Shropshire Primary Schools Chess Championship

Competition Rules
1. Each team will play every other team once or twice in the zonal. This may vary at the organizers discretion to ensure the event neither finishes too early or too late.
2. Each team of 4 should play in strength order with the strongest player as judged by the team captain playing on board 1.
3. For each game in the match, a player who wins will score 1 gamepoint, a player who draws will score ½
gamepoint, and a player who loses will score 0 gamepoints. The team that scores the most gamepoints will win the match. A team winning a match scores 1 matchpoint, a team drawing a match scores ½ a matchpoint, and a team losing a match scores 0 matchpoints
4. The final ranking of the tournament is determined by:
a. Matchpoints (descending)
b. Gamepoints (descending)
c. Matchpoints in the match(es) between the tied teams (descending)
d. Gamepoints in the match(es) between the tied teams (descending)
e. If exactly two teams remain tied, board count in the match between the tied teams; add up the board
number of the games that each team wins; the team whose total is lower is ranked higher
f. If exactly two teams remain tied, board elimination in the match between the tied teams; remove the
board 4 result, and if the team with the most Gamepoints remaining shall be ranked higher
g. If exactly two teams remain tied, repeat f. with board 3, and then if necessary board 2, until the
Gamepoint totals first become unequal.
h. Drawing of lots
5. No clocks will be used in the zonals but at the arbiters discretion a clock may be instated on any game where the arbiter feels the tournament schedule may be affected (ie, if one child is deliberately not moving).
6. The arbiter will strictly enforce the rules of touch move and touch take. That means if a child touches a piece they must move that piece. If they touch an opponents piece they must take if able. This will be explained clearly before the tournament.
7. It is required that every team will have a responsible adult who will be present throughout the event.

Grand Final Rules
8. All of the above rules will apply to the grand final.
9. The winning team from each zonal will qualify for the grand final. In the event a team enters and wins more than 1 zonal the runner up will be invited in their place. In the event a team is unable to make the grand final, their spot will be offered to the runner up in their zonal. If no team is available to enter from that zonal, the spot will be allocated at the organisers discretion such that there are 4 teams in the final.
10. Chess clocks will be used in the grand final on all boards and all games will be submitted to the English Chess Federation for rating. The time limit will be 10 minutes plus 10 seconds per move. The tournament arbiter will demonstrate how to use these if your children are not familiar with them.
11. Schools may change their team from the team who represented them in the zonal