Regulations


  1. Format: Champions Showdown: Chess9LX (“the Event”) is a round robin Chess960 (Fischer Random) tournament played at rapid time controls
  2. Venue:The Event shall be held at the Saint Louis Chess Club temporary tournament hall
  3. Schedule of Events: Each round shall begin at the start times listed in the Schedule of Events
  4. Pairings & Scoring:
    • Players will draw lots during the players meeting to determine their pairing number
    • Players will be paired based on the standard FIDE Berger tables
    • In each game, a win is worth 1 point, a draw is worth ½ point and a loss is worth 0 points
    • Games will be submitted to the Universal Rating System for rating
  5. Starting Position:
    • The starting position shall be the same for each game in a particular round
    • The starting position will be different for each round
    • If the standard chess position is drawn, then the Chief Arbiter, in conjunction with the Saint Louis Chess Club, will draw a new position
    • If the position from any round is drawn again (including for the playoffs), then the Chief Arbiter, in conjunction with the Saint Louis Chess Club, will draw a new position
    • The Chief Arbiter, in conjunction with the Saint Louis Chess Club, will draw the new positions. The position will be revealed fifteen minutes prior to the start of play.
    • Players may independently analyze the position for the time allotted in 5.3. Player may not consult any software, chess engines, notes, nor receive assistance from any other person. Players may discuss the position with other Players in the event
  6. Time Control: The time control shall be twenty (20) minutes per game, with a five (5)-second increment from move one (G/20+5)
  7. Prizes: The total prize fund shall be $150,000 (One Hundred Fifty Thousand U.S. Dollars)
  8. Default: The default time shall be 10 minutes.
  9. Tiebreak:
    • In the event of a tie for first place, there shall be a playoff to determine final standings among all tied players
    • All prize money shall be divided equally among all tied players
    • Should mathematical tiebreaks be needed, they shall be applied in the following order: 1. Direct Encounter, 2. Most Blacks, 3. Koya System, 4. Sonneborn Berger, 5. Won Games
    • An Armageddon Game is defined as follows: White shall start with 5 minutes and black shall start with 4 minutes. There is an additional 2-second increment starting from move 61. Black shall be declared the winner if the game ends in a draw
    • Two Players: The tie will be broken with a two-game rapid Chess960 match (G/10 +2 increment). A new position will be drawn for this 2-game match, and each player shall contest it from the white side and black side. If the contest is still undecided, the match will be decided by a Chess960 Armageddon Game, with a new starting position drawn.
    • Three or Four Players: If there are three or four Players tied for first, the Players shall contest a Chess960 rapid round robin (G/10 +2 increment). All games will be played with the same starting position. If no clear winner is produced, the remaining tied players shall contest a Chess960 blitz (G/3 +2 increment) a) round robin (if three or four players remain tied) or b) 2-game match (if two players remain tied) from a new starting position. If the contest is still undecided, the match will be decided by a series of Chess960 Armageddon Games
    • More Than Four Players: If more than four players are tied for first place, a combination of math tie-breaks and playoffs will be used to determine the winner. The format if more than four players are tied for first will be determined by the Arbiter and the Saint Louis Chess Club
  10. Arbitration:
    • The tournament shall be played according to the FIDE Laws of Chess
    • The tournament shall be supervised by the Chief Arbiter (the “CA”)
      • The CA shall be responsible for ensuring fair play and implementing any anti-cheating measures
      • If a player wishes to appeal a decision of the CA, they must do so immediately after the game by notifying the CA
      • The Chief Organizer (the “CO”) shall appoint a three (3)-person appeals committee consisting of at least two (2) arbiters (the “Appeals Committee”). The CO shall be Tony Rich, IA, IO
      • Decisions of the Appeals Committee are final
    • In the event of an unexpected occurrence, the CA reserves the right to make all decisions in conjunction with or on behalf of the CO
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