Orange County Grand Prix Official Rules

1. Tournament Overview
1.1 Date and LocationThe tournament will be held on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at the Mess Hall Market, 1705 Flight Way, Tustin, CA 92782. Games will be played in the Assembly Room, participants and visitors may gather in the food court area before and after the tournament and between rounds.
1.2 FormatThe tournament will follow a Swiss System format with 5 rounds.
1.3 Official Rules of USCFThe Orange County Grand Prix will use the 7th Edition of the US Chess Federation’s “Official Rules of Chess” edited by Tim Just.
2. Registration
2.1 EligibilityParticipants must be USCF members in good standing during the duration of the tournament.
2.2 Registration FeeThe early registration fee is $45. Payments can be made online through the registration form using a credit or debit card. The fee for “day of” registrations is $50, and may be made in cash or Venmo.
2.3 Registration DeadlineThe deadline for early registration is Friday, January 26th at noon. “Day of” registration is Saturday, January 27th at 8:30AM.
3. Pairings and Schedule
The Orange County Grand Prix will be utilizing ChessManager software to determine pairings and tiebreaks. https://admin.chessmanager.com
3.1 PairingsPairings will be made using the Swiss system, and determined by the ChessManager software. The tournament director has the authority to modify pairings as he deems necessary.
3.2 ScheduleThe tournament schedule will be as follows:
Player's meeting - 10:45 AMRound 1 - 11:00Round 2 - 12:00Round 3 - 1:00Lunch - 2:00Round 4 - 2:30Round 5 - 3:30Closing Ceremony - 3:00
Schedule is subject to change.
4. Time Controls
4.1 Standard Time ControlsThe time control for each game will be G/30 inc/0, with no increment or delay. The games end in sudden death.
4.2 Default TimeThere is no default time for players who arrive late for their game, opponent’s simply make their move and start the clock (if they are white) or just start the clock (if they are black).
5. Scoring and Tiebreaks
5.1 ScoringPlayers earn 1 point for a win, 0.5 points for a draw, 0 points for a loss.
5.2 TiebreaksIn the event of a tie, tiebreaks will be determined by the Modified Median system, Solkoff system, and the cumulative system, in that order.
6. Conduct and Fair Play
6.1 Fair PlayParticipants are expected to adhere to the USCF Fair Play and AntiCheating policies.
6.2 ConductPlayers are expected to conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner. Any form of unsportsmanlike conduct may result in penalties or expulsion from the tournament.
7. Prizes
7.1 Prize StructurePrizes will be awarded based on the top three finishers in each section. Prizes are either cash or trophies. The cash pot is $1,000 based on 100 entries and will be calculated proportionately in the event that 100 entries are not registered by the beginning of the tournament.
7.2 Prize Distribution Prizes will be distributed as follows:
Open: 63% of the cash pot: 1st place: $400 2nd place: $140 3rd place: $90 U1800: 37% of the cash pot: 1st place: $200 2nd place: $100 3rd place: $70 U1200: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place trophies.
7.3 Prize EligibilityPlayers who fail to complete five rounds of play are not eligible to win cash or trophies despite their results.
7.4 Prize PaymentPayment will be delivered to winning participants in cash during the closing ceremony. Trophies will be dispersed at the same closing ceremony.
8. Tournament Director
The Tournament Director for this event is Peter Augros with Elements of Chess. Any disputes or issues should be brought to his attention. The Tournament Director has sole and final authority on all decisions regarding the tournament.
9. Equipment
All chess boards, chess pieces, and board numbers are furnished by Elements of Chess. Chess clocks must be provided by the player. Smartphones using the Chess.com timing app are allowed, however a chess clock is to be preferred where one is available.
10. Protocol and Procedures
10.1 Touch MoveIf a player, during his turn, touches a chess piece without announcing “adjust” or some equivalent, the touched piece has been “determined” as the piece that must be moved for that turn. If that piece has no legal moves, then any legal move may be played.
If a player, during his turn, touches an opponent’s chess piece without announcing “adjust” or some equivalent, the touched piece has been “determined” and must be captured by any legal move. If there are no legal captures, then any legal move may be played.
If a player, during his turn, touches a piece accidentally or knocks it over, and has been determined by the arbiter to be accidental, then the touch move does not apply.
10.2 Illegal MovesIf a player makes an illegal move, the move must be withdrawn and a legal move must be made. If there have been several moves before detecting the illegal move, then the position must be reconstructed and legal play resumed. If the position cannot be reconstructed the Tournament Director must be called to make a decision on behalf of both players.
10.3 Recording MovesIn order to make a claim such as three fold repetition, fifty move rule, or perpetual check (among others) a player must have a complete and accurate score sheet written in algebraic notation. Participants may use their own score sheets or use score sheets provided by Elements of Chess.
10.4 Reporting ResultsTo ensure the accuracy in recording results, both players are required to report the outcome of their game to the Tournament Director before leaving the playing hall. Failure to report results in a timely manner may result in consequences for the player. If a player neglects to report the results before leaving the playing hall, they may be subject to penalties, including forfeit or other sanctions, as determined by the Tournament Director.
10.5 ByesIf a section has an odd number of participants, a fullpoint bye will be awarded to the player who remains unpaired during a round.
Players may request a half point bye for a single round, provided the request is submitted in writing before the announcement of pairings for that specific round.
11. Error Correction Policy
Any error detected in pairings or standings should be reported to the Tournament Director as soon as possible. Once the next round has been paired and announced, any errors in reporting results or other oversights will stand, subject to the discretion and decision of the Tournament Director. Players are strongly encouraged to review and verify results before the subsequent round pairings are finalized. The Tournament Director retains the authority to address any exceptional cases or issues arising from errors.
12. Disclaimer
These tournament rules are subject to change at the discretion of the organizers. The Tournament Director reserves the right to make amendments, modifications, or additions to these rules as deemed necessary to ensure the fair and smooth operation of the event. Participants are responsible for staying informed about any updates or changes to the rules. In the event of disputes or unforeseen circumstances, the Tournament Director holds sole and final authority on all decisions within the tournament. By participating in this tournament, players acknowledge and accept the authority of the Tournament Director in matters of interpretation, application, and enforcement of these rules.