2024 U.S. Women's Championship | Regulations

2024 US Women’s Championship Event Regulations

1. Conduct:

   Participants are required to maintain a professional demeanor throughout this competition and adhere to the US Chess Code of Ethics, US Chess Safe Play Policy, and FIDE Laws and Regulations. Any violations of these policies or established decorum will prompt the Saint Louis Chess Club to take necessary actions. This may involve reporting the incident to FIDE and US Chess, potentially affecting the player's eligibility for future invitations.

2. Format:

   The Event shall be a 12-player tournament paired as a Round Robin.

3. Prompt Arrival:

   Players are expected to arrive promptly for their games. Players not at their board at the beginning of each round may receive a fine of $1,000 to be deducted from their prize for each occurrence. Players more than 10 minutes late for a round shall forfeit that round. Players who withdraw or forfeit a game may not receive any prize money.

4. No Personal Items:

   No unauthorized devices or personal items are permitted in the tournament area. Violation of this policy will result in forfeit of the round and may lead to expulsion from the event.

5. No Draws:

   A "no draw" rule will be in effect throughout the Event, including any playoff games. No player may offer nor accept a draw. In the event of a claim for a draw under Article 9.2 of the FIDE Laws of Chess (three-fold repetition) or under Article 9.3 of the Laws (50 move rule), one of the Event Arbiters must be asked by the players to verify the claim.

6. Schedule of Events:

   Each round shall begin at the start times listed in the Schedule of Events attached hereto.

7. Pairings & Scoring:
   • 7.1 Players will be randomly seeded and paired according to the standard FIDE Berger Tables.
   • 7.2 Games shall be worth one point for a win, half a point for a draw, and zero points for a loss.
8. Time Control:

   The time control shall be 40 moves in 90 minutes, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment from move one (40/90; G/30; +30).

9. Prizes:

   The total prize fund shall be $152,000, distributed according to the table below:

   US Women's Championship
   1 - $35,000
   2 - $30,000
   3 - $20,000
   4 - $13,000
   5 - $9,000
   6 - $8,000
   7 - $7,000
   8 - $6,000
   9 - $5,500
   10 - $5,000
   11 - $4,500
   12 - $4,000
   Winner's Bonus: $5,000
   Total: $152,000

10. Tiebreaks and Winner's Bonus:

    If there is a tie for any position, the prize money shall be divided equally amongst the tied players. For indivisible prizes, the following math tiebreaks will be used:

    • 9.1 Modified Median
    • 9.2 Solkoff
    • 9.3 Cumulative

    The Winner's Bonus is awarded to the outright winner or the winner determined by playoffs.

Playoff Regulations

1. Playoffs:

   In the event of a tie for first place in the Event, there shall be a playoff amongst all the players involved in the tie. The playoff shall determine the winner of the Event.

2. Playoff Timing:

   The playoff shall take place on the day immediately following the end of the last scheduled round.

3. Double Rapid Round Robin:

   If at any stage there are only two players in a remaining tie, they shall contest a Double Rapid Round Robin (a mini-match consisting of two games) with the time limit specified below.

4. Rapid Round Robin:

   The players in the tie(s) shall initially contest a Rapid Round Robin. The pairing numbers will be determined in the following tie-break order:

   • 11.4.1 Most wins
   • 11.4.2 Most games with black pieces
   • 11.4.3 Direct encounter
   • 11.4.4 Drawing of lots

   The time limit for this round is game in 15 minutes with a 10-second increment per move from move 1 (G/15+10).

5. Blitz Round Robin:

   If a tie remains after two Rapid rounds, players will contest Blitz rounds with a time limit of 5 minutes plus a 2-second increment (G/5+2).

6. Final Tie Resolution:

   If after four playoff rounds (two Rapid and two Blitz) a tie remains unresolved, the Chief Arbiter may resolve the tie by other means after consulting with the players.

Schedule of Events