CHESS KLUB USCF Tournament
at Fort Mill (OTB)

What are the tournament formats?

Chess KLUB will use the Swiss System. In this system, players in each section will play against each other. No one is eliminated. In fact, as you continue to win games, you face progressively stronger opposition players and those who were not so successful play against each other. Towards the end of the event, you are likely to face players at your level.

Also, in the Swiss-system events, players are paired with each other according to the following general principles:

• A player is not paired with any other player more than once.
• Players with the same score are paired whenever possible.
• Colors are assigned as fairly as possible. Alternating the colors is ideal.
• For the first round, the players are ranked according to their last published official USCF rating. Know everythign about USCF tournaments here.
• If you are a new USCF player, then you will be placed in the UNRATED section
• The top player in the upper half is then paired against the top player in the lower half of the field, and so on. The top-ranked player’s color in the first round is normally allocated by lot, and then colors alternate down the halves.
• In the second round, the Tournament Director uses the same principles to pair each of the three score groups (those who won, those who drew, and those who lost). These pairing procedures will continue through the rest of the tournament.

What are the time controls for the tournament?

Time Control for this tournament is 30 minutes per player.

How are scores determined?

For every win, you receive 1 point. For draw, you receive ½ point and for every loss, you receive 0 point.

How are tie breakers determined?

We use the USCF-approved Median system, which adds up the final scores of the tied players’ opponents. In other words, it is the computer software that is approved by USCF that will calculate the tie-breaks. In general, if one’s opponents’ scores are higher, that means they played stronger opposition and therefore deserves a higher place on the standings. USCF rating results do not take tiebreaks into consideration.

What should I do when something is wrong?

Please pause the clock, raise the hand and ask for help from TD.

How do I get USCF membership?

There are 2 options:

• You can do it yourself by visiting uschess.org and applying for membership
• We can process on behalf of you for a small processing fee of $5. This will ensure accuracy and will save you some time.

What time will the tournament start?

The Tournament will start exactly at 09 AM EST.

When should we check in online?

You should check in at least 1 hour before to ensure that you don’t lose out on the initial pairing.

What should I do first when I arrive?

You must contact TD for check in.

When and where is the awards ceremony?

Once we calculate the standings and tiebreaks for a section, we will announce the awards. All trophies & certificates will be distributed after the tournament.

Can I use the restroom while my game is still in progress?

Yes! However, note that you are not allowed to pause your clock while the game is going on.

What should I do when my game is finished?

Right after the completion of a game pause the clock, raise your hand and ask TD to mark the result.

Will you publish the results? How?

Winner(s) name will be announced on Website Hall of Fame, in the Chess KLUB Online community and on our Social Media.