Leeds Chess Association
Leeds Chess Association

The Rules and Constitution of the Leeds Chess Association were last reviewed at the June 2023  Annual General Meeting. 

 

Please note multiple amendments concerning rating limited and handicap competions which have been updated to reflect the latest ECF  latest "4 digit" rating system. .

 

The most recent amendments are shown in red text : at the June 2022 AGM amendments were agreed to Rule C3 & Rule E9

 

At the June 2023 AGM amendments were agreed to rule A7.1 and D1.6

 

                                                       

THE CONSTITUTION of Leeds Chess Association

A1 NAME

The name of the association shall be the Leeds Chess Association.

A2 MANAGEMENT

A committee comprising the following shall manage the association's affairs: -
A president, chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, controller, minutes’ secretary, tournament secretaries, treasurer, website editor, child protection advisor and an auditor.

A3 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

3.1 The AGM shall be held during the month of June, the date being fixed at the
April meeting.

3.2 The business to be conducted at the AGM shall be: -

3.2.1 Reports of association officials.

3.2.2 Presentation of prizes.

3.2.3 The election of the following officers: -
President, vice-presidents, chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, minutes secretary, tournament secretaries, treasurer, website editor, child protection advisor and an auditor.
An existing officer may be replaced by a majority vote at an EGM.

3.2.4 The discussion and, if seen fit, the passing of amendments to the constitution and rules.

3.2.5 Any other business, which may or may not be specified on the agenda.

3.3 Any proposals to amend the rules must be given in writing to the reach the secretary at least twenty-one days before the date of the meeting. Such proposals will be circulated with the notice calling the meeting. Any proposals under this rule require a simple majority to be successful.

3.4 At the discretion of the chairman, amendments, which have not been circulated, may be put to the meeting. To succeed, proposals put under this rule require the votes of two- thirds of those present that are eligible to vote. Under this rule, only proposals concerning the association's "General Rules " (Section B) and "Tournament Rules" (Sections C, D, E, F, and G) can be accepted.

3.5 The notice calling the meeting shall be circulated among member clubs no later than seven days before the meeting.

3.6 All officials and members of member clubs shall be entitled to attend and vote.

3.7 In the event of a voting tie, the chairman shall have the casting vote.

A4 EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

4.1 An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be called by notice to the secretary signed by three or more of the member clubs or on the instruction of a general or committee meeting.

4.2 Such notice shall set out specific purposes for calling such a meeting and must reach the secretary twenty-one days before the desired date of the meeting.

4.3 An EGM shall be competent to discuss any other business except changes to the constitution and rules.

4.4 For voting purposes, rules A3.6 and A3.7 shall apply.

4.5 The structure of all team tournaments shall be determined at the September EGM, at which all competing clubs shall enter a specific number of teams in each tournament. Any club which does not have a representative at the EGM must supply this information to the secretary or tournament secretaries before the meeting. Any entries after the EGM will not be accepted.

A5 COMMITTEE MEETINGS

5.1 The committee shall meet on the first Monday of September, December, February and April. If any meeting coincides with a public holiday or some other function, the date may be adjusted.

5.2 At such meetings the committee shall discuss such matters as are required to administer the day-to-day management of the association and its associated tournaments as set out in the "Constitution and Rules".

A6 QUORUM

6.1 At a committee, "Extraordinary General" or "Annual General Meeting", the quorum shall consist of representatives of three of the member clubs.

A7 PLAYING SEASON

7.1 The playing season shall commence during the month of September and all league
matches conducted by the Association are to be completed by the end of
May. The season should begin on the third Wednesday of September with the Team Lightning. The league matches would then commence on the following Wednesday.

7.2 An extension to the playing season can only be permitted by the committee if such issues as promotion and relegation are undecided.

A8 CLUBS ELIGIBLE FOR MEMBERSHIP

8.1 Any chess club wishing to apply for membership of the association shall do so at the EGM held before the start of the season. Any reasonable objections to such applications, e.g. unsuitable venue, should be raised at that meeting with a vote taken of members of the committee to approve membership.

8.2 Any chess club or individual, who fails to meet acceptable standards, or is judged to bring the association into disrepute, may be suspended or expelled by a majority vote at an EGM

A9 MEMBERSHIP FEES

9.1 The association committee shall determine the annual subscription per team entered by a member club. This shall be payable at the commencement of the playing season.

9.2 A 50% higher fee will be levied to member clubs if subscriptions for their teams are not paid by 31st December.

9.3 Any team(s) who defaults on paying their subscription will be required to pay the outstanding balance owed plus their fees for the forthcoming season before being allowed entry. The September EGM is the final deadline by which these payments must be made and by which cheques must be cleared.

A10 SMOKING

10.1 There shall be no smoking at any association meeting.

10.2 The home team can impose a smoking ban.

10.3 Players shall not smoke at the chessboard.

A11 BEHAVIOUR

11.1 Adult players should at all times refrain from bad and provocative behaviour in front of juniors, which includes refraining from any kind of swearing, raised voices, threats of any sort, excessive drinking, repeatedly asking for draws or unsporting behaviour. Where there is a dispute of any kind, the adult members of the teams must not behave in an improper manner in front of juniors, and should resolve the matter in an area well away from any juniors.
11.2. If there is any kind of dispute with an adult and junior in a game, the adult must refer the issue immediately to both respective captains for a resolution and not try to resolve it directly with the junior concerned.
11.3 A junior should be allowed to report any adult to their captain during the game and after to the league if they feel that they are being bullied, subjected to any form of pressure to change the outcome of a game or move unfairly.
11.4 The league should have a Child Protection Policy that clearly states the procedure for dealing with complaints or misconduct regarding juniors.
11.5 All players must respect the rules of the premises in which they play and conform immediately to any reasonable requests by the owners or officers of that establishment.
11.6 All clubs shall inform all other clubs of any specific playing conditions which apply to that club's venue.

SECTION B - GENERAL RULES

B1 LAWS OF CHESS

1.1 All games shall be played in accordance with the Laws of Chess as published by the English Chess Federation.

B2 PLAYERS ELIGIBLE FOR SELECTION

2.1 All players taking part in tournaments conducted under the rules of the association shall be members of the company, club or other such similar body. For the purposes of these rules, all such bodies shall be known as clubs.

2.2 No player may play for more than one club during the course of a season, except in the Mini League, Rapidplay and Arjay Trophy, where anyone can play for any club or in the case of a transfer (B2.3).

2.3 Any player wishing to leave a club mid-season after he/she has played for that club in LCA competitions and play for another club in the LCA shall be granted a transfer if:

(a) An application for a transfer is approved by the tournament secretary
(b) The player asking for a transfer has the consent of both clubs.

Only one transfer per player per season will be permitted.

2.4 A team playing an ineligible player shall forfeit the match and the non-offending team shall receive the two match points. In the case of game points, the offending team shall forfeit that board and all boards below, such game points being transferred to the non-offending team.

B3 DISPUTES

3.1 The captains (or their nominees) of the respective teams may decide all disputes between individual players. Failing this, all disputes may be referred in writing, via the tournament secretary to the committee, whose decision shall be final.  Captains are allowed to stop their clocks while they resolve any dispute.

B4 NOTES FOR THE RECORDING OF GAMES

4.1 Each player is under obligation to record a game. A player may be excused this obligation by the opposing captain, whose consent shall be sought prior to the start of the game.

4.2 It is not obligatory to record the game: -

4.2.1 in the last five minutes before the time control,
4.2.2 in rapid play finishes in the last five minutes before the time control for the end of the game.

4.3 A player may record the game in either algebraic or descriptive notation.

B5 THE PIECES

5.1 The pieces used in all tournaments conducted by the Leeds Chess Association shall be of the "Staunton" pattern.

B6 TROPHIES

6.1 A trophy will be awarded to the winner of each section of each tournament. Trophies may also be available for some runners-up.

6.2 In all tournaments, whether for teams or individuals, the winner of each individual game will receive one game point, and for drawn games, both players will receive half a game point.
In addition to the tournament trophies, an individual trophy will be awarded to the player scoring the highest number of game points overall in all the competitions played under the time controls in C6. In the event of a tie, the player sharing the highest score from the least number of games will be the winner.

6.3 Any additional speed-chess competitions will be formulated at the September EGM and included in the fixtures by the Tournament Secretary. These normally include a team lightning competition to start the season off.
Further trophies may be awarded to the winners of these competitions, but any trophy for the overall highest scoring player in all such competitions would be separate from that in B6.2.

6.4 The winners of trophies are responsible for minding them until the following season's presentation meeting, when they will be required to produce them. Failure to do so may result in the holding club or individual being barred from that particular tournament until they return or replace the trophy (any lost trophy should be replaced by one which is acceptable to the LCA Committee). No further trophies will be placed in their care until such matters are resolved.

B7 MOBILE PHONES

7.1 If a player's mobile phone rings in the playing venue during play, that player shall be warned by the team captains. If that player's mobile phone rings in the playing venue a second time, that players shall lose the game, unless both team captains agree to the contrary.

SECTION C - FIVE-PLAYER TEAM TOURNAMENT RULES

C1 STRUCTURE OF THE TOURNAMENT

1.1 The competition shall be played in such a number of sections as determined by the September EGM.

1.2 Teams shall consist of five players.

1.3 Each team shall play every other team in its section twice, once at home and once away. The home team shall fix the venue for the match within twenty miles, by road, from Leeds city centre.

1.4 A win shall count two points, a draw one point.

1.5 The team scoring the highest number of points shall be the winner of its section, or, if there is only one section, of the competition.

1.6 Where points are equal, promotion, relegation and championship issues shall be decided on "total game points" (note: double defaulted boards shall not be counted towards match scores). If still tied, the match scores between the two tied teams shall settle it. If still tied, a play-off match. Players selected for a "tie break" match must have played a minimum number of four games for that team during the season.

1.7 New clubs or teams entering the tournament shall normally be placed in the lowest division. Under exceptional circumstances the September EGM can decide to place any team in an appropriate division.

1.8 Where a member club or team withdraws from the tournament during the course of a season, results already received by the tournament secretary will not be recorded in association tables unless that club or team has fulfilled at least 50% of its fixtures.

1.9 The minimum number of teams in the first division will be eight. The remaining teams will be allocated to the lower divisions.

C2 PROMOTION AND RELEGATION

2.1 Promotions and relegation will be of two teams promoted and two teams relegated. This may be altered at the discretion of the committee.

C3 CLUBS ENTERING TWO OR MORE TEAMS

3.1 If a club enters two or more teams, the strongest team shall be called the "A" or "1st" team, the next strongest the "B" or "2nd" team and so on. The average strength of the higher team MUST be stronger than any lower team.  The grading used to determine a player's strength for this purpose shall be the player's ECF grade at the beginning of the season. If a player has no ECF grade at the beginning of the season then the grading will be based on (in order of priority) current ECF rating, current FIDE rating (converted at the rate currently stated by the ECF), another recognised National Federation rating (converted at the rate currently stated by the ECF). Players with no previous grade or an unreliable grade (which could be based on too few games) may be given an estimated grade by the LCA Controller if sufficient knowledge about the player exists. If a player is still unrated they shall be excluded from the calculation of average team strength.

3.2 Where a club enters two or more teams in the same division, all matches between these teams in the same club must be played before the last two fixtures of the season. This will be reflected in the fixture list issued by the tournament secretary. Failure to comply for any reason will result in a double default being recorded.

3.2.1 Matches in all divisions must be played on the last two scheduled fixture dates of the league season.

3.2.2 Where a club enters two or more teams in the same division, all matches between these teams in the same club must be played before the last two fixtures of the season. This will be reflected in the fixture list issued by the tournament secretary. Failure to comply for any reason will result in a double default being recorded.

 

3.3 A player who has played on boards one and two on three occasions and more cannot play for a lower team. A player who has played on boards one and two on less than three occasions and a player who has played on boards three, four and five may play for a lower team.

 

3.3.1 A player who has played on boards one and two on three occasions or more cannot play for a lower team. A player who has played on boards one or two on less than three occasions and a player who has played on board three, four and five may play for a lower team.

 

3.3.2 In the last two scheduled matches of the season a team may not field a player who has played in a higher division unless the player has already played for that team in that division in an earlier match of the league season.

 

3.4 Contravention of rules C3.3.1 and 3.3.2 above shall result in the team being penalised in accordance with rule B2.5.

 

3.5 No individual may play in two matches originally scheduled for the same date.

C4 RULES GOVERNING PLAY

4.1 The tournament secretary will draw up a comprehensive fixture list. This will be circulated to all member clubs before the start of the season. The list will specify the day and date of all matches, which in normal circumstances cannot be changed. As far as is possible, all league divisions will play on the same Wednesdays, except in the case of the university, or any school teams, where the club secretary must notify the tournament secretary of the dates available for fixtures at the EGM preceding the playing season.

There will be no fixtures during the Christmas / New Year weeks.

Teams who wish to play their home matches on days other than Wednesday or who cannot play certain weeks, must inform the tournament secretary before the list is published. The tournament secretary will use his/her best endeavours to satisfy these teams' requirements, within these rules. New clubs entering the tournament shall play their home matches on Wednesdays.

4.2 The two captains shall agree the time for commencing and finishing play but the time for commencing play shall not (normally) be later than 7.00pm.

4.3 Before commencing a match the captain of each team shall hand the opposing captain a list of players in his/her team in order of playing strength, with their grade written alongside their name, and the players shall be paired accordingly. 

Any team who fields a player in the wrong position according to playing strength shall forfeit that board and all the boards below, such game points being transferred to the non-offending team.

4.4 The away team shall have the white pieces on all boards.

4.5 Thirty minutes grace from the agreed time of commencing play shall be claimed for any absent player, but unless he/she or a substitute has commenced play within that time the absentee shall forfeit the game. (Any substitutions in these circumstances shall not be held to be in violation of Rule C4.3).  This can only happen a maximum of twice in any season. 

4.6 Where a match starts after the agreed starting time and the home team is at fault for the delay, the time lost must be deducted to the home team's clocks.

4.7 When an away team is late, the home team may start all the clocks at the agreed starting time.

4.8 The home team shall notify the result of the match to the tournament secretary within seven days, giving the full score. If a team defaults a match, the opposing team must notify the tournament secretary within seven days whether home or away, listing the players for that team in board order. These players will have been eligible and available to play for that team on the fixture date and cannot play for any other team on that date.

4.9 Should a result card not be sent to the tournament secretary within seven days of the match being played, one league point will be deducted from the offending team.
(Note: each team is allowed two indiscretions before invoking this rule).

4.10 Any team, which defaults 2 boards, irrespective of notice, shall have one league point deducted and any team, which defaults more than 2 boards, shall have two league points deducted at the discretion of the LCA Controller.

 

C5 POSTPONEMENTS

5.1 Postponements will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances, i.e. severe inclement weather, loss of venue, power cut.

5.2 When a match has been postponed, both sides shall use their best endeavours to find a mutually satisfactory new date for their match. If this proves impossible, the matter shall be referred, via the tournament secretary, to the next meeting of the committee, who shall have complete discretion in the matter and whose decision is final.

5.3 No rearranged matches shall be played after the last scheduled fixture date of the league season.

 

C6 TIME CONTROLS

6.1 Clocks must be used on all boards. Arrangements may be made with visiting teams to ensure that enough clocks are available. The home team has the right to use digital or analogue clocks, except for disabled players who need to use their own clocks.

6.2 The clock will usually be placed at the left of the player who has the white pieces. The player with the black pieces has the choice in all cases.

6.3 The clock must be pressed by the hand that makes the move (note: gentle pressing is more efficient than banging).

6.4 The time control is to be 80 minutes for the whole game, with 10 seconds increment per move from move 1.  

 

If digital clocks are not available the time limit is to be thirty-five moves in seventy-five minutes. After black's thirty-fifth move, the times are to be noted and the clocks put back fifteen minutes. The game is then to be completed in the remaining time.

 

6.5 With respect to time controls, a player may claim a draw according to ECF Rules in the following circumstances:

6.5.1 at any stage of the game if:
a) the same position occurs three times,
b) 50 consecutive moves have been made by each player without a pawn being moved or a piece being captured.

6.5.2 when he/she has less than two minutes of playing time left but his/her opponent:

a) cannot win by normal means,
b) is making no effort to win by normal means.
6.5.3 when he/she passes either time limit (flag fall) but his/her opponent has only remaining a) a lone King,
b) a lone King and a minor piece (Bishop or Knight).

6.6 – End of playing session

A game is drawn if not completed by 10:30pm. The finishing time can be changed with the agreement of both captains before the start of the match

 

 

SECTION D - MINI-LEAGUE RULES

D1 STRUCTURE OF THE MINI-LEAGUE TOURNAMENT

1.1 Rule C1.1 applies.

1.2 Teams shall consist of three players.

1.3 The competition shall be played according to the Swiss pairing system, the number of rounds being decided at the September EGM. The Tournament Secretary shall make the pairings and the home team shall fix the venue for the match within twenty miles, by road, from Leeds city centre. Byes will be given if an odd number of teams enter the competition, in which case one team has a bye in each round. The team having the bye will be credited with 3 game points plus 0.5 handicap points. A random team is selected for the first round;
thereafter, the lowest placed team is selected, unless they have already had a bye, in which case select the next lowest team and so forth. No team will be allowed more than one bye in the competition.

1.4 The Mini division shall be run according to a "handicap" system, which will depend on the difference in aggregate grades between the two opposing teams. Game points, not match points, shall be used to determine the placing of teams. To calculate the handicaps, use the following:

If Grading difference = 225 points or less, give 1 handicap point to both teams.
If Grading difference = 226-749 points, give 1.5 handicap points to the weaker team and 0.5 point to the stronger team.
If Grading difference = 750 or more points, give both handicap points to the weaker team (nothing to the stronger team).

The ECF Ratings from the most recent monthly list available at the start of the season (usually the "September" list) will be used for all matches.

1.5 Rule C1.5 applies.

1.6 Where points are equal, ties shall be decided by the method of "sum of progressive scores". If still tied, "sum of opponents' scores" will decide. If both methods fail to split teams tying for first place, then the match score between those teams will decide. If still tied, a play-off match.
 

1.7 Rule C1.7 applies.

1.8 Rule C1.8 applies.

D2 PROMOTION AND RELEGATION

2.1 Rule C2.1 applies if the competition is played in more than one section.

D3 CLUBS ENTERING TWO OR MORE TEAMS

3.1 Teams may be named in any order of strength, but the total ECF rating for any team must not exceed 5850 points. The penalty for exceeding 5850 points will be that the opposing team collects all three game points (handicap points remain unaffected). There is no restriction on individual ratings.

3.2 Generally, each player may only play for one team. The only exception is to allow one substitute per team, who can only be substituted from another team within the same club.
Ineligible substitutes are regarded as playing out of board order and will be punished accordingly.

D4 RULES GOVERNING PLAY

4.1 Rule C4.1 applies.

4.2 Rule C4.2 applies.

4.3 Players should be placed in order of strength, the strongest on board one, etc. The penalty for breaking this rule will be that the offending player's point will be transferred to the opposing team together with any boards below that board. If both teams flout this rule, the relevant game points are lost completely. In all cases, the handicap points are preserved.

4.4 The captains shall toss for colours, the winner having the choice of white or black on odd boards.

4.5 Rule C4.5 applies.

4.6 Rule C4.6 applies.

4.7 Rule C4.7 applies.

4.8 Rule C4.8 applies.

4.9 Rule C4.9 applies.

4.10 If a player defaults a game, the game point is given to the opposing team. If both players default, neither team scores for that board. Additionally, any team which defaults a board(s) will lose all their handicap points - the latter are not given to their opponents.

To calculate the handicapping, absent players will be graded as follows:
(i) If a nominated player, expected to play, fails to arrive in time, then that player's grade is given to the prescribed board, which will be in the correct board order for that grade.
(ii) If a team has less than three players to start with, the available players must fill the highest available boards - ie the default(s) must occur on the lowest board(s). Each defaulted board is designated as being the same grade as the board above, up to a maximum of 500 aggregate grading points.
(iii) If an entire team defaults a match the opposing team receives a maximum of 3.5 points (equivalent to a bye), allocated as 1 game point for each available player plus 0.5 handicap points if all 3 players are available.

D5 POSTPONEMENTS

5.1 Rule C5.1 applies.

5.2 Rule C5.2 applies.

D6 TIME CONTROLS

All of rule C6 applies.

D7 ESTIMATED & UNRELIABLE GRADES

7.1 Players who have never had a rating will be assigned a provisional rating of 1450.

Players whose grades have expired should use their most recent published grade, minus six points for each inactive year, up to a maximum reduction of thirty points.

For players with ELO ratings, we use the current conversion formula.

 

7.2 Any player graded under 1075 will be assigned a grade of exactly 1075 if their grade is based on less than ten games. Players with no previous grade or an unreliable grade (which could be based on too few games) may be given an estimated grade by the LCA Controller if sufficient knowledge about the player exists.

 

SECTION E - ARJAY TROPHY RULES

E1 FORM OF TOURNAMENT

1.1 The tournament is a knockout competition for teams of three players.

1.2 Clubs may enter more than one team, but no player may play in more than one team. A team breaking this rule shall forfeit the match, even if the player involved had a default win in a previous round for another team and the result would not be changed.

1.3 A secondary competition shall be run for all Arjay first-round losers, including any possible preliminary-round losers. The competition is to be called the Arjay Plate.

1.4 Any team which defaults a first-round match may not proceed into the Arjay Plate competition.

E2 THE DRAW

2.1 The draws for the various rounds will be made by the tournament secretary, the first team of each pairing having the home venue. Dates for all rounds will be determined by the Tournament Secretary and incorporated into the fixture list.

E3 PAIRING OF PLAYERS

3.1 Rule C4.3 applies.

E4 ALLOCATION OF COLOURS

4.1  The captains shall toss for colours, the winner having the choice of either white on board 1. or white on boards 2 & 3.

E5 TIES

5.1 If all games are drawn then the team carrying the lowest total (ECF) rating shall be the winners. Excluding the above, and in the event of the match being drawn, the winners will be decided by lowest board count.

E6 TIME CONTROLS

All of rule C6 applies.

E7 NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS

7.1 Rule C4.9 applies.

E8 POSTPONEMENTS

8.1 Rule C5.1 applies.

8.2 Rule C5.2 applies.

E9 FINALS

9.1 If a player is substituted in the final round, the grade of the substitute must not be greater than the player being substituted. This rule does not apply if all three players have already played for the team in earlier rounds.

SECTION F - NORMAN ELLIS TROPHY RULES

F1 FORM OF TOURNAMENT

1.1 The tournament uses the Swiss pairing system for individual players.

1.2 Any member of any member club and all officials are eligible for entry.

1.3 The Committee shall determine the entry fee for the competition.

1.4 The number of rounds will be determined at the September EGM. Each round of matches will be played on a specific date and at a specific venue, included in the fixture list by the Tournament Secretary.

1.5 The winner of the competition is the player who scores the highest number of game points over all the rounds (one game point for a win, half a point for a draw). Tie-breaks will be decided by the result between all the tied players by forming a mini-league. If two of the players did not play that result will be deemed to be a draw. If still tied, the sum of opponent’s scores will decide the winner. If it is still tied after these tie-breaks, then sum of progressive scores shall decide the winner.

F2 THE DRAW

2.1 The Tournament Secretary (or deputy) will supervise each round of matches, and set the draw for each round, including designation of colours.

2.2 In the event of an odd number of players, one player will be given a one point bye according to the Swiss system.

2.3 Players may play in any or all of the rounds, but can claim up to two half point byes providing one week's notice is given to the Tournament Secretary. Half-point byes can not be claimed in the final round of matches.
Players may claim a one point bye if they play in a League, Mini, Rapidpay or Arjay match on the same day as one of the rounds. Players may not claim more than a total of one point in byes.

F3 TIME CONTROLS

All of rule C6 applies

SECTION G - KENNETH APPLEBY TROPHY RULES

G1 FORM OF TOURNAMENT

1.1 Rule F1.1 applies.

1.2 It is open to players whose rating does not exceed a limit determined by the Committee.

1.3 Rule F1.3 applies.

1.4 Rule F1.4 applies.

1.5 Rule F1.5 applies.

G2 THE DRAW

2.1 Rule F2.1 applies.

2.2 Rule F2.2 applies.

2.3 Rule F2.3 applies.

G3 TIME CONTROLS

All of rule C6 applies.

SECTION H – RAPIDPLAY RULES

H1 STRUCTURE OF THE RAPIDPLAY TOURNAMENT

1.1 Rule C1.1 applies.

1.2 Teams shall consist of three players.

1.3 The number or rounds will be decided at the September EGM, using either Swiss pairing or all-play-all. The Tournament Secretary shall make the pairings and the home team shall fix the venue for the match within twenty miles, by road, from Leeds City centre.
In the case of Swiss pairing, byes will be given if an odd number of teams enter the competition, in which case one team has a bye in each round. two match points and three and half game points. A random team is selected for the first round; thereafter the lowest placed team is selected, unless they have already had a bye, in which case select the next lowest team and so forth. No team will be allowed more than one bye in the competition.
In the case of an all-play-all, all teams in any one section (division) will play each other once and the Tournament Secretary shall produce the fixtures at the beginning of the season.

1.4 The Rapidplay Tournament will be scored according to League Points, two points awarded for a team win and one point for a draw.

1.5 Rule C1.5 applies.

1.6 Rule C1.6 applies. Where points are equal, promotion, relegation and championship issues shall be decided on "total game points" (note: double defaulted boards shall not be counted towards match scores). If still tied, the match scores between the two tied teams shall settle it. If still tied, a play-off match.

Players selected for a "tie break" match must have played at least one game for that team during the season.

1.7 Rule C1.7 applies.

1.8 Rule C1.8 applies.

H2 PROMOTION AND RELEGATION

2.1 Rule C2.1 applies if the competition is played in more than one section.

H3 CLUBS ENTERING TWO OR MORE TEAMS

3.1 Multiple teams from any one club may be given any names and be played in any order.

3.2 Each player may play for any team within one club.

H4 RULES GOVERNING PLAY

4.1 Rule C4.1 applies.

4.2 Rule C4.2 applies.

4.3 Rule C4.3 applies

4.4 Each match will be played over two rounds. Both captains will list in board order their players for the two rounds. One team has white on all boards in the first round and black on all boards in the second round. The captains shall toss for colours, the winner having the choice of white or black in the first round.

4.5 Rule C4.5 applies. In addition, any board defaulted in the first round must also be defaulted in the second round.

4.6 Rule C4.6 applies.

4.7 Rule C4.7 applies.

4.8 Rule C4.8 applies.

H5 POSTPONEMENTS

5.1 Rule C5.1 applies.

5.2 Rule C5.2 applies.

H6 TIME CONTROLS

6.1 Rule C6.1 applies.

6.2 Rule C6.2 applies.

6.3 Rule C6.3 applies.

6.4 If digital clocks are available, the time control for the Rapid League shall be 25 minutes for all the moves with  10 seconds increment after each move from move one. If analogue clocks are being used, each side shall have 30 minutes to complete all their moves.

6.5 The tournament will be played in accordance with FIDE Rapidplay rules.

SECTION Z - FINAL RULE

In the event of any situation not provided for in the above rules, the matter shall be referred to the association committee for final determination.

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© Michael Bramson