ENTRY FEE

PER  PAIR

£10

PRIZES

Prizes will be set during  the first 2 rounds and will reflect the field and be worth approximately 50% of entry monies taken.

INFORMATION RELEVANT TO ALL PRIZES

We cannot allow teams with ungraded players to win grading prizes unless CCF has been able to obtain an accurate and verifiable grade for them in advance of the event.  Ungraded players wishing to play should give us as much time as possible and as much information as they can; please include full details of all recent tournaments and club activity and contact information to verify.  CCF reserves the right to change an estimated grade at any time, including during the course of the tournament.

GENERAL TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

TOURNAMENT TYPE:
This will be a 7 round competition using blitz rules (ie. illegal moves lose for the team - this includes the illegal positioning of a "taken" piece on the board instead of making a move).

This will be an open competition for graded (including estimated grades by CCF) pairs - with graded prizes for teams below grading levels to be determined after the start of the tournament.

TIMES & DEFAULT TIMES
Round 1 starts at 7-30pm and subsequent rounds follow as soon as possible after each other.  

TIME CONTROL:
10 minutes each for all moves.  The first player to run out of time loses for the team.

LAWS OF CHESS:
Normal FIDE Laws of Chess (for Blitz) apply as far as is reasonably possible in this event.  The decision of the CCF controller is final in all matters.  Detailed exchange chess (CCF style!) rules are below.

MOBILE PHONES:
CCF allows mobile phones onto the premises.  However, we will strictly implement the FIDE laws.  Players must switch their phones off during play (we will not allow them on silent mode), but players are invited to put their phones on divert to the CCF telephone number (020 8645 0302) whilst the congress is in progress, should they be expected urgent calls.     
OTHER ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT:
To uphold the FIDE laws, players may not interact with anyone using computers whilst their game is still in progress (not that you are likely to have time to during a blitz!). 

EXCHANGE CHESS RULES (IN TANDEM WITH FIDE BLITZ RULES):
1   Partners will play the opposite colours to each other with the higher rated player playing the colour shown in the pairings and accordingly, on the "higher" sub-board (where 2 players are graded the same, one shall be nominated as the "higher" player for all matches before the start of round 1.
2   When a player takes a piece, they must pass it immediately to their partner, who can choose whether to use it on their next move or "store" it by the side of their board.
3   When it is their turn, a player may either make a normal move or, if there is a piece available that has been legally handed to them by their playing partner, place one of those pieces on a square of their choice provided that:
a) The piece is placed on an empty square that it would be legally entitled to occupy during the course of a normal game (ie. pawns cannot go on the 1st rank).
b)  The piece is not placed on a square that places the opponent in check.
c)   If it is a pawn, it may not be placed on the 1st or 8th rank or the rank immediately before where it would "queen".
4   When a pawn is "queened," it shall be laid on its side to represent a queen (or whichever piece is chosen).  If it is later taken, it reverts to being a pawn when it is passed across. 
5   The first player to win/lose/draw does so for their team.
6    Checkmate or Stalemate ends the game - but a checkmate or stalemate has to allow for the fact that a player may get out of check by placing a piece on the board (to block a check - or in the case of stalemate, because he/she cannot move anything else!) under normal Exchange Chess rules.