Tournament Rules

WOLVERHAMPTON & DISTRICT CHESS LEAGUE TOURNAMENT RULES: 2019/20 onwards
Changes are in BOLD

1. ROLE OF TOURNAMENT SECRETARY

To be responsible for :

1. Ensuring that only active members of League teams play in these competitions.
   
2. Ensuring a prompt start to the Rock Cup/Harold Bidgood Trophy competition, by completing entries by the end of September and having the draw sent out within one week (i.e first week in October)
   
3. Organising the jamboree events for the Pittaway Cup and Humphreys Trophy.
   
4. Informing players/clubs of the draw, and issuing details of their opponents, result forms/cards and copies of the appropriate rules.
   
5. Ensuring games/matches played in accordance with the rules.
   
6. Promptly informing Webmaster of all scores and results, for prompt publication, and to ensure swift grading.
   
7. Ensuring winners receive appropriate trophies and prizes
   
   

Note: wef 2023-24 there are no entry fees.

2. PITTAWAY CUP COMPETITION RULES

1. The competition shall be open to any club which is a member of the WDCL and shall be played for annually in one session on a jamboree basis. Players in this competition must be registered members of the club.
   
2. The competition shall be under the control of the League Tournament Secretary, who shall be responsible for organising the event.
   
3. The Tournament Secretary will invite all clubs to participate in the event and give one month’s notice of the event.
   
4. The Tournament Secretary will inform all participating clubs of the date, venue and start time for the event.
   
5. The use of clocks shall be compulsory and the time limits in all WDCL competitions shall be one of the following options (the default rate of play will be option (1)).
   1. All moves in 80 minutes with 10 seconds per move added throughout (incremental) if sufficient digital clocks are available.
   2. All moves in 90 minutes
6. A player can only play in the competition for the club for which he is registered for League play.
   
7. Handicap: If teams from different divisions play each other the team from the higher division shall give 2¼ points start per division to the lower team, i.e. a Division 1 team playing a Division 3 team gives 4½ points to the Division 3 side. [Assuming 3 Divisions only]
   
8. Teams shall be 8 to each side with no person playing for more than one club in any one season.
   
9. The draw for pairings shall be made by ballot.
   
10. Before commencement of play the captains shall exchange team lists in order of playing strength, colour will be decided by the draw for pairings. If a player be absent at the end of the first hour from the agreed time of start, his opponent, if present, shall score the game as a win unless a substitute be put in before the time of forfeit. A clock, once started, shall not be stopped, or put back except in compliance with the Laws of Chess.
    
11. Should the match be drawn, the result shall be decided by the Board Count method. If it is still drawn, the Elimination Rule shall apply. If it is still drawn the team with black on board 1 will win.
    
12. The venue for the event shall be fixed by the Tournament Secretary.
    
13. All games shall be played in accordance with the FIDE Laws of Chess and the ECF Tournament Rules, unless provided by the rules above. Any matter affecting the conduct of a match shall be referred to the Tournament Secretary in the first instance.
    
14. No handicap shall be conferred until a club shall have been a League member for at least 3 years previously.
    
    

3. HUMPHREYS TROPHY COMPETITION RULES

1. The competition shall be open to any club which is a member of the WDCL and shall be played for annually in one session on a jamboree basis. Players in this competition must be registered members of the club.
2. The competition shall be under the control of the League Tournament Secretary, who shall be responsible for organising the event.
3. The Tournament Secretary will invite all clubs to participate in the event and give one month’s notice of the event.
4. The Tournament Secretary will inform all participating clubs of the date, venue and start time for the event.
5. The use of clocks shall be compulsory and the time limits in all WDCL competitions shall be one of the following options (the default rate of play will be option (1)).
   1. All moves in 80 minutes with 10 seconds per move added throughout (incremental) if sufficient digital clocks are available.
   2. All moves in 90 minutes
6. A player can only play in the competition for the club for which he is registered for League play. He must be graded U-1675. Any ungraded players can only be played with the prior consent of the Tournament Secretary. Any team failing to comply shall lose that game and one additional game point, but the game result shall stand for grading purposes.
7. Teams shall be 4 to each side with no person playing for more than one team in any one season.
8. The draw for pairings shall be made by ballot.
9. Before commencement of play the captains shall exchange team lists in order of playing strength, colour will be decided by the draw for pairings. If a player be absent at the end of the first hour from the agreed time of start, his opponent, if present, shall score the game as a win unless a substitute be put in before the time of forfeit. A clock, once started, shall not be stopped, or put back except in compliance with the Laws of Chess.
10. Should teams finish on equal points; the result shall be decided by the Board Count method. If it is still drawn, the Elimination Rule shall apply. If it is still drawn the team with black on board 1 will win.
11. The venue for the event shall be fixed by the Tournament Secretary.
12. All games shall be played in accordance with the FIDE Laws of Chess and the ECF Tournament Rules, unless provided by the rules above. Any matter affecting the conduct of a match shall be referred to the Tournament Secretary in the first instance.
    
    

4. ROCK CUP AND HAROLD BIDGOOD TROPHY COMPETITION RULES

ELIGIBILITY

The Rock Cup is an individual knock-out tournament, open to all registered members of clubs playing in the WDCL, for the individual championship. Everyone, with the exceptions listed below, plays at least two games, as Round 1 of the Rock Cup will be seeded so the highest graded entrants do not play each other, and first round losers are automatically entered for the Harold Bidgood Trophy subject to the exceptions below. Winners will hold the Cup or Trophy for one year. In future, both winners and runners-up will also receive appropriate trophies to keep, rather than cash prizes.
There is no entry fee.
The closing date for entries is the 30th September. Results will be published on the internet at WDCL.
The following players will not be eligible to compete in the Harold Bidgood Trophy:

a) Any player defaulting in the first round of the Rock Cup.
b) At the discretion of the Tournament Sec the top X players in the Rock Cup entry will be excluded from the Bidgood Trophy if they lose their first round game. X will be set by the Tournament Controller when players are known.

RULES

1. Each round must be played within the stated time and the results notified by the winner to the Tournament Secretary by the last day of the month. Failure to do so will result in disqualification of BOTH players.
   
2. The HOME player is responsible for suggesting at least 3 alternate dates to his opponent within a week of receipt of the pairing notices, in default of which the AWAY player shall claim the game.
   
3. If the dates offered are unacceptable, the AWAY player must reply within a further 7 days offering at least 3 alternative dates, in default of which the HOME player shall claim the game.
   
4. If the date is still not agreed, the HOME player must notify the Tournament Secretary, who will fix a date and venue which shall be binding on both players.
   
5. Any player failing to keep an appointment after the date has been mutually agreed shall forfeit the game.
   
6. The HOME player has black. In the event of a drawn game, colours and venue shall be reversed and the game played in the same month. All results in this round (including draws) shall be notified to the Tournament Secretary.
   
7. Clocks shall be used. The HOME player is responsible for providing same.
   
8. The use of clocks shall be compulsory and the time limits in all WDCL competitions shall be one of the following options (the default rate of play will be option (1)).
   1. All moves in 80 minutes with 10 seconds per move added throughout (incremental) if sufficient digital clocks are available.
   2. All moves in 90 minutes
      
9. The date and venue for the final will be fixed by the Tournament Secretary.
   
10. All games shall be played in accordance with the FIDE Laws of Chess and the ECF Tournament Rules, unless provided by the rules above. Any matter affecting the conduct of a match shall be referred to the Tournament Secretary in the first instance.
    
    

If there are any discrepancies then Handbook version will be taken as the final arbiter. A scanned copy of which can be found here for reference.

Updated May 2023 DF