EUROPEAN CITIES & TOWNS CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2023 - Hybrid Cities Venues (29 January 2023)

https://cities.europechess.org

TEAMS: OPEN, WOMEN, SENIORS, YOUTH (U12)

Sunday 29 January 2023 - Hybrid Cities Venues

OFFICIAL REGULATIONS/ TERMS & CONDITIONS

ORGANISER: EUROPEAN CHESS UNION (ECU)

1. PARTICIPATION

1.1 Each City or Town has the right to nominate one team of 4 players in each of 4 categories

A. Open Tournament (any age)

B. Women Tournament (female participants)

C. Seniors Tournament (players over 50 years, born in 1973 or earlier)

D. Youth Tournament (players up to 12, born in 2011 or later

 1.2 Each City or Town can participate in one or more tournament without being obliged to compete in all tournaments.

 1.3 Players representing a city/town shall stay or relate to the city/town. There is no restriction by nationality. Τhere are no reserve players.

 1.4 The teams are registered by the city representative (municipality) or/and by the local Chess Union or club.

 1.5 Each City/Town will appoint one representative for the technical meeting and any communication during the event.

 1.6 The registration/ECU entry fee is 100 euros per team per tournament to be paid directly to ECU.

 1.7. Teams representing Russian or Belarussian Cities/Towns are excluded due to the decisions of European Chess Union (ECU) and World Chess Federation (FIDE) for this year.

1.8 By signing in the tournament, the teams and participants confirm to have read and accepted these regulations the terms and conditions of this championship.

2. REGISTRATION

2.1. Registrations will be made online from 15th October 2022 till 23th January 2023 through Tornelo Online Chess platform. Any question can be sent it to eocc@europechess.org

2.2. The teams will be ranked by their average FIDE standard rating

2.3. Entry fees can be paid by the teams online when registered or to the ECU Bank Account: https://www.europechess.org/regulations/ecu-bank-account

Or also online here: https://www.europechess.org/ecu-payments-donations/

2.4. Deadline for registrations and fees payment is the Friday 20th January 2023,

3. SYSTEM OF PLAY

3.1 Swiss System, 9 rounds, rate of play 10 minutes for a game per player + 3 seconds increment after each move.

3.2. Tiebreaks

The order of teams that finish with the same number of match points shall be determined by application of the following tie-breaking procedures in sequence:

(a) by the number of board points won, the highest number wins;

(b) by the sum of the board points of all team’s opponents, the highest number wins;

4. VENUE

4.1. All the players compete from the approved tournament hall(s) per city/town.

 Tournament halls selected and installed by the local organisers.

4.3. Local organisers shall use preferably cable internet for all players and to have setup connection from two (2) different internet providers with automatic switching between the connections, if possible

4.4. In each playing venue the necessary number of venue cameras (at least two) shall be installed to ensure ample supervision. Cameras will be connected in a zoom call monitored by Arbiters and shall cover all the playing venue.

 4.5. The tournament will be played through Tornelo online platform

 4.6. A detailed guide for the venues set up will be published and sent to teams.

 4.7. The event will be live transmitted with video footage from all venues, interviews, and all games. More details will be announced.

5. SCHEDULE

Monday 23-Jan

Technical Meeting

(team representatives) 18:00 CEST

Sunday 29-Jan Rounds 1-5 10:30-14.00 CET

Sunday 29-Jan Lunch Break 14.00 – 15.30 CET

Sunday 29-Jan Rounds 6-9 15:30-18.00 CET

Tuesday 31-Jan Award Ceremony - Online 18:00 CET

Wednesday 25-January optional test events for players: 18.00 to 19.00 CEST

6. FAIR PLAY RULES

6.1 In each playing venue, the fair play measures shall be applied according to the FIDE and ECU Anti Cheating regulations. Unless authorised by the arbiter, it is forbidden for anybody to use a mobile phone or any kind of communication device in the playing venue or any contiguous area designated by the arbiter.

6.2 Only Arbiters and players are allowed in playing halls during the rounds.

6.3 A player can be forfeited for violation of the Fair Play Rule by decision of the Chief

Arbiter or Fair Play Panel. Screening of all games will take place with authorized by FIDE software.

6.4 Arbiters must download and install ZOOM Client for Meetings from the link below:

https://zoom.us/download. Venue cameras will be connected also to zoom.

6.5 Players are recommended to play on default player’s settings’ “move confirmation” on Tornelo Platform.

6.6 Players are not allowed to move during their games. They can move during the breaks between rounds but they must leave the playing area.

6.7 In any case not described above, the FIDE and ECU online regulations are valid.

7. ADDITIONAL RULES

7.1. Server failure/downtime: In the event of a server failure or malfunction during the course ECU will take appropriate action according to the time of failure. Completed games are always valid.

The test events can be played for any place and main purpose is the connection and use of the server.

7.2 In case of all players at a venue being disconnected from the server during a round, the responsible local organiser is allowed to reconnect until their remaining time for the round has elapsed, in which case they lose on time. If the venue successfully reconnects, arbiters may adjust the clocks accordingly or restart games from 1st move.

7.3 Threefold repetition and fifty moves draw are declared automatically by the server.

7.4 The platform Tornelo has an “Arbiter Chat” button available for the players. The button stops the clock, and its only purpose is to call the Sector/Local Arbiter in some specific cases, serious urgent cases) as in over the board games. Misuse of the button after may result in a penalty or the forfeit of the game.

7.5 European Chess Union has no responsibility for technical problems arising during the Games at venues.

7.6 In any case not described above, the Arbiters will decide the course of action.

7.7 European Chess Union has the right to change the schedule, update the regulations or decide for any matter that is not mentioned in the current regulations.

8. TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS

8.1. According to FIDE Online Chess Regulations, at least two arbiters will be appointed for each playing venue: a Local Chief Arbiter (LCA) and a Local Technical Arbiter (LTA). If there are more than three teams (12 players) in a playing venue, then one additional arbiter is required for. The local arbiters shall be FIDE licensed and able to communicate in English language. The arbiters are in depended and cannot be team representatives.

8.2 National Chess Federations will appoint the local arbiters in the venues that will approved by the ECU Arbiters Council. The costs for local arbiters oversee local organisers. The local Arbiters refer to the Chief and Deputy Arbiters of the Championship and are part of the Arbiters team.

8.3 ECU will appoint additionally the central arbiters panel, the appeals committee, and the Fair Play Panel that will monitor and coordinate all events.

9. TITLES – PRIZES - QUALIFIERS

 9.1 The first winner team (gold medal) in each of 4 categories is the European Chess City/Town Champion 2022 in the respective category.

The first 3 winners of each category will be awarded with Trophies and their players with special e-medals (gold, silver, bronze).

9.2 The first winner City/Town of the combined categories of the competition (Sum of the match points from 4 tournaments, then, if equal, sum of the game points) receives the title “Absolute European Chess City/Town Champion 2022”.

9.3 The 4 players of Winner Open team will be hosted in the European Individual Chess Championship 2023 (2 double rooms FB) with ECU expenses.

9.4 The 4 players of Winner Women’s team will be hosted in the European Individual Chess Championship 2023 (2 double rooms FB) with ECU expenses

9.5 Winner Team in Senior Section will be hosted in European Senior Team Championship 2023 with ECU hosting expenses for 4 players (2 double rooms FB).

9.6 Winner team in Youth Section would be hosted in European Youth Team Championship 2023 U18 (2 double rooms FB) with ECU expenses.

 9.7 The 4 players of 2nd and 3rd team of Youth Section will be awarded with annual training Program (7 months) through the European Chess Academy program with top chess trainers.

 9.8 ECU Certificates will be available for all teams