The 9th European Individual Chess Championship
The 9th European Individual Women´s Chess Championship
April 20 – May 4, 2008, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
ÒOURNAMENT REGULATIONS
1. ORGANIZERS
The Bulgarian Chess Federation under the auspices of the State Agency for Youth and Sport – Republic of Bulgaria and the European Chess Union.
Bulgarian Chess Federation
1000-Sofia; Post Box 927
Tel.: +359 2 9300518; Fax: +359 2 9815728
E-mail: federation@chessbg.com; URL: http://www.chessbg.com/
2. VENUE, DATE, SCHEDULE
The Championship will be held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria from April 20 (day of arrival) until May 4 (day of departure) 2008. The tournament halls are ’’Plovdiv’’ and ’’Moscow-Paris’’ in Novotel Plovdiv.
Sunday 20.04 Arrival of participants
Sunday 20.04 at 18.00 Opening ceremony
Sunday 20.04 at 22.00 Technical Meeting
Monday 21.04 at 14.30 1st round
Tuesday 22.04 at 14.30 2nd round
Wednesday 23.04 at 14.30 3rd round
Thursday 24.04 at 14.30 4th round
Friday 25.04 at 14.30 5th round
Saturday 26.04 at 14.30 6th round
Sunday 27.04 at 14.30 7th round
Monday 28.04 rest day
Tuesday 29.04 at 14.30 8th round
Wednesday 30.04 at 14.30 9th round
Thursday 01.05 at 14.30 10th round
Friday 02.05 at 14.30 11th round
Friday 02.05 at 22.00 Technical meeting for tie-breaks
Saturday 03.05 at 10.00 Tie-breaks
Saturday 03.05 at 19.00 Closing Ceremony
Sunday 04.05 Departures
Pairings for the first round will be announced at 10 o’clock a.m. on 21st of April and for all other rounds approximately 90 minutes after finishing the last game.
The Chief Arbiter after consultations with ECU and the Organizers may make changes to the above tournament schedule. Such changes will be announced in due time.
3. PARTICIPATION
The European Championship is open to all players representing the Chess Federations which comprise the European Chess Union (FIDE zones 1.1 to 1.9) regardless of their title or rating. There is also no limit of participants per federation; however applications have to be sent by the national federations only.
4. SYSTEM AND RATE OF PLAY
The championship will be 11 rounds, played in the Swiss system in accordance with the ECU Tournament Rules and FIDE Laws of Chess.
The playing time will be 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move one.
DGT XL chess clocks will be used.
5. RANKING AND TIE-BREAK SYSTEM
The order of players that finish with the same number of points shall be determined by application of the following tie-breaking procedures in sequence, proceeding from (a) to (b) to (c) to (d) to the extent required:
a) Median-Buchholz 1, the highest number wins;
b) Buchholz, the highest number wins;
c) Number of wins, the highest number wins;
d) Progressive Score, the highest number wins.
In the case of unplayed games for the calculation of (a) and (b) the current FIDE tournament rules shall be applied: „Independently of the result of an unplayed game (win by Bye, win or loss by forfeit, no game because the player has withdrawn or was absent for some round(s)) for reasons of tie-break the result shall be counted as a Draw against the player himself.“ Annex to FIDE Tournament Rules, pt.1.
Tie-break Matches
In the European Individual Chess Championship and European Individual Women’s Chess Championship tie-breaks are organized only in the following cases:
a) to establish the Champion;
b) to establish the medal winners;
c) to establish qualifiers, for the World Chess Championship.
In the case of a) and b) the relevant tie-break matches will decide the final ranking and the money prizes connected with these places.
In the case of c), the relevant tie-break matches will not influence the final ranking and the money prizes will be shared equally.
System of the Tie-break matches:
Additional matches of two games will be played with 15 minutes on the clock and addition of 10 seconds before each move.
If this match is drawn again, then two games will be played with five minutes plus two seconds per move.
If this match is again drawn, then the sudden-death game will be played with white having 5 minutes on the clock and black having 4 minutes, without any addition. White has to win the sudden-death game in order to win the match.
In case that more than three tie-break rounds have to be played, the Chief-Arbiter – after confirmation by the ECU President or his representative – may change the playing schedule in such a way that the tie-break matches can be finished within one day.
Detailed Tournament Regulations for the tie-break matches and the time schedule will be announced on Friday, 02 May at 22.00 in the Technical Meeting for tie breaks.
6. QUALIFIERS
The Individual Men’s European Championship 2008 and the Individual European Women`s Championship 2008 are qualification events for the next World Cup or the next World Championship for Women respectively. According to FIDE regulations and the decision of the ECU Board, 23 players from the men's section and 14 players from the women's section will qualify.
7. ARBITERS
The Chief Arbiter is IA Zdravko Nedev (Bulgaria)
Deputy Chief Arbiters are:
IA Werner Stubenvoll (Austria)
IA Vladimir Sakotic (Montenegro)
Pairing Officer: IA Werner Stubenvoll (Austria)
Arbiters are
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8. APPEALS COMMITTEE
Chairman:...
Members:
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Protests against decisions of the Chief Arbiter or his assistants, or the Tournament Director, must be submitted in written form to the Chairman of the appeals committee within one hour after completion of the playing session.
The protest must be accompanied with the sum of 100 € or the equivalent in local currency, as a deposit from the signatory. The deposit must be handed to the Chairman of the appeals committee. If the appeal is granted, the sum shall be returned immediately. If the appeal is refused, the deposit is forfeited to the European Chess Union.
The appeal has to be lodged by the player.
The decisions of the Appeals Committee are final.
9. PRIZES
The prize fund is 140 000 EUR
Men: 100 000 EUR
Women: 40 000 EUR
Main Prizes
Rank Men: 92 200 EUR Women: 34 500 EUR
1 15 000 6 000
2 10 000 5 000
3 8 000 4 000
4 6 500 3 000
5 5 500 2 000
6 5 000 1 900
7 4 500 1 800
8 4 000 1 700
9 3 500 1 600
10 3 200 1 500
11 3 000 1 400
12 2 800 1 300
13 2 500 1 200
14 2 200 1 100
15 2 000 1 000
16 1 900
17 1 800
18 1 700
19 1 600
20 1 500
21 1 400
22 1 300
23 1 200
24 1 100
25 1 000
Special prizes (Performance minus Rating)
Rank Men: 7 800 EUR Women: 5 500 EUR
1 1 000 1 000
2 900 900
3 800 800
4 700 700
5 650 600
6 600 500
7 550 400
8 500 300
9 450 200
10 400 100
11 300
12 280
13 250
14 220
15 200
According to Bulgarian law all prizes are taxable (10%).
No double prize award will be carried out.
If a prize-winner is absent during the closing ceremony, then the money prize will be reduced by 20% with a minimum of 100 EUR.
The first 3 places will be awarded cups and medals.
10. ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS
10.1. According to the decision of FIDE Presidential Board taken in June 2007, any player who doesn’t shake hands with his/her opponent before the game starts (and doesn’t do it after being asked to do so by the arbiter) or deliberately insults his/her opponent or the officials of the event, will immediately and finally lose the relevant game.
10.2. Article 10.2 of the Laws of Chess is not valid.
10.3. After each game the players will give the original score sheet and the first copy to the arbiter signed by both of them.
10.4. According to the FIDE Laws of Chess, players are not allowed to leave the playing venue (Playing area, Refreshment area, Players restrooms, Smoking area) without permission of the arbiter. Violation of this rule could be punished up to declaring the game to be lost.
10.5. Analyzing is not allowed in the playing hall.
10.6. During the game the players are not allowed to go to the analyzing room or to the press room.
10.7. It is strictly forbidden to bring a mobile phone, not authorized by the chief arbiter, into the playing hall. If a player’s mobile phone rings in the playing venue during play, that player shall lose the game according the Laws of Chess.
10.8. Flashes may be used only in the first ten minutes of the games and first three minutes of the tie-break games. During sudden death games they may be used only in the first minute.
10.9. Only the players and arbiters shall be allowed in the actual playing area, except with the express permission of the Chief Arbiter.
10.10. Players are not allowed to enter the closed area of the top boards if they don’t play there themselves.
10.11. Players who have finished their games shall be considered to be spectators and are not allowed to stay in the playing area.
10.12. As long as the game is in progress a player may talk only to an arbiter or with his opponent as permitted by the Laws of Chess.
10.13. In case of pre-arranged results the chief arbiter has to decide that the result of the respective game is 0 - 0.
10.14. We assume that all the players have read the Tournament Regulations and are obliged to obey them.
10.15. The English text of these Tournament Regulations is the authentic version.
11. Medical care
During the Tournament there will be Medical Services according to the FIDE Tournament Regulations.
Chief Arbiter – IA Zdravko Nedev, Bulgaria.