NORTHERN COUNTIES CHESS UNION
RULES FOR COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIPS
As adopted by the NCCU AGM, June 1996 and amended Sep 2006
1 Interpretation
In these rules, unless the context requires otherwise, references
to the Counties Championship are to be construed so as to refer
also to Counties Under-175, Under-150, Under-125 and Under-100
Championships
2 Entry
a. The Competition for each Counties Championship is
conducted annually and is open to each constituent member
County Chess Association.
b. Entries for the Counties Championship must be made to the
NCCU Secretary no later than 14 September each year.
3 Format of the Championships
a. The Format of each Championship will be as the Controller
decides, once the numbers of entries at each level are
finalised. Where a competition is run on a zonal basis, the
zonal competition will be followed by a semi-final and final
stage if required. In the semi-final stage the winner of Zone 1
will play the second team from Zone 2, and the winner from Zone 2
will play the second team from Zone.
b. In any match in these Championships the minimum number of
players on each side should be 12. A higher even number may be
mutually agreed.
c. The winner of the Championship at each level is declared to
be the NCCU Champion and, subject to (d), is nominated to compete
in the quarter-finals of the ECF Counties Championship at that
level. The runner-up in each Championship, again subject to (d),
is also nominated to compete in the quarter-finals of the ECF
Counties Championship at that level, providing at least 3
ECF teams participate in said Championship.
d. If any County side is deemed ineligible to take part in
the ECF quarter-final stages (due, for example, to that County
Association not being affiliated to the ECF) then their
nomination to the quarter-finals shall be given to the next
eligible County, ignoring the offending county's results.
e. Matches shall normally be played over the board, but with
the agreement of both counties and the controller, may be
played by telephone or email.
4 Venues for Matches
a. Matches will normally be played on a 'home' and 'away' basis,
but the 'away' side can demand a neutral venue if the relevant
county boundaries are not contiguous. It is the responsibility
of the 'away' team to organise the agreed neutral venue, but the
costs of the venue will be shared. This demand should be made to
the 'home' side at least six weeks before the match is due to take
place (except in the case of the October match, when the request
must be made as soon as possible when the fixtures are known.
It is expected that Counties will have regard to the
convenience of visiting teams when arranging venues.
b. The 'home' captain should contact the 'away' captain by
'phone to offer his choice of venue well before the event. He
should then send full details of confirmation in writing to reach
the 'away' captain at least two weeks before the match.
c. All correspondence relating to these competitions should
be sent by first class mail.
5 Dates of Matches
a. The draw for each Championship will be issued by the
controller as soon as possible after he has the full number of
entries.
b. The date of each match shall not be varied except by the
agreement of both captains and with the permission of the
controller. The draw should be arranged so that the matches
take place on the dates 'set aside' for County matches - the
3rd weekend in October, November, January, February and March.
c. The number of boards in each match (at least 12) shall be
agreed by the two match captains at the same time the venue is
agreed.
6 Tie splitting procedure
a. A Championship is awarded to the team scoring the highest
number of match points.
b. Individual County match result
c. If a. or b. produce no result the controller shall apply the
rules given in the 'Memorandum on Method of Resolving Ties in
the County Championship' approved by the NCCU in June 1980 and
amended in Sep 2006 at the request of the NCCU Committee.
7 Eligibility of Players
a. A player may represent a County in the Counties Championship
only if they have not played for another County (NCCU
or otherwise) in the same season.
b. The qualification for a player to represent a County in
the Counties championships is:
i. They are a subscribing member of that Association,
either direct or through an affiliated Club.
ii. They are registered with the NCCU.
iii. They must fulfil one of these conditions:
a. Birth in that County.
b. 5 years consecutive residence in that County at
any time.
c. One month's immediately previous and present
residence in that County.
d. 2 year's immediately previous and present membership
of a club either in or affiliated to that County.
e. Present attendance as teacher or pupil at a school,
college or university in that County.
f. A player whose qualification is valid under the
preceding rules when first playing for a County,
shall remain qualified for the rest of that season.
8 Grading Limited Championships
a. No player should take part in the U-175, U-150, U-125 or
U-100 Championships if their gradings in the ECF National list
for that season are equal to or over the appropriate limit.
b. A team captain must obtain permission from the controller
at least seven days prior to the match (otherwise rule 9a applies)
to play an ungraded player in a gradings limited competition.
This may be refused if the ungraded players known or estimated
strength is thought inappropriate for that competition.
c. If it is known that a player's grade is incorrect in the
current ECF grading list, then notice must be given at least 14
days before the match date, to the Controller. This must show
proof of correct grade with authority from a National/County
grader, otherwise rule 9 will apply.
9 Penalties for playing ineligible players
a. The penalty for playing an ineligible player in any match
shall be the loss of that players game and the deduction of
one game point from the teams total for each such player.
b. A request for a penalty to be exacted under this rule
must be made to the controller within 7 days of the match.
10 Rules for Matches
a. Before the time fixed for the start of play (arranged so
that the playing session will conclude no later than 6pm) the
team captains shall make up their respective playing lists,
placing the players in order of playing strength; they shall
exchange lists and toss for colours. The team whose captain
wins the toss shall take white on the odd-numbered boards.
b. At the time fixed for the start of play, the captains
shall start the clocks of those players having the move. If a
player be absent, an eligible substitute may be put in within
the first hour; otherwise his opponent, if present, shall
score the game as a win. If neither player is present or
substituted then the game shall be scored a loss for both sides.
c. The duration of play will be a maximum of 5 hours. Each
player shall make not less than 40 moves in 2 hours and then the
game played to a finish with 30 minutes extra for each
player for the remainder of the game. The rates of play and the
duration of the sudden death finish may be varied by mutual
agreemment of the two captains.
d. One game will be played between each pair of players. A win
will count one point and a draw half a point.
e. It is the responsibility of match captains to agree between
themselves as to the provision of clocks and other
equipment. In the absence of agreement to the contrary each
County should provide half the equipment required for the agreed
number of boards to be played.
f. If insufficient clocks or equipment are available at the
start of a match then the available clocks and equipment are
allocated by the match captain responsible for their presence.
For those boards where no clock or equipment is available, the
time elapsed from the agreed starting time up to the arrival
of the clock or equipment at the board shall be counted
against the county whose responsibility it was to provide the
clock or equipment. In the event of clock failure, the time
between the clock being found faulty and its replacement by a
working clock is counted against the county which originally
provided the faulty clock.
11 Disputes
a. All games shall be played in accordance with the Laws of
Chess compiled by FIDE and published in Britain with the
authority of the ECF. It is the responsibility of match
captains to have a copy of the Laws available for reference at
each match.
b. All disputes concerning the interpretation or application
of the Laws of Chess on which the Counties cannot agree, shall
be referred to the controller. If agreement cannot be reached
the controller may refer the dispute to the ECF for
adjudication.
c. Any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of
the NCCU Counties Championships Rules on which the Counties
cannot agree shall be decided by the controller. Appeals
against a decision of the controller shall be referred to a
neutral sub-committee of the NCCU whose decision will be final.
12 Results
Each county shall send to the controller, within 10 days, the
detailed score of the match, an indication of which side had White on
the odd boards and the date and venue of play and the players'
ECF GRADING NUMBER (7 characters) or their NMS Number and the date of
birth of all juniors. An additional copy should be sent to the ECF.
13 Amendments to Rules
a. No amendments to these rules shall be made unless due
notice of such an amendment has been given to the Annual General
Meeting not less than 21 days before the date of that meeting.
b. Amendments to the rules may be passed by a simple majority
of those present and voting.
Sep 2006