HELP & RULES OF PLAY
Live Help for this tournament is available on Slack!
Get help
Missing your username and/or password?
Request it via Slack or email us: nationalevents@uschess.org
Follow these three simple steps to play:
2. Click the MEMBER LOGIN button on the left menu.
3. Enter your username and password and click Submit.
Once logged in games will begin automatically at the designated start times. No further action is required.
READ THE IMPORTANT TECH GUIDELINES FOR THIS EVENT.
Important information regarding how to play
- Login at least 30 minutes before the tournament starts
- Make sure you login with the username you signed up into the tournament with.
- Do not create new usernames at the last minute! If you login with an incorrect username, you will not be paired.
- Devices allowed: desktop, laptop or notebook computers, running Mac, Windows or Linux.
- Tablets can be used but are not recommended.
- Use of a physical set/board is not allowed, unless authorized by the director for accessibility reasons.
- Board settings: click the OPTIONS button on the left hand menu. We recommend you turn these board options OFF: premove, drag and drop, auto-promote. Turn the 'email my games' button ON if you want your game emailed to you.
- At the appointed round time, players will automatically receive a “pop up” or “flash”, and all they have to do is accept the assigned pairing.
- Players who have not started their games at this time, or are having trouble should contact their zoom TD.
- Players do not need to challenge their opponents, or report their results, this is done automatically through ICC
**If a player is withdrawing from the tournament, they must inform the TD via Slack.
PLEASE DO NOT FORFEIT BY LEAVING WITHOUT TELLING A TD. We want to make sure all players get to play every round!
Tournament Standings/Pairings
During the tournament, the standings and pairings will be available during the event in real time on the ICC Grids at https://www.chessclub.com/uschess/grids
Disconnection Policy:
The Tournament Director may decide to award a rated win to the opponent of a disconnected or unsynchronized player, who has made at least one move in the game, before the time on that player’s clock has expired, if a reasonable amount of time has elapsed without reconnection to the ICC server.
Other Rules for Online Events
- A player must not enter the tournament on more than one username, or risk being forfeited on both usernames.
- Use of computer chess engines, databases, chess books, magazines, written notes and any other form of external assistance while playing is strictly prohibited. Assistance from other players is also prohibited and will result in disqualification as well as further sanctions as laid out by ICC's User Agreement and Policy rules.
- By entering this tournament, I agree to the following.
I will not give my password to anyone.
I will not share my account.
I am the only person allowed to use my account.
Specifically, I will not allow other people to use my account.
I will not use any account which does not belong to me.
I will not use chess database software, analysis software, chess engines or any outside assistance of any kind to assist one’s game while playing US Chess rated games on the Internet Chess Club. I acknowledge and agree that the ICC and US Chess has the right to monitor such activity and further agree to indemnify, defend and hold the ICC and US Chess harmless from and against any and all liabilities, claims, causes of action, or damages (including attorney's fees) arising from the Company's exercise of its rights herein.
The tournament director may, at his or her discretion, refuse to allow a player to enter the tournament or remove a player from the tournament, for any reason, including, but not limited to: connection problems, excessive lag, failure to start tournament games promptly, failure to resume tournament games promptly, disruptive behavior in the tournament or zoom room, a suspicion that the player is receiving outside assistance, a suspicion that the player is using computer assistance, or discovery that the account or player has a previous history of violating ICC rules. The tournament director is not obligated to disclose the reason for his or her decision, and his or her decision is final. There is no process for appeal.
"FAIR PLAY" Measures
All games played in US CHESS-rated tournaments will be analyzed using ICC's sophisticated anti-cheating tools. Such analysis will include, but not be limited to, comparing moves played to the recommendations of various engines. Players suspected of violating the Fair Play rules may: 1) have their results and any prize eligibility canceled 2) be banned from future play on ICC, 3) be banned from future events both online and over the board, and 4) be reported to the US CHESS Ethics Committee, leading to possible suspension of US CHESS membership.
- The tournament directors may, at their discretion, rule that games of a player in a tournament are forfeited due to a fair play violation. The scores of the forfeited players' opponents shall be adjusted as follows:
- A) If the tournament has been concluded, or there is one round remaining, opponents who lost to the forfeited player shall receive a half-point bye, and opponents who drew with the forfeited player shall receive an unplayed win.
- B) If there are two or more rounds remaining, all opponents who faced the forfeited player shall receive an unplayed win.
- The tournament results will not be final while “fair play” analysis of all games takes place. This process may take a few weeks as all games are reviewed
- Neither ICC, Tournament Organizers nor US CHESS is responsible for things that can happen with internet play. Examples of this can be: slips or dropped pieces; returning a piece back to its original place and accidentally setting it on the wrong square; game boards disappearing; etc. This list is not all-inclusive, as there may be other issues that we cannot control as well.