EPSCA Rapidplay rules will apply:

http://www.epsca.org.uk/rules/epscaquickplayrules06.pdf

Tournament rules: (not about the chess)

• The playing room(s) is here, the rest room is there.
• No fire alarm practice is planned for today.  If the fire alarm goes off, that means somewhere is on fire.  Follow the green signs out onto the playground.  Walk, don't run.
• You will be looked after by one of the control team in the playing rooms and by your parent or someone else in the rest room.
• Mums and Dads and other carers - not in the playing rooms please.
• If I can't see you and your carer can't see you, you are not being looked after.  Stay where someone can see you.
• You are allowed outside today as long as someone is outside with you and can see you.
• Walk through playing rooms (don't run) and as quietly as you can.
• Please don't leave the venue before the end without telling us.
• Toilets: boys here, girls there; adults use the staff loos over there.
• Food and drink - in rest room only please - drinks are OK in playing rooms - food stall by the book stall.
• LUNCH: there is no lunch break, so eat when you can
• Look after this venue, please - we might want to come back!  
  • No litter except in bins, no muddy feet from outside, no swinging on chairs, put chairs and tables back where you found them at the end of the day.
• Look after each other, please - there might be some people here who haven't played in a tournament before, so help them out if they aren't sure what to do
• Local club representatives/leaflets are here/there.

Tournament rules: (chess)

• There will be (6/7) rounds.  [Round times: (1) 9.30 (2) 10.45 (3) 12.00 (4) 1.15 (5) 2.30 (6) 3.45] [We have posted round times but we will save time if we can to finish earlier, so please listen for announcements and don't expect the next round to start exactly when we said]
• Everyone plays in every round. So don't leave if you lose, you will get another game.  If you lose, you have a chance to catch up! 
• Everyone plays a different person in every round. If you are paired with the same player twice, someone has made a mistake! Please let the controller know. 
• Pairings will be done on the Swiss System, which means you will play people who have (about) the same number of wins as you. 
  • That should mean that, even if you lose the first two games, you will then be meeting players who are on the same sort of form as you.
• We will play using all the rules of chess - including: touch move, touch take, en passant and castling king first.
• After you have agreed a result, fill in and hand in a result slip.  
  • The slip is the result, so if you win, make sure it says that you win and not your opponent.
• If you have a problem, put your hand up straight away - don't wait until after the game, when it will be too late!
• After the game, please reset the pieces (and clocks) and then leave the playing room.
• Please start and finish the game with a handshake - the first handshake says that you're both going to be fair and follow all the rules, and the second handshake says that you both did and you accept the result.
• BYES: If there is an odd number of players in your section, the player left over will not get a tournament game but they will be given a point.  The bye is usually given to the player with the fewest points who has not yet had a bye.  Don't go away though, because if we have a spare player in another tournament, we might put you together to have a friendly game.
• PHONES: You are not allowed to have your 'phone with you during play. Leave them in the rest room with your parent/carer.  
• TIME CONTROL -- UK Chess Challenge: There will be 7 rounds of 40 minutes each.  We won't be using clocks, just one big clock to let us know when 40 minutes are up.  After 40 minutes, if you haven't agreed a result, we'll come around and agree a result with you.  You need to be at least a piece up - or 3 pawns ahead - to win.
• TIME CONTROL -- Other tournaments: we will be playing with chess clocks.  
  • Each player gets 30 minutes to complete all their moves.  
  • If your flag falls, you lose - even if you have five Queens and your opponent has only one!  
  • Press the clock after you move, using the same hand as you used to move your piece. (Because when you're short of time, and your try and use two hands, sometimes you press the clock first!)
  • If there are players here who haven't used a clock before (hands up), and you are playing with them, look after them please - maybe remind them to press the clock a couple of times if they forget.  You don't have to, though, and team players should remember!  
  • There is a special "2-minute rule" that can apply if you are short of time and you think that your opponent is hoping to win only because you are short of time.  They might be just moving back and forth waiting for your flag to fall.
    • If you think that is happening and you have 2 minutes left, offer a draw. If the reply is no, stop the clocks, put up your hand and let me (or your Tournament Controller) know.
    • I'll come and have a look while you carry on playing, and see if your opponent is really trying to win.  
    • If they aren't, or they can't, then I'll declare the game drawn.  
    • Don't wait until your flag is about to fall - you will likely lose on time before I can tell what's going on.