Regulations

  1. Format: The 2020 U.S. Chess Championships (“the Event”) is a rapid round robin tournament.

  2. Venue: The Event is an online event. Players will compete from their homes under the supervision of a Chief Arbiter (“CA”) and Deputy Arbiters (“DA”). The Chief Arbiter shall be Chris Bird, IA. The Chief Organizer (“CO”) shall be Tony Rich, IA, IO.

  3. Schedule of Events: Each round shall begin at the start times listed in the Schedule of Events attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Schedule of Events”).

  4. Pairings:
    1. Players will draw lots during the opening ceremony to determine their pairing number.
    2. Players will be paired based on the standard FIDE Berger tables for Round Robin tournaments.

  5. Scoring:
    1. In each game, a win is worth 1 point, a draw is worth ½ point and a loss is worth 0 points.
    2. Games will be rated and will impact a Player’s US Chess Online Regular Rating.
    3. Games will not be FIDE rated.

  6. Time Control: The time control shall be twenty five (25) minutes per game, with a five (5)-second increment from move one (G/25+5).
    1. The time control shall be twenty five (25) minutes per game, with a five (5)-second increment from move one (G/25+5).

  7. Prizes: 
    1. The total prize fund for U.S. Championship shall be $150,000 (One Hundred Fifty Thousand U.S. Dollars).
    2. The total prize fund for U.S. Women's Championship shall be $100,000 (One Hundred Thousand U.S. Dollars).
    3. The total prize fund for U.S. Senior Championship shall be $50,000 (Fifty Thousand U.S. Dollars).
    4. The total prize fund for U.S. Junior Championship shall be $20,600 (Twenty Thousand Six Hundred U.S. Dollars).
    5. The total prize fund for U.S. Girls' Junior Championship shall be $10,300 (Ten Thousand Three Hundred U.S. Dollars).

  8. Tiebreak
    1. An Armageddon Game is defined as follows: White shall start with 5 minutes and black shall start with 4 minutes. Black shall be declared the winner if the game ends in a draw.
    2. If two or more Players are tied for first, a playoff will be held to determine final standings among all tied players.
      1. The winner of the playoff shall be named the 2020 U.S. Champion and shall receive the 1st place prize.
      2. All other tied players shall divide prize money evenly.
      3. Two Players: The tie will be broken with a two-game rapid match (G/10 +2 increment).  If the contest is still undecided, the match will be decided by an Armageddon Game. 
      4. Three or Four Players: If there are three or four Players tied for first, the Players shall contest a rapid round robin (G/10 +2 increment). 
      5. If no clear winner is produced, the remaining tied players shall contest a blitz (G/3 +2 increment) 
        1. round robin (if three or four players remain tied) or
        2. 2-game match (if two players remain tied).
        3. If the contest is still undecided, the match will be decided by a series of Armageddon Games. 
      6. More Than Four Players: If more than four players are tied for first place, a combination of math tie-breaks and playoffs will be used to determine the winner. The format if more than four players are tied for first will be determined by the CA and the CO.

  9. Arbitration
    1. The tournament shall be played according to the rules set by lichess.org. Players shall use lichess accounts provided by the organizer.
    2. The tournament shall be supervised by the Chief Arbiter (the “CA”). 
      1. The CA shall be responsible for ensuring fair play and implementing any anti-cheating measures.
      2. If a player wishes to appeal a decision of the CA, they must do so immediately after the game by notifying the CA.
      3. The Chief Organizer (the “CO”) shall appoint a three (3)-person appeals committee consisting of at least two (2) arbiters (the “Appeals Committee”).
      4. Decisions of the Appeals Committee are final.
    3. Players are required to sign into Skype and Zoom on their playing computer one hour before the start of play and enable video, audio and screen sharing. Skype will be used as part of the live commentary show, and the CA shall also monitor players and their playing environment via Skype.
    4. Players are further required to sign into Zoom on a separate device (PC, tablet, laptop, phone, etc) and enable video and audio. Zoom on the secondary device shall be used throughout the event as part of the anti-cheating measures, and will be the main method of communication between the CA and Player.
    5. If a player disconnects from lichess.org, that player shall lose all time for which they are disconnected.
    6. In the event of an unexpected occurrence, the CA reserves the right to make all decisions in conjunction with or on behalf of the CO.

  10. Anti-Cheating Measures
    1. Players are required to allow the CA to inspect the playing area and computer on which the player will compete at any time throughout the competition upon request.
    2. Players are not allowed to leave the computer while their game is in progress.
    3. Players shall not run any software other than a web browser with one tab open to lichess.org and Zoom unless expressly allowed by the CA and CO.
    4. Players shall not use any other electronic devices while playing, including headphones, mobile phones, etc.
    5. Games may be submitted for anti-cheating analysis.
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