Texas and Southwest Individual and Team Collegiate Chess Championships Official Tournament Rules
3/18/2019
The Texas College Chess Committee is a partnership of three university chess programs: Texas Tech University, University of Texas - Dallas, and University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley. They establish and govern the rules of Texas and Southwest Collegiate Chess.
1. Goals
1.1.Determination of Texas and Southwest Collegiate Individual and Team Champions.
1.2.Popularization and growth of chess in Texas and Southwest.
2. Events and Dates
2.1.Events and their Tentative Dates:
2.1.1.Texas Collegiate Individual Championship. Held in late of January or early February.
2.1.2.Southwest Collegiate Team Championship. Held in late of February.
2.1.3.Southwest Collegiate Individual Championship. Held over Labor Day weekend.
2.1.4.Texas Collegiate Super Finals. Held in mid-late October.
2.2.Current Schedule:
| Spring 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Event Name | Location | Dates |
| Texas Collegiate Individual Championship | Brownsville, TX | February 2, 2019 |
| Southwest Collegiate Team Championship | Plano, TX | February 23, 2019 |
| Fall 2019 | ||
| Event Name | Location | Dates |
| Southwest Collegiate Individual Championship | Irving, TX | August 29 - September 2, 2019 |
| Texas Collegiate Super Finals | Richardson, TX | October 19-20, 2019 |
| Spring 2020 | ||
| Event Name | Location | Dates |
| Texas Collegiate Individual Championship | Richardson, TX | February 1, 2020 |
| Southwest Collegiate Team Championship | Lubbock, TX | February 29, 2020 |
| Fall 2020 | ||
| Event Name | Location | Dates |
| Southwest Collegiate Individual Championship | Irving, TX | September 3-7, 2020 |
| Texas Collegiate Super Finals | Brownsville, TX | October 17-18, 2020 |
| Spring 2021 | ||
| Event Name | Location | Dates |
| Texas Collegiate Individual Championship | Brownsville, TX | January 30, 2021 |
| Southwest Collegiate Team Championship | Richardson, TX | February 27, 2021 |
| Fall 2021 | ||
| Event Name | Location | Dates |
| Southwest Collegiate Individual Championship | Irving, TX | September 2-6, 2021 |
| Texas Collegiate Super Finals | Lubbock, TX | October 23-24, 2021 |
| Spring 2022 | ||
| Event Name | Location | Dates |
| Texas Collegiate Individual Championship | Lubbock, TX | January 29, 2022 |
| Southwest Collegiate Team Championship | Brownsville, TX | February 26, 2022 |
| Fall 2022 | ||
| Event Name | Location | Dates |
| Southwest Collegiate Individual Championship | Irving, TX | September 1-5, 2022 |
| Texas Collegiate Super Finals | Richardson, TX | October 22-23, 2022 |
Schedule table listing the event name, location, and dates for Spring 2019 through Fall 2022.
Events, finances, eligibility, and miscellaneous rules
2.3.The Southwest Collegiate Individual Championship is held as a part of the Southwest Open. It is an additional collegiate classification of the main (“international”) section.
2.4.The remaining three championships are separate events. They shall rotate from one university to another.
2.5.The Host College is responsible for finding an appropriate campus location. If it appears more favorable, events can be held off campus.
2.6.Publicity is an important part of attracting new participants to the collegiate events. The Host College is responsible for PR.
3. Finances
3.1.The Host College selects and pays for Tournament Directors and additional Tournament Staff.
3.2.The Host College pays for USCF and FIDE rating fees at the Southwest Collegiate Individual Championship and the Texas Collegiate Super Finals.
3.3.The Host College provides and pays for awards, including trophies, medals, and plaques.
3.4.The Host College pays for other organizational expenses.
3.5.Participants are responsible for their travel and accommodation expenses.
3.6.There is no entry fee for Texas Collegiate Individual Championship, Southwest Collegiate Team Championship, and the Texas Collegiate Super Finals.
3.7.There is no additional entry fee required in order to be included in the collegiate classification (Southwest Collegiate Individual Championship) at the Southwest Open.
4. Eligibility
4.1.The events are open to students of any post-secondary degree-awarding school (university, college, community college, academy, seminary, conservatory, institute of technology, etc.).
4.2.The Texas Collegiate Super Finals are open to Texas schools only.
4.3.The Texas Collegiate Individual Championship is open to all students, however only students representing Texas schools are eligible for awards.
4.4.The Southwest Collegiate Team Championship and the Southwest Collegiate Individual Championship are open to schools from all states.
4.5.A player shall not be enrolled in high school.
4.6.Faculty and staff shall not be eligible to compete. In this context, “staff” is not intended to include student workers or teaching assistants.
4.7.International Masters and Grandmasters shall meet additional eligibility rules set by the Texas College Chess Committee.
4.8.There is no limit as to the number of participants or teams per school.
5. Miscellaneous
5.1.The Host College is encouraged to arrange a brief opening ceremony prior to the start of the first round. Local dignitaries, deans or faculty from the host school, and the press should be invited.
5.2.The Host College is responsible for an awards ceremony in keeping with the stature of the championships.
5.3.For players with FIDE ratings only, the following conversion formula shall be used:
5.3.1.FIDE under 2000: USCF rating = FIDE rating × 5/8 + 720.
5.3.2.FIDE 2000 or above: USCF rating = FIDE rating × 1.16 − 350.
5.4.If an Armageddon game is needed, White shall have five minutes, Black four minutes, there shall be a second of increment. A draw is sufficient for Black to win the championship. Article B.3 of the FIDE Laws of Chess shall apply.
5.5.Prearranging results is prohibited. If proven, the game shall be forfeited by both players.
Miscellaneous rules continued and appendices list
5.6.Players shall keep silence at the tournament venue.
5.7.During play, a player is forbidden to have a mobile phone and/or other device capable of processing or transmitting chess analysis in the playing venue, unless the Chief Arbiter announces otherwise.
5.8.Options available to the Chief Arbiter regarding penalties:
5.8.1.Warning.
5.8.2.Increasing the remaining time of the opponent.
5.8.3.Reducing the remaining time of the offending player.
5.8.4.Increasing the points scored in the game by the opponent to the maximum available for that game.
5.8.5.Reducing the points scored in the game by the offending player.
5.8.6.Declaring the game to be lost by the offending player. The arbiter shall also decide the opponent’s score.
5.8.7.Exclusion from one or more rounds.
5.8.8.Expulsion from the competition.
5.9.Decisions taken by the Chief Arbiter are final.
5.10.Players shall insure themselves for health and accidents for the period of the championships.
5.11.A copy of this document shall be posted on the College Chess Websites of Texas Tech University, University of Texas - Dallas, and University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley.
5.12.The Final Interpretation of this document belongs to the Texas College Chess Committee.
6. Appendices
Appendix A - Texas Collegiate Individual Championship
Appendix B - Southwest Collegiate Team Championship
Appendix C - Southwest Collegiate Individual Championship
Appendix D - Texas Collegiate Super Finals
Appendix A - Texas Collegiate Individual Championship
A.1. System of Play and Rules
A.1.1.USCF membership shall not be required.
A.1.2.The event shall not be either FIDE or USCF rated.
A.1.3.Most recent published USCF regular ratings shall be used for tournament purposes.
A.1.4.Door entries shall be permitted up to a certain cutoff time before the first round, enough to allow for first round pairings. Players not registered by the cutoff time shall be paired from Round 2 only, unless the Chief Arbiter decides otherwise.
A.1.5.The event shall be a 6-round Swiss System individual tournament. After consultation with the Texas College Chess Committee, the Chief Organizer may adjust the number of rounds, based on the number of participants.
A.1.6.No byes shall be allowed.
A.1.7.The rate of play shall be G-15'+10'' (15 minutes for a game for a player, with an increment of 10 seconds per move).
A.1.8.Play shall be governed by the FIDE Laws of Chess. Article A.4 shall apply.
A.1.9.The game shall be lost by the player who arrives at the chessboard after his/her flag has fallen.
A.1.10.The Chief Arbiter shall be a Senior TD or higher.
A.2. Standings
A.2.1.A win is worth 1 point, a draw is worth ½ point, and a loss is worth 0 points.
A.2.2.The Final Standings shall be determined by, in descending order:
A.2.2.1.Number of scored points.
A.2.2.2.Solkoff. For each player, this system sums the number of points earned by the player's opponents. Unplayed games by the opponents count ½ point. Unplayed games by the player count zero points.
A.2.2.3.Cumulative. To calculate this, sum the running score for each round. For example, if a player has, in order, a win, loss, win, draw, and a loss, the round-by-round score will be 1, 1, 2, 2½, 2½. The sum of these numbers is 9. Additionally, one point is subtracted from the sum for each unplayed win, and ½ point is subtracted for each unplayed draw. In the previous example, if the fourth-round draw was instead a ½ point bye, then ½ point would be subtracted and the final sum would be 8½.
A.2.2.4.Cumulative of Opposition. This sums the cumulative scores of the player's opponents.
A.2.2.5.Coin Toss. If necessary, a coin toss will be the final tiebreak.
A.2.3.If two or more players tie for first place, the two players with the highest tiebreak shall play an Armageddon game. The player with the highest tiebreak shall choose color.
A.3. Awards
A.3.1.Only students representing Texas schools are eligible for awards.
A.3.2.The winner is declared Texas Collegiate Individual Champion.
A.3.3.All players that tie for first place are considered co-champions.
A.3.4.Top three players shall receive trophies, plaques, and medals.
A.3.5.The Host College can provide participants with additional awards.
Appendix B - Southwest Collegiate Team Championship
B.1. System of Play and Rules
B.1.1.USCF membership shall not be required.
B.1.2.The event shall not be either FIDE or USCF rated.
B.1.3.Most recent published USCF regular ratings shall be used for tournament purposes.
B.1.4.Door entries shall be permitted up to a certain cutoff time before the first round, enough to allow for first round pairings. Teams not registered by the cutoff time shall be paired from Round 2 only, unless the Chief Arbiter decides otherwise.
B.1.5.3-board rosters with the fixed order shall be provided by the cutoff time. One alternate per team shall be allowed. Teams with only 2 players shall also be accepted.
B.1.6.A team shall be composed of students of the same college.
B.1.7.The event shall be a 5-round Swiss System team tournament. After consultation with the Texas College Chess Committee, the Chief Organizer may adjust the number of rounds, based on the number of participating teams.
B.1.8.No byes shall be allowed.
B.1.9.Team A shall not be paired against Team B of the same college.
B.1.10.The rate of play shall be G-15'+10'' (15 minutes for a game for a player, with an increment of 10 seconds per move).
B.1.11.Play shall be governed by the FIDE Laws of Chess. Article A.4 shall apply.
B.1.12.The game shall be lost by the player who arrives at the chessboard after his/her flag has fallen.
B.1.13.The Chief Arbiter shall be a Senior TD or higher.
B.1.14.When alternates play, they shall do so starting on the lowest boards. Any regular team member may sit out when an alternate plays. Other team members move up accordingly.
B.1.15.Teammates shall play in descending rating order, except that 50-point transpositions are allowed. Unrated players shall be placed below rated players. Board order shall remain the same throughout the event.
B.1.16.Teams shall be ranked in order of the three highest individual rating average.
B.1.17.Draw offers shall be accepted or declined by the player. No outside consultation is permitted.
B.2. Captains
B.2.1.All teams shall designate a captain. The role of the captain is:
B.2.1.1.To turn in his team lineup.
B.2.1.2.To ensure that his/her team arrives on time for each round.
B.2.1.3.To ensure that his/her team plays in correct board order.
B.2.1.4.To report the result of the match to the Chief Arbiter.
B.2.1.5.To check match results and standings for accuracy.
B.3. Standings
B.3.1.A win is worth 1 point, a draw is worth ½ point, and a loss is worth 0 points.
B.3.2.A match win is worth 2 match points, a drawn match is worth 1 match point, and a match loss is worth 0 match points.
B.3.3.The Final Standings shall be determined by, in descending order:
B.3.3.1.Number of match points.
B.3.3.2.Number of game points.
B.3.3.3.Direct Encounter between all teams with the same number of match points.
B.3.3.4.Number of match points scored by the second team of the same college.
B.3.3.5.Number of game points scored by the second team of the same college.
Appendix B standings and awards continued
B.3.3.6.Coin Toss. If necessary, a coin toss will be the final tiebreak.
B.4. Awards
B.4.1.The winning college shall be declared Southwest Collegiate Team Champion.
B.4.2.All colleges that tie for first place shall be considered co-champions.
B.4.3.Top three teams shall receive trophies and plaques.
B.4.4.The Host College can provide participants with additional awards.
Appendix C - Southwest Collegiate Individual Championship
C.1. System of Play, Rules, and Standings
C.1.1.Detailed information about the tournament shall be provided in Southwest Open TLA.
C.1.2.An additional collegiate classification, Southwest Collegiate Individual Championship, shall be created for eligible participants.
C.2. Awards
C.2.1.The winner of the collegiate classification shall be declared Southwest Collegiate Individual Champion.
C.2.2.All players that tie for first place shall be considered co-champions.
C.2.3.Top three players shall receive plaques and medals.
C.2.4.Each year the winner’s name shall be added to the list of the championship winners engraved on the championship trophy. The trophy shall be displayed during the entire event.
C.2.5.The Chief Organizer can provide participants with additional awards.
Appendix D - Texas Collegiate Super Finals
D.1. System of Play and Rules
D.1.1.The event shall be FIDE and USCF rated.
D.1.2.Play shall be governed by the FIDE Laws of Chess.
D.1.3.Most recent published FIDE regular ratings shall be used for tournament purposes.
D.1.4.The rate of play shall be G-90’+30” (90 minutes for a game for a player, with an increment of 30 seconds per move).
D.1.5.The game shall be lost by the player who doesn’t arrive at the chessboard within 30 minutes after the round start.
D.1.6.The Chief Arbiter shall be FIDE Arbiter or higher.
D.1.7.The top three Texas colleges of the Southwest Collegiate Team Championship shall be eligible to participate in the Texas Collegiate Super Finals.
D.1.8.Each of the three qualifying colleges shall send two four-board teams. Two alternates per team shall be allowed.
D.1.9.Rosters with the fixed board order are due a week in advance, however should an emergency arise, a substitution can be made.
D.1.10.The teams are designated by ranking: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. A coin flip a week in advance shall determine which team has the above designation.
D.1.11.There shall be four rounds of play:
D.1.11.1.Round 1: A1 - B2; A2 - C1; B1 - C2.
D.1.11.2.Round 2: C1 - A1; B1 - A2; C2 - B2.
D.1.11.3.Round 3: A1 - B1; A2 - C2; B2 - C1.
D.1.11.4.Round 4: C2 - A1; B2 - A2; C1 - B1.
D.1.11.5.The first team listed above has “white” on boards 1 and 3.
D.1.11.6.Teams from the same college shall not play against each other.
D.1.12.When alternates play, they shall do so starting on the lowest boards. Any regular team member may sit out when an alternate plays. Other team members move up accordingly.
D.1.13.Teammates shall play in descending rating order, except that 50-point transpositions are allowed. Board order shall remain the same throughout the event.
D.1.14.Lineups shall be provided by teams at least an hour before the round start.
D.1.15.The Chief Arbiter shall announce lineups an hour before the round start.
D.1.16.Draw offers shall be accepted or declined by the player. No outside consultation is permitted.
D.2. Captains
D.2.1.All teams shall designate a captain. The role of the captain is:
D.2.1.1.To turn in his team lineup at least one hour before the round start.
D.2.1.2.To ensure that his/her team arrives on time for each round.
D.2.1.3.To ensure that his/her team plays in correct board order.
D.2.1.4.To report the result of the match to the Chief Arbiter.
D.2.1.5.To check match results and standings for accuracy.
D.3. Standings
D.3.1.A win is worth 1 point, a draw is worth ½ point, and a loss is worth 0 points.
D.3.2.A match win is worth 2 match points, a drawn match is worth 1 match point, and a match loss is worth 0 match points.
D.3.3.The Final Standings shall be determined by, in descending order:
D.3.3.1.Number of match points.
Appendix D standings and awards continued
D.3.3.2.Number of game points.
D.3.3.3.Direct Encounter between all teams with the same number of match points.
D.3.3.4.Number of match points scored by the second team of the same college.
D.3.3.5.Number of game points scored by the second team of the same college.
D.3.3.6.Coin Toss. If necessary, a coin toss will be the final tiebreak.
D.4. Awards
D.4.1.The winning college shall be declared Texas Collegiate Team Champion.
D.4.2.All colleges that tie for first place shall be considered co-champions.
D.4.3.Top three teams shall receive plaques.
D.4.4.Each year names of the winning team’s players and their captain/coach shall be added to the list of the championship winners engraved on the championship trophy. The trophy shall be displayed during the entire event.
D.4.5.The Host College can provide participants with additional awards.