1. LAWS OF CHESS
Play in all Divisions shall be governed by the FIDÉ Laws of
Chess.
1a) At the start of each match Captains
should announce that, "All mobile phones must be
switched off for the duration of the match". The
Penalty for breaking this rule: First ring - warning to the
player to switch off; Second ring - loss of game. Such game
losses must be reported in writing to the League Secretary.
1b) "It is forbidden to write your move in advance on
your scoresheet." Repeated transgessors must be
reported in writing to the League Secretary.
1c) The use of personal audio devices is prohibited during chess games. Continued use of such devices after an initial verbal warning will result in the loss of the game. Such game losses must be reported to the League Secretary in writing.
2. STARTING TIMES
All matches at the Golden Lane Community Centre shall start at 7.00 pm. Elsewhere the starting time shall be agreed by the
Committee. All clocks shall be set in motion at the starting
time.
In the event of any delay in starting a match, the time so lost shall be borne on the clocks of the home team. For each match at the Golden Lane Community Centre, the team shown on the left in the fixture list will be deemed to be the home team.
3. THE TOSS
Ten minutes before the time fixed for the commencement of a
match, the respective match captains or their deputies shall make
up their teams and exchange lists. Captains shall toss for colour
after the exchange of lists. The side winning the toss shall have
white on the odd-numbered boards and black on the even- numbered.
Should a match captain or deputy not be present ten minutes before the match is due to start, the opposing match captain shall have the choice of colour.
It is expected that the players shall be arranged consecutively in order of strength, beginning with the strongest on top board, and any default(s) known before teams are exchanged shall be taken on the bottom board(s).
4. DEFAULTS
In all matches, a player shall arrive not later than 45 minutes
after the due starting time of the match.
If a player does not arrive in time his/her game shall be lost by default unless a reserve is substituted before the default time.
5. TIME CONTROL
It is obligatory to use
clocks.
Definitions: In this rule, the format of multiple sessions with sealed moves, adjournments and resumptions, shall be referred to as "Normal Format", while the format of concluding a game in one session by means of a primary time control followed by a quickplay finish shall be referred to as "One Session Format", both as described below.
Normal Format: Each player must complete 36 moves in each 90 minutes unless otherwise agreed by the Committee. Any time unused in a session shall be carried forward to the next session. Before the commencement of the first session all clocks shall be set to 4.30. It is recommended that before the start of each subsequent session the clocks are set so that the next time control will be when they reach 6.00.
One Session Format: The time control shall be 30 moves in 75 minutes except where rule 6(a) applies. When Black has completed 30 moves, both clocks shall be set back 15 minutes and the game completed in the time then remaining on each player's clock. FIDÉ quickplay finish rules will apply.
For each game, as set out below, one of these formats will be the "Default Format", the other will be the "Option Format". Prior to the completion of White's second move, if both players agree, the game may be played in the Option Format.
In Division 1
only**
Where two players are unable to agree, the Default
Format will alternate per board between Normal Format and One
Session Format in the following manner:
- Odd boards will default to One Session Format;
- Even boards will default to Normal Format.
Players current ECF grades must be shown on Team Sheets.
** NB: See Notes for Match Captains 10.
In all other
Divisions
Normal Format will be the default on every board.
6. DURATION OF PLAY
The duration of play shall be at least three hours and five
minutes in the first session unless otherwise agreed by the
Committee. Time shall be called at the Golden Lane Community
Centre at 10.05
pm. Elsewhere time shall be
called at the time agreed by match captains prior to the start of
play, except where rule 6(a) applies.
The player having the move when time is called shall make a sealed move. All sealed moves must be made within 15 minutes after the call of time. The opponent shall hold the envelope until the adjournment session; if he does not produce the envelope at the adjournment session then he shall lose the game. Prior to leaving the premises players must agree a date, time and place for the resumption of their game and those details must be recorded on the adjournment envelope as well as both players signing it.
7. FIRST REPORT
Each competing club shall within 7 days send to the League
Secretary the full score of each match at the end of the first
session, showing who had the first move, the number of each board
and the date, time and place for the resumption of the game.
Non-compliance with this rule shall render the defaulting club
liable to a penalty for each non-compliance in accordance with
the List of Charges.
8. UNFINISHED GAMES
(a) A blind player may submit a claim for adjudication at the end
of any session provided that before the start of play in that
session he notifies his opponent of his intention to do so.
(b) The venue for the
resumption of adjourned games shall be by mutual agreement of the
players. In the absence of such agreement, the resumption shall
be at the League central venue, currently defined as Golden Lane.
9. ADJOURNMENT SESSIONS
The second session shall be played within 21 days of the first
session. Any further session shall be played within the following
number of days from the first session: 3rd - 35, 4th - 49, 5th -
63 and so on. Each session shall be of at least three hours
duration, including the making of any sealed moves, or at a time
and place agreed by the two players.
If any player fails to arrive within 30 minutes of the due starting time then that player shall lose the game. The League Secretary must be informed if any session is arranged for a date more than 21 days after the first session.
10. SECOND REPORT
Unless all games in the match are completed in the first session,
each competing club shall, within 28 days of the first session,
send a second report to the League Secretary. This second report
shall give the results of all adjourned games completed in the
second session, any positions for adjudication, and a note of any
games being continued for a third session. Non-compliance with
this rule shall render the club liable to a penalty for each
non-compliance in accordance with the List of Charges.
If a club fails to report on any game, the League Secretary shall use the result reported by the other club. Any game for which neither team submits a result shall be scored as a default loss for both teams, unless the League Secretary has previously received a claim or agreed to an extension.
11. ADJUDICATIONS (APPLIES TO 8(a) ONLY)
Any position for adjudication must be submitted to the League
Secretary by each team, with the team's claim and with the
adjudication fee. If only one team submits a claim, that claim
shall be upheld. The fee of that team whose claim is upheld shall
be returned.
If, after receiving a game for adjudication, the League Secretary receives notification of agreement by both sides, this agreement shall stand unless the game has already been sent to the adjudicator.
12. APPEALS
Either side may appeal against the decision of the adjudicator. Notice of intention to appeal must be sent to the League Secretary within 7 days of receiving the adjudicator's decision. Two copies of the position on which the appeal is based together with two copies of an analysis purporting to refute the adjudicator's decision must be sent to the League Secretary within a further 14 days together with the appeal fee.
The appeal shall be sent to an independent adjudicator whose decision shall be final. If the appeal is upheld the appeal fee and the original adjudication fee shall be returned.
13. DEFAULTS
A team shall have one half match point deducted from its score of
matches for every 6 default points calculated as follows. All defaults,
including losses by default after adjournment and losses by default for failing to
submit a result in the Second or subsequent Match Report, shall score two default
points for each defaulted board except in two cases:
(a) teams taking their default(s) on
bottom board(s) and notifying their opponents no later than
the time at which team lists are exchanged will score one default point for each such defaulted board;
(b) teams taking their default(s) on bottom board(s) and notifying
their opponents before10pm the evening before the match (copying the League
Secretary by email) will score zero default points for each such defaulted board.
If the greater proportion of a side is prevented from attending a
match by circumstances beyond its control, the Committee may at
its discretion waive the penalty.
Any team whose aggregate of defaults exceeds 16 must seek re-election at the next Annual General Meeting.
14. SMOKING IN THE PLAYING ROOM
Smoking is banned in the playing room at all London League and
Eastman Cup matches.
15. DISPUTES
Any dispute or question arising under these rules shall be
referred to the Committee whose decision shall be final.
16. COLLECTING OF TROPHIES
Individuals collecting trophies on behalf of their club must sign
for said trophy in the appropriate register.
17. RULES OF THE BUILDING
All players must abide by the rules of the premises.
Effective from September
2011
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