Greater London Chess Club Championships

Bernfield, Foley and Ashelford Tournaments

Tuesday evenings November 2024 to June 2025

2023-24 Winners:
Bernfield – Jason Rihel
Foley – Derek Hadley, John Lascelles and Cecil Sloan
Ashelford – Gordon Broadbent

• Rated tournaments for all playing strengths (approximate rating limits: under 1500, 1500-1800 and over 1800)
• Games submitted for ECF rating
• All-play all groups with knockout play-offs if required
• Flexible tournament schedule – fit your tournament games around league matches through the season
  
  Entry fee – £6
  
  Open to GLCC club members only. Space permitting, entries from new members will be accepted up until February 2025

Prizes

Bernfield – winner will be declared the Club Champion and hold the Bernfield Trophy for one year. They will give the Club Champion's simultaneous display at the Autumn General Meeting.

Foley – winner to hold the Foley Cup for one year.

Ashelford – winner to hold the Ashelford Trophy for one year and earns the right to compete in the Foley the following year.

Engraved replica trophies awarded to all first time winners.

Format

In each tournament, all-play-all groups of up to eight players. If any tournament receives more than eight entries then it may be split into two groups with knockout play-off of group winners. The controller may need to modify the grade banding of tournaments to ensure players are evenly matched. Groups within tournaments will be drawn by lot once entries have been received. If necessary, Sonneborn-Berger tiebreak score will decide group placings.

Rate of play

75 minutes + 15 second increments, (or optionally 60 minutes + 30 second increments. If using this option, please return the program 18 settings to 75 minutes + 15 second increment, our default for league matches). If suitable digital clocks are not available, then the rate of play is 30 moves in 75 minutes, affter Black’s 30th move both clocks are turned back 15 minutes and the game continues to a quickplay finish. If both players do not want a quickplay finish, group stage games may be played at a rate of 36 moves in 90 minutes with adjournment after 3 hours.

Arranging your games

You will be provided with contact details for players in your tournament and you should arrange games against opponents in your group for mutually convenient dates. The player of the White pieces has the responsibility of contacting his/her opponent and should offer up to four dates for the game to be played. One of these should be accepted by the player of the Black pieces.

Reporting of results

Winner of the game or player of the White pieces if a draw must report the games result within seven days of the game being played using the Google results reporting form on the 'Club' page. Tournament tables will be published on the GLCC LMS pages and regularly updated.

Rating

Results will be submitted for ECF rating on a weekly basis, hence timely submission of results is essential. Unrated players should provide an estimate of playing strength.
Players must be ECF members (minimum Bronze membership) to take part in these tournaments.

Rules

The FIDE Laws of Chess apply. A copy of the current Laws (2023) has been placed in the club equipment cupboard for reference. In the event of a dispute the tournament controller will arbitrate.

Venue

Games will normally be played at St George’s Bloomsbury on Tuesday evenings, start time 6.30pm. By mutual agreement, players may arrange to play at another venue or with a different start time. Players not arriving at the board within 45 minutes of the agreed start time should expect to be defaulted. By mutual agreement of the players, games may be played using an online platform such as chess.com or lichess with the same time control as above. Online games cannot be submitted for standard ECF rating. Please inform the controller if any game is played online.

Time commitment

Before entering a tournament, please be sure that you will have sufficient time to complete all your games by June 2025. If there is more than one group in a tournament, group stage games must be completed by 30 April 2025.

Schedule for knockout stage

K/O final to consist of one game at standard rate of play, first named player has White. In the event of draw game replayed as follows:

• Swap colours for one game at 60 minutes per player. If drawn then:
• Swap colours for one game at 15 minutes per player. If drawn, players share the title,
• Blitz games will not be submitted for grading.

Withdrawals

If you need to withdraw from a tournament please notify the controller as soon as possible. The tournament controller will rule on the scoring status of a withdrawing player’s games.

Enquiries

All enquiries to Nigel Blades, tournament controller, phone , email glcctournaments@gmail.com

How to enter

Please enter by completing the Google Form (takes you to a separate page). New member entries accepted up to February 2025.

Payment of entry fees - please use the buttons below for Paypal or card payment of £6, or pay by cash or cheque (payable to Greater London Chess Club) to the tournament controller on a Tuesday evening.