This year's Summer Handicap to determine the Club Champion 2024 will take place on each club night from 25th June to 30th July 2024. (6 weeks).

Members wishing to take part this year must inform the Controller before 18th June.

The rules for the tournament are as follows:

Stratford Chess Club Summer Handicap 2024.

The tournament will be run over a 6 round Swiss competition.

Players will be allocated a handicap score based on their June ECF Standard OTB rating.
If no Standard OTB rating is found the first found rating from the following shall be used:

ECF Standard Online rating,
ECF Rapid OTB rating,
ECF Rapid Online rating,
Chess.com or Lichess.com Standard rating, or

A rating determined by the Controller.

Handicap scores will be determined using the 100 placed value of the rating. (e.g. 1265 = 2 1562 = 5).

Players will compare handicap scores before each game and subtract the lower score from the higher. This is the player handicap.  (e.g. Player handicap is 5 - 2 = 3 ).

The player handicap is then multiplied by 10 to give the game handicap
(e.g. 10 x 3 = 30).

This resulting figure will be taken from the higher rated players added time increment in seconds up to a maximum of 40 seconds.

The time control for the lower rated player for each game shall be: 40 minutes plus 40 seconds per move.

The time control for the higher rated player for each game shall be: 40 minutes plus [40 minus the game handicap] in seconds per move.

(e.g. If the Game Handicap = 30, The higher rated player has 40 minutes plus 10 seconds per move).

If the Game Handicap 4 or above, the time increment for the higher rated player is zero.

Digital clocks will be used for every game.
Assistance will be given to those players who are unfamiliar with setting up digital clocks.

Players may take a maximum of two 1/2 point byes in all rounds except the final round.

The winner of the competition will be the Stratford Chess Club Champion 2024.

If at the end of the competition players are tied for first place, the player with the lowest rating shall be declared the Club Champion.

Controller: Richard Buxton.

richard.buxton@talktalk.net    07710594627.