Shropshire Congress 2025 – Shropshire Chess

Congress latest news:

2025 dates moved forward 1 week to Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th January

The tournament is at capacity and new entries are now CLOSED. Please email Shropshire.Congress@gmail.com to add yourself to the waiting list.

The tournament organisers are dlighted to annouce a new £100 for best performing female player (full rules below)

Links:

Pairings (Chess-Results)

Link to Live boards (DGT Viewer) // Link to Live Boards (Lichess)

Entries to date

Gallery

Results from previous years

The 2025 Congress will follow the successful format of previous years with a five-round event across four sections from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon.

LIVE DGT chess boards for the top boards in ALL sections

Large practice/study area with TV screens displaying matches from every section.

Chess Essentials book store

Date:

Friday 3rd January to Sunday 5th January 2025

Location:

The Wrekin Housing Group, Colliers Way, Old Park, Telford, Shropshire, TF3 4AW

Sections and Prizes:

Open – ECF-rated

First £300, Second £150, Third £75

Major U1900 – ECF-graded

First £300, Second £150, Third £75

Intermediate U1700 – ECF-graded

First £300, Second £150, Third £75

Minor U1500 – ECF-graded

First £300, Second £150, Third £75

3 RATING PRIZES IN EVERY SECTION

Best Performing Female Player
A £100 prize for the best performing female player in any section.This prize will be awarded to the female whose performance rating outperforms their own rating by the highest amount. Unrated players and defaults will be ignored from the calculation.
For calculating the average performance rating the “algorithm of 400” will be used: Performance rating = [(Total of opponents’ ratings + 400 * (Wins – Losses)) / Games]

No player may win more than one prize in any section. In the event of a shared place prize, all prize money will be split equally.

Entry fees:

All sections – Adult/Junior £38
Additional late entry fee if received after 31/12/2024 – £5
ECF Congress fee for all sections if not Gold/Platinum member – £15

Playing Schedule:

Round 1 – Fri 3 Jan 2025 – 7pm – 11pm
Round 2 – Sat 4 Jan 2025 – 9.30am – 1.30pm
Round 3 – Sat 4 Jan 2025 – 2.30pm – 6.30pm
Round 4 – Sun 5 Jan 2025 – 9.30am – 1.30pm
Round 5 – Sun 5 Jan 2025 – 2.30pm – 6.30pm

There will not be a Prizegiving ceremony; prizes will be paid to winners following the event.

Players may request a half-point bye in any one of the first four rounds at the time of entry.

Rate of Play

All moves in 100 minutes, plus 10 seconds per move, from move one.

(All moves to be recorded until your clock goes under 5 minutes remaining)

Ratings and gradings

ECF Ratings from the October 2024 ECF list will be used.

Other information

Disabled access, Free Parking on site

Arbiters: Peter and Glynis Purland

It is a requirement of the venue that all entrants must sign themselves in and out whenever they enter or leave the building.

Entries will be capped at 170.

Catering and refreshments

Friday/Saturday evening- Light snacks and an honesty box

Saturday/Sunday- cooked breakfasts from the Wrekin Housing Group catering team

– main courses served from lunch time inc Sunday roast

Tea, coffee and soft drinks available throughout the weekend.

The menu and prices should be similar to last year:

Menu and Prices 2024

Breakfast
£2.00 – Bacon Sandwich
£2.00 – Sausage Sandwich
£2.50 – Sausage/Bacon Sandwich with an egg
£3.50 – 5 Item Breakfast (Bacon, Sausage, Egg, Beans, Mush£5.00 – 7 Item Breakfast (Bacon, Sausage, Egg, Beans, Mush, Tomato, Hash Browns)
£0.14 – Toast

Sandwiches
£2.00 – Ham/Cheese/Egg Mayo/ Beef/ Turkey/ Tuna
£2.50 – Sandwich + Salad

Saturday Lunch
£4.00 – Chicken Curry
£3.50 – Vegetable Curry
£1.20 – Chips

Sunday Lunch
£6.00 – Sunday Lunch (Beef, Yorkshire Pudding, Roast Potatoes, New Potatoes, Vegetables, Gravy)

Desert
£2.00 – Apple Pudding + Custard

Confectionary
£1.00 – Mars/ Maltesers/ Twirl/ Dairy Milk/ Revels
£0.90 – Crisps

Drinks
£1.50 – Bottled Pop
£1.00 – Cans
£1.00 – Bottled Water
£1.50 – Specialty Coffee
£0.50 – Tea

Congress Terms and Conditions

It is a condition of entry that players agree to abide by the following Congress rules.

1. The organisers reserve the right, without giving a reason, to transfer or refuse an entry.
2. All players must sign in/sign out of the venue (for fire safety). The organisers reserve the absolute right to expel or deduct points from a player who refuses to abide by this rule. No refunds will be offered.
3. All fees must be paid before play starts. Late Entries at the venue are at the discretion of the organisers
4. ECF Standard play Grading Lists (October 2024) will be used to determine sections and seeding.
5. Conversions from other rating systems and estimates for un-graded players will be decided by the organisers.
6. Swiss pairings will be used
7. Move rate is all moves in 100 minutes plus 10 second increment per move. All moves must be recorded until your clock goes under 5 minutes remaining.
8. Players arriving more than 45 minutes late for a round may be deemed to have lost by default unless the Controller can re-pair them satisfactorily. Players present, whose opponents have not arrived may be re-paired up to 45 minutes after the start of the round.
9. If a player qualifies for more than one cash prize, he shall be paid the higher amount and the Congress organisers will decide how most fairly any balance shall be re-distributed.
10. Congress equipment may not be removed from the playing or analysis areas.
11. Smoking is not permitted inside the Wrekin Housing offices.
12. Mobiles and PDA’s must be switched off. Failure to do so, or if it makes a sound, will result in the loss of the game.
13. In the event of a dispute, players agree to abide by the decision of the Arbiters.
14. The organisers intend to take photographs at the event. Any photographs taken at the event may be used for publicity purposes. If any entrant objects to this, they must inform the Congress Organiser.
15. Players’ details will be held electronically for the purposes of administering and marketing Shropshire Chess Congresses; their entries will be published on the Congress website; and Congress games and results will be made available to the English Chess Federation (ECF) for grading purposes and will be published online at chess-results.com. Players not wishing to have their details published on the ECF Website should contact the ECF Office directly.
All personal entry information is required for either player identification or communication purposes and will be either safely removed if no longer required or securely retained for the purpose of this and future Shropshire Congresses only.
We will not share your details with third parties other than the ECF.
Please advise the organisers if you wish to opt out of any of the above