GREATER TOLEDO HIGH SCHOOL
CHESS LEAGUE

| Organization | Matches |

  1. ORGANIZATION

    2.

    1. League Divisions

      1. The League will be arrayed in as many divisions as necessary.

      2. The names of the divisions will be decided upon at the organizational meeting prior to League play.

      3. Teams will be placed in divisions according to their relative locations and the number of teams entered.

      4. A school may enter more than one team in a division.

      5. There is a $10.00 per school entry fee.

    2. Functions of Officers
      1. President
        1. Ensure the schedule for League play and playoffs are available in a timely fashion.
        2. Organize the playoffs and Beach tournaments
        3. Enforce rules of League, and arbitrate disputes—arbitration will be based on interpretation of the FIDE rules of chess
      2. Vice-President
        1. Become President in the event the President is unable to fulfill his duties
        2. Report results of League play to local news media midway and at the conclusion of the League play
        3. Arbitrate disputes in the event the President himself is directly involved

      3. Secretary
        1. Keep minutes of meetings
        2. Send schedule of League play to participating schools

      4. Treasurer
        1. Collect or refund money from dues and League functions
        2. Purchase prizes, trophies

  2. MATCHES

    1. Arrangements—In general, the home team’s advisor shall be the referee and shall be responsible for making certain that dates, playing times, and the visiting advisor knows directions to his school.
      1. Postponement
        1. Advisors may call ahead of time to make arrangements to change a match to a different day. However, only weather conditions can postpone a match on the scheduled day of a match.
        2. If a match is postponed, advisors should reschedule within two school weeks of the original date, or agree to set a date within three school weeks of the original date. (Matches need not be confined to Mondays and Wednesdays.)
      2. Forfeiture
        1. If advisors are unable to complete arrangements for a match, each shall inform the President of the reasons for delay. The President shall then determine which is the offending team, and declare it to have lost by default.
        2. Agreed draws for games or matches not played are not permitted, and such draws are scored instead as double default.
        3. A team forfeiting two matches during the season will be dropped from the League, and, if the team has played less than half its schedule, all matches and game points gained from them by opposing teams will be deleted from the statistics.
        4. If a team fails to arrive within an hour of the end of their school day, it forfeits the match, unless prior arrangements have been made.
        5. A forfeited match is scored as one match point and four game points for the team that did not forfeit, although the ratings of individual players involved will not be changed.
      3. Match Conditions
        1. A match consists of one game played on each of four boards.
        2. If either team has fewer than four players, then as many as possible shall play. Unopposed players win by forfeiture.
        3. A player may not compete at more than one board during a match.
        4. Each team must play its strongest players at boards corresponding to the order of the players’ ratings: highest on first board
          1. If a team forfeits a board, the opposing team may withdraw a higher ranked player to allow a lower ranked player to play.

          2.  ii.  A player with a new 1200 rating must play on the last boards to allow rated player to play ahead of them.

        5. If a school has two teams in a two-team division, players on those two teams will be ranked strictly according to their ratings, regardless of their rank initially. For example, this might require switching the A Team fourth board with the B Team first board. A school’s A Team must consist of its four highest ranked players.
        6. If a school enters two separate teams in different divisions, players may not cross over and play with each team. Once a player has played a game for one squad they remain a part of that team for the remainder of the season and may not then play a match on the top 4 boards of the other team.
        7. An adult advisor must be present at all times during a match, and shall act as referee, whose duties will include supervising play, enforcing regulations, and preventing other players from interfering with games still in progress.
        8. A team coach or adult representative may forfeit a board when they feel it is necessary.

        9. Disruptive behavior or activities are to be handled as follows:

          1. If the disruptive behavior or activity comes from your opponent, request the opponent stop the behavior once.
          2. If the disruptive behavior continues or is being done by someone other than your opponent, contact your coach or adult representative.  The coach or adult representative is to contact the other team coach or representative.  That adult is to insist that the disruptive behavior or activity end.  If the disruptive behavior or activity continues, the offending team forfeits that board. 
        10. The visiting team will have WHITE on odd-numbered boards.
        11. Playing sessions shall be three hours in length.
        12. If chess clocks are available, they must be used. If clocks become available after a game has begun, then either opponent or advisor may place the clock on that game. The time control will be 15 moves in one-half hour.
        13. Each player must make his first 30 moves within an hour on his clock. The secondary time control will be 30 minutes, sudden death. That is, after each player has made his thirtieth move, each will have 30 minutes added to his time for the remainder of the game. (Thus, the longest a game can last is three hours.)
        14. A match (or an individual game) may be played slower than 30 movers per hour IF both players and both advisors agree to it.
        15. If, for any reason, playing time is shortened and game remains incomplete, the referee will inform the player of the several possibilities: i) players may agree to a draw; ii) one player may resign; iii) the game may be adjourned to a decided time and played before the week is out; iv) failing all else, the game may be submitted for adjudication, in which case players will make a legible diagram of the position and mail it to the League President, including such pertinent information as names, schools, notations, and players’ signatures.
  1. Rankings
  1. Any previously established League rating over 1200 will be retained from one year to the next.
  2. Experienced players shall begin a season no lower than 1200.
  3. Previously unrated players will be considered substitutes until they acquire a rating other than the provisional 1200N, and must play last (fourth) board.
  4. Other than for the above exceptions, players must be ranked exactly according to ratings.
  5. Before the end of the regular season, any player may challenge another school’s player in the League to a game in which ratings will be counted. Both players must report the result of the game to their advisor / coach for recording.
  6. Students who are of high school age (14 or older) or are enrolled in a high school and do not have access to a chess team through their school may join the geographically closest team.

  7. Only students enrolled in a high school or are of high school age (14 or older) may have a rank and may play ranked matches.  Unranked games can be played by anyone during a match as long as league rules are followed.

  1.  Scoring
  1. Game points
    1. A won game counts one point; a drawn game counts ½ point; a lost game counts no points.
    2. A game lost by default is scored as a win for the opposing team, unless the game is defaulted by both players.
    3. If a team fails to arrive within 60 minutes after the school day closes on the day of a match (unless other arrangements have been made), the clocks may be started. The offending team then has one hour to arrive and begin the match.
  2. Match Points and Standing
    1. The team winning the majority of game points receives one point for the match.
    2. If a match is drawn, each team receives ½ match point.
    3. The final standings of the divisions shall be based on match points.
    4. If teams tie in match points, then game points shall be determine standings.
    5. If a tie still exists, the respective teams’ records against one another shall determine standings.
  3. Reporting
    1. Each player must record his entire game on a notation sheet in League play and in tournament play. Players failing to take notation should be warned. If they continue not to take notation then his team forfeits that board’s point, although the player may still win for his own rating.
    2. Match reports on proper form shall be made out by both faculty advisors.  The home team will enter the match results online within 1 day.  The entry is to be validated by the visiting team within 5 days.  Corrections are to be requested within 5 days of the match.
    3. Individual games (II.B.5) are to be recorded online as a match for the day of the match and recorded at the bottom as an extra game.
    4. Failure to report results on time may result in a double forfeit.
  1. League Playoffs
  1. The winner of each division will receive a trophy. If a school has two winning teams, each will receive awards.
  2. For players in the two-team division, a player will participate on his school’s A or B team, depending on his having played more than half his matches with that team.
  3. The winner and runner-up of the playoff tournament will each receive a trophy.
  4. In general, the top team (s) in each division will be invited to participate in the play off tournament.
  5. League officers will decide the number of teams in the playoffs.
  6. Individual games in the playoff tournament are rated.
  7. League playoffs will follow the same rules as regular season with the following exception:
    1. Rescheduled matches must be played after the preceding match for both teams and within 7 days of the scheduled date except in the case of weather caused postponement.  In the case of weather caused postponement, the match must be rescheduled within 5 school days of both schools being open. 
    2. In the case of sever weather or other emergency (most or all schools closed), at the discretion of the league president, the schedule may be suspended (no matches played) and resumed on a date following the reopening of the schools.
    3. The there will be a bye date scheduled for all schools prior to the last match date of the playoffs.