Welsh Chess Premier League Rules 2008-2009

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Notes

Please note that these rules are, at the moment, provisional.

The changes for this season, because there are so many of them, are not in red.

In order to simplify the wording of these rules, some words, printed in blue, are defined in the glossary at the bottom of this document.

General

Unless otherwise specified, the FIDE laws of chess shall apply.

Mobile phones: Although mobile phones should be switched off before the start of the match, there is no penalty if one rings. Players can use a telephone during a match only with the prior agreement of the opposing captain.

Defaults: A player who arrives more than one hour after the start of the match will lose his own game by default but, if he arrives while the match is still in progress, there is no further penalty: he is treated as if he arrived on time and lost quickly. If, in the Director's opinion, there is a good reason for his non-arrival he might also treated as if he arrived on time and lost quickly.

Interpretation of the Rules

The Director shall be democratically elected before the start of each season. One team, one vote. Regardless of how well the rules are written, there will be grey areas. Any of the Director's decisions may be appealed by any captain, and then voted on, by all captains (and possibly the MB Rep) within five days if the vote is against the Director's decision, or seven days if the vote is in favour. There is no further appeal.

Venues

It is the duty the Home Captain, even with a "half-way" venue, to organize (and pay for) the venue, and to provide boards, sets, clocks, score-sheets etc.

Time limits

Mid-week matches start at 19:15 with a minimum time-limit of 35 moves in 75 minutes after which both clocks are wound back 15 minutes and the remainder of the game must be played in the time remaining.

Weekend matches start at 14:00 with a minimum time-limit of 36 moves in 90 minutes after which both clocks are wound back 30 minutes and the remainder of the game must be played in the time remaining.

If both captains agree, there are other possibilities, but they must apply to all games in a match.

a) Other time limits, if the playing session is at least as long as the standard one.
b) A different start time for the match is also OK.
c) Time limits with increments are OK so long as the game time (for an 80 move game) is at least as long as the standard minimum playing session.

Notification of Results

There is no real reason why there should be any hurry to notify me but I would prefer the match results from BOTH captains within a day or two of the match. Preparation is becoming more and more a part of the modern game so I would also like copies of all of the games, so that I can publish them on this website. Alternatively, as many of us now have ChessBase, a GAMES.PGN file attached to an e-mail might be more convenient.

League Standings

The WCPL will be decided on MATCH points, with GAME points being used as the first tie-breaker, and missed deadlines as a second tie breaker. There is, if needed, a final tie-breaker described here.

Team Composition

Each team will consist of six players. No player may play below a player who has an ELO rating more than 80 points higher than his own. The Home team will have the Black pieces on board 1.

Also each team, on the night, is further restricted as follows:

1) At least three of the players must be Welsh.
2) At least four of the players must be active in the Club's own zone.
3) At least five of the players must be active in one of the Zonal Leagues.
4) All six of the players must have been on the team's Nominated Player List for 14 days.
5) Any defaults must be on the lowest possible board(s). Any such defaults are considered both Welsh and active in the Club's own zone.

Penalties

Option 1(a)

It is the responsibility of both captains, who should both have the necessary data, to check the legality of their own team and their opponent's team. Once the match has started, it is too late for either captain or for anybody else to complain. The only possibility of a penalty is for defaulted games. The team must be repaired, so that only the lowest board(s) are defaulted, by substitution as described here.

Option 1(b)

It is the responsibility of each captain to ensure the legality of his own team. Any breach of the Team Composition rules may, if not noticed by the Director, be pointed out by any captain. The team must be totally repaired by substitution as described here.

Option end

Any penalties incurred in this section are also added to the opponent's match score. Even after the match score is corrected, with penalties and compensation, no team can score fewer than zero GPs, or more than six GPs, in a single match. If the Home team scores more GPs than the Away team, the match is a win for the Home team. If the Home team scores fewer GPs than the Away team, the match is a win for the Away team. If both teams score the same number of GPs, the match is a draw.

Postponements

Any match may be postponed, or brought forward, and with no penalty, to any legal date with the agreement of both captains.

The match may also be postponed, with the agreement of both captains, to an illegally late date but this will incur a penalty, of 0.5 GP for every week or part of a week after the latest legal date, for the team requesting the postponement. This penalty is not transferred to the opponents and will not affect the match result.

In exceptional circumstances (e.g. extremely bad weather) the match may be postponed by the Director (normally, but not necessarily, by 7 days) even if this new date is technically illegal. Any match thus postponed may be re-arranged, with the agreement of both captains, and with no penalty, to any date not later than 15 days after the original date regardless of whether or not this new date, according to the fixtures, is technically legal. E.g. a match arranged for Sat 2nd may be postponed by the Director to Sat 9th. If both captains agree, the match may be further postponed to Sun 17th with no penalty.

Qualification for Europe

The prizes in the WCPL are: 1st = 120 points, 2nd = 80 points, 3rd = 40 points. These points may be used to take the team to the European Club Cup.

Option 2.a

Teams which finish level on MPs, GPs, and MDs share the points equally between themselves. e.g. a tie for 2nd and 3rd means 1st = 120 points, (joint 2nd and 3rd) = 60 points each.

Option 2.b

Any ties are totally resolved before the points, as specified above, are awarded.

Option end

Only teams which finish in the top half of the WCPL League Table are eligible to play in Europe. These (four) teams are invited in the following order: Priority is given to those with the highest number of points (those brought forward plus those acquired in the season) and, if two or more teams are tied in this respect, priority is given to the team which finished in the higher position, in the WCPL League Table, at the end of the season. As an example:

Teams Silver and Bronze, in that order, are invited first. If either declines the offer then, as Brass is in the lower half of the table and therefore ineligible, Gold and then, if necessary, Copper will be invited. Whichever teams travel to Europe will each lose 120 points.

Promotion and Relegation

Certain teams, the sole representatives of a zone in the WCPL, are safe from relegation. The lowest placed "other" team will, if it wishes to continue to play in the WCPL, have to compete in a "qualification event" against other teams who may wish to enter. In order to limit the size of this "qualification event" there will be rules, from Summer 2007 onwards, to limit which teams might enter it. These rules are detailed here.