U18 & U14 Jamboree Rules

Information for Team Managers

Managers should make those parts of the following notes that apply clear to their teams before the first round.

Divisions:

U18 Open Teams of 6.
U18 Minor Teams of 6.
All players with grades, both standard-play and rapid-play, below 130 ECF

U14 Open Teams of 6.
U14 Minor Teams of 6.
All players with grades,both standard-play and rapid-play, below 110 ECF

Reserves:

Teams may bring up to four reserves in each Division. A Team Manager may substitute a Reserve for a player in the main Jamboree tournament in any round, as specified further below. A separate Reserves Tournament will be organised along Jamboree lines in each Division.

Grading:
All games from the Jamboree and the Reserves Tournament will be sent for ECF Standard Play Grading.

Time Control:
All sections: 60 minutes for all moves with 5 seconds increment per move.

Eligibility:
The event is open to all but only teams affiliated to the SCCU can be awarded the title(s) of SCCU Champions.

Eligibility to play for a team shall be as laid down by the SCCU General Rules. The qualification to represent a County shall be based upon birth or residence in the County, or membership of a chess club in or affiliated to the County, or attendance at an educational establishment in the County, as specified by the ECF rules currently in force. Team Managers must be prepared to prove the eligibility of their players if asked to do so by the organisers.

Any queries regarding eligibility must be made via the organisers. The organisers’ decision will be final and binding.

The penalty for including any ineligible player shall be the loss of the ineligible player’s game and the deduction of a further penalty point from the team’s score.

Players in Under 18 teams must have been aged under 18 on the 31st August in the previous calendar year.

Players in Under 14 teams must have been aged under 14 on 31st August in the previous calendar year.

Grades and FIDE Ratings are to be taken from the most recently published list.

Players with a FIDE rating but no ECF grade must convert their rating using the current ECF = (FIDE - 700) /7.5 algorithm for the purposes of determining eligibility to play in a minor section.

For ungraded players, Team Managers must supply a reasonable estimate of playing strength.

Prizes:
There will be trophies for first and second placed team in each section.
The winners of the U18 Open will be entitled to hold the perpetual trophy for one year and should arrange
for it to be engraved and returned in time for next year’s event.
The highest placed SCCU team in each section will be awarded the title of SCCU Champion.
Where necessary to determine trophy winners, teams with equal total points shall be split in the following
order:
a. Largest number of wins
b. Board count, obtained by adding the sum of the numbers of the boards won to half thesumof the
number of the boards drawn - the lower or lowest total wins;
c. Board elimination, from the bottom upwards.

Competition Rules

The laws of chess shall apply.

In particular, the FIDE laws concerning illegal moves in Standard Play shall apply. Until 1 July 2017, Laws 7.4 a and 7.4 b shall apply. On and after 1 July 2017, Laws 7.5.1, 7.5.2, 7.5.3 and 7.5.4 shall apply.

Pairings shall be on a jamboree basis.

A win shall score 1 point, a draw ½ point and a loss nil.

A team list of players in playing strength order must be submitted before the draw for team letters, and by no later than 10.30 a.m. on the day of the competition, alongside a list of named reserves. For each player the following information must be supplied:

• Name (as known by in the ECF grading list)
• Name of school
• Date of Birth
• ECF grading code
• ECF standard and rapid grades as at January in the year in which the Jamboree is being held (or converted FIDE ratings, or estimated playing strength)

A template for collecting this information will be provided by the organisers.

The organisers will issue team managers with copies of the jamboree pairing tables for each section. After handing in team lists and prior to the start of play, team managers shall draw lots in order to determine the team code letters for pairings.

If a team has fewer than the total number of players then the players must play on the highest boards with gaps (and hence defaulted games) on the lowest boards. However, in the circumstances where a player is simply late in arriving, they may be named on the team list on the appropriate board and on arrival take their place in the event.

If a named player is absent, a substitute may be provided at any time during the first 30 minutes of play.

Substitutions, using a nominated reserve, must be notified to the Section Controller at least ten minutes before the start of a round. A substitute may play on any board, provided this does not result in the player playing the same opponent twice, and provided that the players in a team are still in order of playing strength.

Only the Arbiter, Section Controllers, Team Managers and players actually involved in a game may remain in the playing area while the round is in progress.

Players in the competition must record their games, except in the last five minutes on their clock. Clocks shall be started at the appointed time whether both players are present or not. If a player is not present the default time for the event is 30 minutes.

Mobile phones must be switched off at all times within the Playing Area. If a player's mobile phone goes off during a game then the player loses the game. If a Team Manager's mobile phone goes off whilst any games are still in progress then his/her team shall lose one game point.

The Team Manager may not interfere with a game by word or gesture unless there is a dispute and his/her player has requested the involvement of their Team Manager.

If there is a dispute, the player should stop the clock and call the Arbiter. This must be done before any further move is made in the game.

The Arbiter’s decision shall be final and binding.

At the end of the game, the players, having agreed a result, should complete the results slip provided. The winner should hand in the completed slip to the Controller, or the player with the white pieces in the case of a draw.

Both players should reset the board and clock before leaving the playing area.

Any interpretation required for these event rules shall be at the sole discretion of the Arbiter, whose decision shall be final and binding.