Asian Academies Hybrid Chess Championships (FIDE Rated) 12-18 October 2021

1. Invitation

• General Rules & Regulations

• Entitled to participate are FIDE Chess Academies, Asian Chess Federation Academies and Chess Academies, Institutes or Schools registered by their national chess federation.

• The Asian Academies Hybrid Chess Championship is a team competition over six boards by age category (in the following order of boards 1 to 6): Under 18, 16, 14, 12, 10 and 8. Separate team championships shall be held for boys and girls.

• Each team may have up to six reserves of one player per age category.

• Each team captain decides on his/her team line-up for each match.

• The line-up for each match should be submitted not later than 30 minutes before the beginning of the relevant match.

• Registration must be made by the national chess federations. Individual registrations will not be accepted. All players must be rated below 2200 (October 2021) and have FIDE ID.

• The captain represents the Federation/team and takes full responsibility for the conduct of members of its team.

• By 8th October 2021, each federation accepting the invitation will send its entry using the attached Entry Form to the organizing committee with copies to the Asian Chess Federation. 

• Tournament System

• The tournament shall be conducted as a Swiss System team competition of 9 rounds and will be rated by FIDE subject to compliance with FIDE Hybrid Chess regulations.

• Players should be together in one venue. Another venue may be added with Local Chief Arbiter and Technical Arbiter.

• Fair Play Rules

• Players may play only on laptop or desktop and log into Zoom with their 3-letter country code, Academy number + name. The Local Chief Arbiter shall inspect the devices of players before the start of each game.

• Only players and arbiters are allowed access to the playing area. During a game a player may leave the playing area or the playing venue only with the permission of the Local Chief Arbiter. 

• Each playing venue shall be monitored by cameras. Only players with approved front webcam and side panoramic cameras will be allowed to play. You may not use a phone or tablet as front webcam. The side panoramic camera should show clear view of the playing area. If you use a mobile phone for second camera please mute the phone by putting it on “Do Not Disturb” mode.

• In each playing venue, the fair play measures should be applied in accordance with the FIDE Anti- Cheating Regulations and FIDE Anti-Cheating Protection Measures. Unless authorized by the arbiter, it is forbidden for anybody to have a mobile phone or other kind of communication or electronic device in the playing venue or any contiguous area designated by the arbiter.

• The Local Technical Assistant should see that each player is connected to Zoom. Audio should be open. It is not allowed for players to use headphones or virtual Zoom background.  Playing venue should be well lit. There should be no external noise.

• A traditional chessboard may be used by a player. Each player is responsible for moving pieces on his traditional board. The only allowed action on the traditional board is reproducing the moves played on the virtual board made by each side. The virtual chessboard and virtual chess clock remain the definitive record of the game.

• All participants shall comply and co-operate with the Fair Play rules. Organizers have the right to refuse entry to players whose accounts have been previously closed by any chess platform. Players may be removed from the Championship at any time on final decision of the Chief Arbiter based on fair play rules. A fair-play panel (hereinafter referred to as FPP) shall be established consisting of the following fair-play experts: Fair Play Arbiter, ACF representative, the fair-play experts of HIP, invited Grandmaster.

• FPP works to ensure fair results for each game. FPP may apply any measures that it considers necessary and sufficient in order to ensure fair-play conditions during the tournament. 

• Based upon the results of the anti-cheating algorithm and/or other evidence deemed sufficient by FPP to establish a cheating incident, FPP has the right to disqualify any player for a suspected fair-play violation during the course of or a tournament. The disqualified player may be declared lost in all the games he/she played.

• In addition, FPP has the right to ban any disqualified player for suspected fair-play violation. 

• Any ban imposed on a player restricts him/her from taking further part in the event regardless of the stage when a violation is discovered by Tornelo.

• Neither ACF, nor HIP claims that the determination of a suspected fair-play violation is proof of actual cheating or an admission of guilt of by the disqualified or the banned player. Such a determination shall not affect the ordinary status of the player for over-the-board competitions within the jurisdiction of FIDE or its members, unless FPP decides in the case of a clear or gross violation, or repeated violations, to refer the matter to the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission which may exclude the player from all official chess participation for a period up to 15 years. 

• By entering into the tournament each player accepts the above-mentioned Fair-Play measures as a condition of entry in a voluntary sports event and agrees that his or her participation takes place subject to these Fair-Play measures.

• All the players agree that they have no right to appeal the aforementioned actions either through arbitration, consultation or in a court of law within any jurisdiction.

• Participants have no right to appeal for pairings made during the Championship. 

• By registering in the Championship, participants will not have the right to claim any financial compensation or redress related to the Championship. 

• Asian Chess Federation has the right with due notice to change the schedule, update the regulations or decide for any matter that is not mentioned in the current regulations.  

• Arbiters

• Each federation should propose one Local Chief Arbiter and one Local Technical Assistant for approval by the Asian Chess Federation. Local Chief Arbiters should have FIDE license. 

• Before the game starts the Local Arbiter should make it mandatory that all computers run only one tab in one browser. No other website, application or software can be running on the playing device except Zoom. 

• Players should share their desktop screen in Zoom and make Task Manager “Always on top”. The images of the video conferencing platform may be recorded by the organiser. It must be ensured that only the Chief Arbiter, the panel of experts, if any, and the members of EDC and FPL may access it if necessary. 

• If there are more than ten players in a playing venue, then one additional arbiter is required for every 10 extra players or part thereof. Local expenses are the responsibility of each respective academy.

• Time Control:

• The time control is 60 minutes for the whole game with an addition of 30 seconds per move starting from move one. The clocks of all games shall be started by the Chief Arbiter. Default time to make first move is 30 minutes from starting time.

• Pairings:

• Swiss pairings shall be made on Swiss Manager. The highest ranked team shall receive White on board 1 in the first round with colors alternating on board 2, etc. Team average is based on the six regular players. 

• Pairings will be published in chess-results.com as soon as possible after each round unless there are pending appeals.

• Appeals Committee:         

• The Asian Chess Federation shall appoint an Appeals Committee comprising a Chairman and 2 members plus 2 reserves. Protests should be submitted in writing to the Chief Arbiter within 10 minutes after the round together with a refundable protest fee of USD100 sent by Paypal to asianchessfederation@yahoo.com. If the protest is upheld the protest fee shall be returned. 

• No member of the Appeals Committee shall sit in judgment in a dispute involving a player or party from his Federation except where the dispute is between two players or two parties from his Federation. 

• If possible, the Appeals Committee shall reach a decision soonest after the submission of a protest. The Committee shall endeavor to find binding solutions that are within the true spirit of FIDE motto. The written decision of the Appeals Committee arising from any dispute in respect of these regulations shall be final.

• Tie Break:

• Match points shall decide ranking. In case of a tie, the following methods shall be used in the following order: 

• Ties shall be broken by the following tie break order: 
• In case of tie in match points, game points shall decide.
• Direct Encounter
• Sonnenborn Berger for Teams (sum of the products of the scores made by each opposing team and the score made against that team.)

1. Prizes:

1. The top three teams shall be given Electronic Certificates of Achievement. Special certificates will be awarded to the Best FIDE Academy and Best FIDE Academy in Asia.

1. Individual Chess Certificates for Board Prizes
   Players assigned to the same board number in their respective team lists shall be in competition for individual board prizes namely: gold, silver and bronze certificates. For the purposes of this award, the players’ performance rating shall be compared. If the performance rating is equal, the tie shall be broken in the following order: 
   (a) the number of games (more is better);

(b) Direct Encounter;

(c) average rating of opponents, higher is better.

(d) the greater number of wins. 

Only players who have played a minimum of 5 games shall be eligible for board prizes.

1. Schedule:

Note: Dubai, UAE time. Players should login to Zoom one hour before start of the round.

`                                               (Dubai time)

Monday            11 October        10:00                Technical Meeting and Trial Run

Tuesday            12 October        10:00                Round 1

Wednesday       13 October        10:00                Round 2

Thursday          14 October        10:00                Round 3

Friday              15 October        10:00                Round 4

Saturday           16 October        10:00                Round 5

Sunday             17 October        10:00                Round 6

Monday            18 October        10:00                Round 7

Tuesday            19 October        10:00                Round 8

Wednesday       20 October        10:00                Round 9

Thursday          21 October                                Awards

1. Registration:

1. Entry fee is US$150 per team to be paid all together by their National Federation to the Asian Chess Federation. Bank commissions should be paid by sender. All payments should be received before the Technical Meeting. Unpaid teams will not be paired. 

1. Only federations may send payment to the following account. Individual transfers are not allowed.

Account Name: Asian Chess Federation
Bank: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
Address: Al Murabba Branch, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
US Dollar Account Number: 11381190
SWIFT Code: abdiaead
IBAN: AE640500000000011381190

1. Entry fees should be received by 1^ST October  2021. Late receipt shall bear a $50 fine per team. Please email copy of bank transfer to asianchessfederation@yahoo.com with copy to casto.abundo@gmail.com.
   1. Entry forms should be received by 1^st October 2021 at asianchessfederation@yahoo.com. with copy to Organizing Committee below:

1. Organizing Committee

Technical Delegate: 

ACF Executive Director Casto Abundo casto.abundo@gmail.com

Chief Arbiter: 

Rules Commission Chairman IA Abdulrahim Mahdi, mahdi.abdulrahim2020@gmail.com

Tournament Director:

ACF Director IA Mehrdad Pahlevanzadeh mehrdad.pahlevanzadeh@gmail.com

Tornelo Certified Arbiter: 

Michael Pagaran mykelpagz@gmail.comIA Reden Cruz daniellabiancacruz@gmail.com