Q: What time do I set on my chess clock?
A: The clocks are provided by the North American Chess Association and you do not need to set them.
Q: Do I have to take notation?
A: Yes, in Incriment time controls you must take notation for every move.
Q: How do I withdraw?
A: Simply go to the TD's table and sign the
withdrawal list before you leave the tournament. We prefer that
you do this at least 1 hour before the start of any round. This will
insure you don't get paired for the rest of the tournament and cause
another player to sit and wait for you to arrive after you have
withdrawn. You can also call the TDs.
Q: How do I get a bye?
A: Simply go to the TD's table and sign up
for a bye on the bye request form. You are allowed two half-point
byes for this tournament. Make sure we know what round(s) and
section you will need your bye(s) for. Bye requests for the last
round need to be made by the end of round 1. All other bye
requests need to be made at least 1 hour before the start of the round.
You can also request your byes when you enter.
Q: What is your cell phone policy?
A: Please turn off and put away your cell
phone.
Do not talk on your cell phone in the tournament room. If
your cell phone causes a disturbance you may lose the lesser of 10
minutes or half your time on your clock in your present or future game.
If you are in the FIDE Open section you may lose the game. If you
are a spectator you will be asked to leave the room.
Q: What is a re-entry?
A: A re-entry allows you start the
tournament over again with a smaller entry fee. When you start
over you play round 2 with a 1/2 point bye for round 1.
All the games you play from your original entry and your re-entry
are rated, only your best score will count towards prizes.
See a TD if you plan to re-enter the tournament.
Q: What if I think I will win a prize but I can't wait at the site to pick it up?
A: Leave your name and address and we will mail you your prize within 2 weeks.
Q: Do I have to play in my section?
A: Yes, unless your rating is under 1800
and you pay an extra $10 to play up from the Reserve section into
the Open section.
Q: If I enter the Under 1400 section will I play against only other players rated under 1400?
A: Nope. There are only two
sections, Open and Reserve. Those Under designations are for
prizes only. The Under 1400 designation is not a section but a
prize category. You can win prizes if you are the best scoring
player rated under 1400 (or whatever prize category you qualify for)
but you may be paired with any other player entered in your section, in
this case the Reserve section has players rated all the way up to rated
1799. You also qualify for the under 1600 prizes if you are rated
under 1400.
Q: What if I need to make a claim?
A: Stop your clock and get a TD. If you only have a question find a TD but don't stop your clock.
Q: What if my opponent is not there at the start of the game?
A: Your opponent has 1 hour to arrive. If your opponent
does not show up by then see a TD to claim your win. If you are
playing white start your clock and make your move. Then
immediately start you opponent's clock if they have not arrived at the
start of the round. If you are playing the black pieces then
simply start your opponent's clock.
Q: How do I report the results of my game?
A: On the pairings sheet that listed your
and your opponent's names, board, and color, you can place a 1 (won), 0
(loss) or .5 or 1/2 (draw) next to your name to indicate your result.
Many players also enter the result for their opponent. If
you do not report the result of your game you may not get a proper
pairing for the next round.
Q: What if there is a "Please Wait" next to my name?
A: A "Please Wait" means you have an
automatic win because we could not find an opponent for you due to
there being an odd number of players in your section. If you
stick around for the first few minutes of a round, and let us know you
want to play a game, we might be able to find you a game with a player
not entered in the tournament (a house person).
Q: What is all that stuff on the wall chart?
A: The wall chart is just a way to keep
tract of things. For each round you can see what color you played
(W or B) and who you played (your opponent's player number). You
will also see that each time you win a 1 (or .5 for a draw) is added to
your score from the last round you played. The wall chart also
contains your USCF ID number and indicates what rounds you have
requested any byes in.
Q: Do I have to join USCF to play in this tournament?
A: Unless you sign up as a tournament
member you have to join USCF to play in this
tournament. See a TD regarding tournament memberships.
Q: What if I see a mistake regarding my byes or game results?
A: Report it right away to a TD.