North County Chess Club

Tournament Rules

The rules set forth in this document are constructed to supplement the United States Chess Federation's Official Rules of Chess and shall apply to all competition sanctioned by the North County Chess Club. For any issue not specifically addressed in these supplemental rules, the relevant United States Chess Federation's Official Rules of Chess shall apply.

1. Format

• Events are USCF rated five (5) round Swiss-McMahon format tournaments unless otherwise stated.
• Games are played on Thursday nights starting at 7pm, excluding holidays, unless otherwise stated.
• Time controls are G/105;d5 unless otherwise stated.

2. Attendance

• A bye can be requested by any player at any time prior to the start of a round.
• The first bye in a tournament earns the player one half (1/2) point, subsequent bye's in the same tournament will earn zero (0) points.
• To receive the one half (1/2) point bye in the final round of a tournament the player must request the bye prior to the penultimate round, if the request comes after the fourth round zero (0) points will be awarded.
• Forced bye's created by the pairing system will always award one (1) full point.
• Forfeiting a game without notifying the Tournament Director of your absence is strictly forbidden. You must notify the Tournament Director by any means available if you cannot make a scheduled game. Failure to do so may result in removal from the current tournament at the Tournament Directors discretion. There is no penalty if the Tournament Director has been notified of your absence prior to the start of your scheduled game.

3. Electronic Devices

• Listening to music while wearing headphones is allowed as long as it cannot be heard by anyone else.
• Players may wear headphones or earmuffs for the purpose of blocking out sound.
• Cell phones and other devices must be on silent while games are being played.
• Actively using phones or other devices at the game table for any reason is not allowed. Players must leave the gaming area prior to using their device.

4. Conduct

• Unlawful, unethical or other actions unacceptable to the club are forbidden.
• All players are to conduct themselves in an orderly fashion, and to compete in the spirit of good sportsmanship.
• The Tournament Director has the authority to take appropriate action to ensure players adhere to the rules of conduct.