Hamilton Chess Club

Club ratings have been updated

Remember that our premier event, the club champs, will kick off on Tuesday 03 March.

Time control will be the same as last year at 60 minutes + 10 seconds per move from move 1.

One game per night over 6 weeks.

The format will be start time 7.15pm (7.30 on week 1), 1 game per night, open to financial members (or financial members temporarily in arrears), and newly paid up members, only. You can check when your sub is due by going to the website – About > Who We Are. Online payments preferred, see the website for details. If you are not currently a member but want to take part then you can join on the first night.

(Adult: $40 per year, or $25 for 6 months. Juniors $20 per year)

A single division Swiss Style Tournament. The overall winner will be awarded the title Club Champion 2020 and receive all the accolades that are associated with the title. The highest rated junior  will be awarded the title Club Junior Champion 2020.

The draw will be based on Current club ratings. New players without a club rating will be assigned 1500 points for the purposes of the  draw.

Entry permitted in round one and two, but round one preferred!.  If you can’t make it on the first night let me know and you will be awarded a half point bye. If you enter in round two without prior notification you will retrospectively receive a zero point bye for round 1. Also if you want to play but might be a little late on the first night let me know and I will include you in the draw. Please don’t turn up after 7:15. Entries will not be accepted in week three or beyond.

Games start at 7.15pm – a 30 minute late time applies (your game is lost if you are 30 minutes late). Clocks will be started at 7:15 even if neither player is present.

Usual FIDE laws apply with  the exception of the Hamilton Chess Club Special Rules found on the website. Disputes committee will be club executive (Hilton Ian and Richard). If one or two of the disputes committee is/are party to a dispute, the remaining member(s) will constitute the disputes committee.

Please bring a pen if you wish to record your games. Recording is not mandatory, but if you don’t record your game you will not be allowed to claim a draw for the 50 move rule or 3 fold repetition unless agreed by your opponent.

One 1/2 point bye allowed per player, if notified to Ian the Sunday before the round that it applies.

No half point byes allowed in rounds 5 or 6.

Tie breaks will be according to the NZ  standard  1. Direct Encounter. 2. Cumulative (Sum of Progressive Scores). 3. Total Buchholz. 4. Sonneborn-Berger. 5. Buchholz Cut1.   If still tied the award will be share

We only managed two rounds of the Summer Cup on opening night. To finish out the Summer cup we will have rounds 3 and 4 this Tuesday, and rounds 5 and 6 the next. The time control will be 30 + 0.  Week five we will kick off the club champs.

We had 20 for the simul in the end. Notable wins to William and Prashanth. Graham was close to a win with knight and three pawns against bishop and pawn but in the end had to settle for a draw. Regular club nights resume on Tuesday.

We set a club record with six new members joining on the first night of the year — Colin Barrett-Hogg, Sivaram Manoharan, Thomas Beier, Stanley Lin, Ben Firestone, Jarvis Xiang. Colin, Sivaram and Jarvis have all returned after several years absence while Thomas Stanley and Ben are new blood.  Welcome guys.

We had a great turnout on the first night of the year with 26 players fronting. Several new members joined up, and some members returned after an absence of several years. The club keeps getting stronger and stronger.  We managed only two games due to some computer teething problems and will continue the tournament in two weeks time at slightly longer time control. Next week is the GM simul so don’t miss out.