when both players agree to a result. When your game is over, mark the result of the game on the Result Sheet, sign the Result Sheet, then raise your hand. Both players must wait for a TD to come to your table for verification. Both players must check that the game result is written correctly on the Result Sheet before signing it. Do not reset the pieces until a TD has verified the result of the game. After you have reported your result to the TD, reset the pieces. After the last round, place the pieces in the bag provided.
17. If you do not report your result you may not be paired for the next round.
18. When offering a draw to your opponent, you should do so after moving but before you start your opponent's clock. The game is over if both players agree to a draw.
19. Players claiming a draw under the 50 move or three-fold repetition rules must have a reasonably complete score sheet. If the claim is ruled incorrect, the TD will add two minutes to your opponent's clock.
20. In this tournament, a scoresheet is not necessary to claim a win if your opponent runs out of time.
21. "Insufficient Losing Chances": You may claim this type of draw if it is your move, you have less than two minutes left, and you are not already using the time delay on your game. This is also a draw offer. If the TD believes your claim is frivolous you will lose one minute from your clock and could lose on time. The TD has the option of either making an immediate decision, watching for progress, or inserting a delay mode clock. In the latter case the game continues with the claimant's time being reduced by one-half (time remaining not to exceed one minute) and both players having a 5-second time delay for each move.
22. Analysis in the playing room, even quietly, is strictly forbidden!
23. Do not remove sets or boards from the playing room.
24. Pairings made by computer will be considered official unless serious inequity, as determined by the TD staff, would result.
25. Players will generally be paired against others with the same score. The most notable exception will occur in Round 2 of sections that require accelerated pairings in which case lower-rated 1-0 will be paired against higher-rated 0-1. Sections with accelerated pairings will be so indicated on Pairing Charts. Every reasonable effort will be made to avoid pairing players from the same team, but this may be unavoidable, especially in the top two scoring groups in the last two rounds if no other reasonable pairings are possible.
26. Smoking, the use of tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, and illegal substances are not allowed in the playing rooms, meeting rooms or other common areas of the tournament. Players may not have food in the playing rooms.
27. All players/teams tied for first place in any grade are considered co-champions, but trophies will be awarded on tiebreaks. Players can win only one individual trophy in the main tournament. Place trophies take precedence over all other trophy awards. Side event trophies may be won in addition to an award in the main event.
28. Ties for individual trophies will be broken by Modified Median, Solkoff, Sonnenborn-Berger, Cumulative, Kashdan, head-to-head, most Blacks, then coin toss.
29. Ties for team trophies will be broken by total individual Cumulative, total Solkoff, total Sonnenborn-Berger, total Kashdan, and then coin toss.
Blitz Rules
1. Rules for Blitz chess printed in the U.S. Chess Federation's Official Rules of Chess, 5th Edition, except as modified below shall apply to this event.
2. Clocks shall be set for five (5) minutes. Time delay will not be used.
3. The player of Black shall have the right to choose the clock and the side of the board on which it is placed.
4. Games are played with the touch move rules in force.
5. Moves must be made with the same hand that is used to stop the clock.
6. Players may claim a draw under the insufficient losing chances rule when they have less than one minute remaining on their clock. In the event the claim is denied, the claimant shall lose the game. The TD shall have the right to temporarily reserve judgment while ordering play to continue.
7. Players shall be paired based on their USCF regular rating. If a player has no regular rating, a player's quick chess rating may be used.
8. A player making an illegal move and pressing the clock shall forfeit the game, if called by the opponent before touching a piece. Capturing a King that is in check is one way to call out an illegal move, and is not an illegal move itself.
9. Players shall post their results on the pairing sheets as directed by the TD. Players not posting their results may be withdrawn at the discretion of the TD. Players failing to post their result shall receive zero points for that round.
Scholastic Tournament Bughouse Rules
Approved August 10, 2000 by the USCF Scholastic Committee
1. There are only two people on a team, no substitutions are allowed.
2. Each team will play only two games, one for each player, against each other team.
The team decides which player is to play White and which player is to play the Black pieces in each match.
3. The time control is Game in 5 minutes (G/5). Each player is responsible for providing a clock. If neither player, in an individual game, has a clock both players receive a forfeit loss for that game.
4. The game is clock move. A move is not completed until the opponent's clock has been started.
5. Each match is concluded as soon as one of the players on a team wins their game.
6. Illegal moves lose, providing they are caught on the first move after the illegal move has been made.
a. If an opponent makes a move and starts the opponent's clock, they have forfeited the right to claim that illegal move.
b. Before play begins both players should inspect the position of the pieces and the setting of the clock, since once each side has made a move all claims for correcting either are null and void. The only exception is if one or both players have more than five minutes on their clock, then the tournament director may reduce the time accordingly.
c. Illegal moves, unnoticed by both players, cannot be corrected afterwards, nor can they become the basis for later making an illegal move claim. If the King and Queen are set up incorrectly when the game begins, then you may castle short on the queen side and castle long on the king side. Once each side has made a move, incorrect setups must stay.
7. When a piece is captured, the captured piece is passed to the partner only after the move is completed.
8. A partner has the option of either moving one of their pieces on their board or placing a piece their partner has captured on their board.
a. A captured piece may be placed on any unoccupied square on the board, with the exception that a pawn may not be placed on the first or last rank.
b. Pieces may be placed to create check or checkmate.
c. A promoted Pawn, which has been captured, reverts to a Pawn and not the promoted piece.
9. A player may not attempt to hide pieces captured by their partner from the opponent. The first attempt will be a warning and the second attempt will result in forfeiture of the game.
10. Partners may verbally communicate throughout a game. It is legal for one partner to make move suggestions to the other partner. It is illegal and grounds for forfeiting the match if one partner physically moves one of their partner's pieces.
11. Each player must push the clock button with the same hand they use to move their pieces. Exception: only during castling may a player use both hands. When capturing only one hand may be used. The first infraction will get a warning, the second a one minute penalty and the third will result in the loss of the game.
12. Except for pushing the clock button neither player should touch the clock except:
a. To straighten it;
b. If either player knocks over the clock his opponent gets one minute added to his clock;
c. If your opponent's clock does not begin you may push their side down and re-punch your side; however, if this procedure is unsatisfactory, please call for a director;
d. Each player must always be allowed to push the clock after their move is made.
13. Neither player should keep their hand on or hover over the clock.
14. Defining a win. A game is won by the player: 1) who has mated their opponent's King; 2) whose opponent resigns; 3) whose opponent's flag falls first, at any time before the game is otherwise ended, provided he/she points it out and neutralizes the clock while their own flag is still up; 4) who, after an illegal move, takes the opponent's King or stops the clock; 5) an illegal move doesn't negate a player's right to claim on time, provided he/she does so prior to their opponent's claim of an illegal move. If the claims are simultaneous, the player who made the illegal move loses.
15. Defining a draw. A game is a draw:
a. By agreement between the teams during the game only.
b. If the flag of one player falls after the flag of the other player has already fallen and a win has not been claimed, unless either side mates before noticing both flags down. Announced checkmate nullifies any subsequent time claims.
16. If a player accidentally displaces one or more pieces, he shall replace them on his own time. If it is necessary, his opponent may start the opponent's clock without making a move in order to make sure that the culprit uses his own time while replacing the pieces. Finally, it is unsportsmanlike to knock over any pieces then punch the clock. For the first offense the player will get a warning (unless this causes his flag to fall, in which case the opponent will get one extra minute added to his clock). For a second offense a one minute add-on for the opponent will be imposed. For a third offense the offender shall forfeit the game. Thereafter, the tournament director may use other penalties or expel a player from the event for repeated offenses.
17. In case of a dispute either player may stop both clocks while the tournament director is being summoned. In any unclear situation the tournament director will consider the testimony of both players and any reliable witnesses before rendering his decision. If a player wishes to appeal the decision of a tournament director, the player must first appeal to the section chief then, if necessary, the player may appeal to the Chief floor director, whose decision in all cases is final.
18. The tournament director shall not pick up the clock; except in the case of a dispute.
19. Spectators and players in another match are not to speak or otherwise interfere in a game. If a spectator interferes in any way, such as by calling attention to the flag fall or an illegal move, the tournament director may cancel the game and rule that a new game be played, and he may also expel the offending party from the playing room. The tournament director should also be silent about illegal moves, flag falls, etc. (unless there is an agreement with the players, before the game, to call them) as this is entirely the responsibility of the players.
20. If a player promotes a Pawn they must leave the Pawn on the board and clearly indicate to their opponent to what piece the Pawn is being promoted. The promoted Pawn will be laid on its side to indicate that it is a promoted Pawn.
21. Only a tournament director may determine if a clock is defective and change clocks.
22. Excessive banging of pieces or clock will not be tolerated and the offending player may be penalized with loss of time.
23. Insufficient losing chances claims cannot be made in Bughouse games.
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