IMPORTANT NOTICE: THIS CONGRESS HAS BEEN SUSPENDED DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AND WILL BE RESCHEDULED AS SOON AS THE EMERGENCY WILL BE OVER

2020 STAFFORDSHIRE CHESS CONGRESS

18th April to 19th April 2020

Ryecroft Community Hub - Sports Hall - 28 New Forest Road (off Dartmouth Avenue), Walsall, WS3 1TR - FREE PARKING AVAILABLE

5-Round ECF graded Swiss tournament

Paper Entry Form

Chief Arbiter: Marcel Taylor

Tournament Director: Alberto Gissi

Special guest: Eddie Hughes MP, who will make the first move on board 1 to start the first round of the event

Sections

Section	Open	Major U160	Minor U120
Entry Fee	£22	£22	£22
First Prize	£150	£150	£150
Second Prize	£100	£100	£100
Third Prize	£50	£50	£50

Discounts

- £2 for all juniors U18 (on 1st January 2020) - applied immediately

- £7 for the first 5 players graded at least 200 (or 2200 FIDE rating)/titled players who register and pay - you will still be asked to pay the full price, this discount will be applied as a cash refund on the date

Late Entry Fee

+ £3 for entries received and/or paid for after 12th April 2020.

Entries on the day can be made in person only (subject to the organisers’ approval) and will incur a fee of £5 instead of £3.

ECF Pay to play fee

Players who are not current ECF Members at Silver, Gold or Platinum level on the dates of the congress will need to add £9 to their entry fee. In alternative you can join the ECF or upgrade your membership directly, all details are available on englishchess.org.uk/ecf-membership

Playing Schedule

	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5
Saturday 18th April 2020	9.30 am - 1.00 pm	1.30 pm - 5.00 pm	5.30 pm - 9.00 pm
Sunday 19th April 2020				9.30 am - 1.00 pm	1.30 pm - 5.00 pm

Players may request a half-point bye in any one of the first 4 rounds at the time of entry.

Rate of Play

95 minutes plus 10 seconds per move.

Re-pairing after 30 minutes (if possible) in case a player doesn’t have an opponent.

Refreshments

Gio’s Italian reastaurant is open on both days from 6pm to 10pm

Accommodation

There are hotels in and around Walsall. Information on these can be gained from the Tourist Information Centre 01922 653110 or http://www.walsall.gov.uk/index/leisure_and_culture/visitorinfo.htm

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

• The organisers’ decision on any aspect of the congress is final.
• The arbiter’s decisionis binding on all parties.
• The information given on the entry form may be recorded and used for congress administration, mailing lists for future congresses and grading purposes.
• Publicity photographs may be taken during the event, and may appear on the website and other media.
• Publicity photographs may be taken during the event, and may appear on the website and other media.
• FIDE anti-cheating rules will apply.
• Any player absent 30 minutes after the start of the round will be deemed to have lost.
• No player may win more than one prize.
• In the event of a tie for any prize, the associated prize fund will be sharedbetween the winners.
• Depending on the number of entries and circumstances,the prize fund may be increased or (exceptionally) decreased.
• Players without a current grading must give details of any congress and league results or former grades. Failure to do so may render a player ineligible for a prize.
• Ungraded players are not eligible for grading prizes and will not be eligible to win more than £100.