Lancaster Standard Play Congress 9 – 11 August 2024
Contact: Richard Walsh, Congress Director Email – [email protected]
Welcome to our 5 round ECF rated standard play event. The Open and Major will also be FIDE rated and games uploaded onto national public databases. We have increased capacity to over 120 entrants. On-line entry only.
In addition we will be running a 7 round open blitz event on Saturday evening. This event is only open to those playing in the rest of the congress and is optional. There will be a chess stall in the analysis room selling books etc.
Prize fund (excluding blitz) £2000 subject to entries plus an additional prize for best score by Lancaster/Morecambe based under 16 year old junior sponsored by Cumbria Building Society, Lancaster Branch. This is a not for profit event. Donations are welcome.
Sections and prizes
Open – First £300, second £150. Grading prize £50 U2100.
Major - U1900 First £300, second £150. Grading prize £50 U1800
Intermediate – U1750 First £300, second £150, Grading prize £50 U1620
Minor First U1500 £300, second £150. Grading prize £50 U1200
Special prize for best score in any section by an under 16 year old junior (on 9 August 2024) resident in Lancaster/Morecambe area - £50 cash plus 6 hours of 1:1 coaching with Gediminas Sarakauskas IM. Sponsored by Cumberland Building Society Lancaster Branch.
Blitz - Entry will be open on Saturday between rounds 2 and 3. £10 cash entry – all entry fees returned in prizes – for winner, runner up and three grading prizes of £40 for U1900, U1750, U1500 - ie the winner and runner up gets all entry money minus £120 (winner receives 75% runner up 25%). Prizes subject to number of entrants. Maximum number of entrants – 60. The blitz will be ECF rated.
Opening of congress – 17.45 pm Friday
All standard play games 110 minutes per player – plus 10 seconds per move time increments. Normal FIDE rules time penalties for illegal moves etc will apply
Blitz – 7 rounds – 3 minutes with 2 second increment. No time penalties. First illegal move or using two hands for moving piece and hitting clock will result in a warning. A repeat warning will result in default. Entries only accepted on Saturday.
Round 1 – Friday – 18.00 pm
Round 2 – Saturday - 9.30 am
Round 3 – Saturday - 14.30 pm
Blitz – Saturday - 19.45 pm to approx. 22.00 finish
Round 4 – Sunday – 9.30 am
Round 5 – Sunday - 14.30 pm
Prize announcements and close 6 - 7 pm Sunday
Chief Arbiter – Keith Freshwater
Assistant Arbiter – Marcus Fung
Contact details for queries: Richard Walsh, [email protected]
Entry
We have heard from the ECF that the merger between gold and silver membership rates will take effect from 1 July. All existing silver members will be treated as in the new merged category and all those who renew or join after 1 July will also be in the new merged category. This means that silver members can enter the FIDE rated sections at no additional cost. We will refund those who paid the extra £12 before this change was announced.
Entry costs:
ECF Silver, Gold or Platinum members £40
FIDE registered players not affiliated to ENG entering Open or Major - £42
Bronze or non-ECF members - £49
Entries received after 6 August, if accepted, will require a £5 late entry fee.
Entries so far can be found by clicking on this link.
https://chess-results.com/Tnr928626.aspx?lan=1
Note it may take a day or two before your entry is loaded.
How to enter:
Please pay entry fee by direct transfer to the Lancaster Chess Club Account (plus late entry fee if appropriate).
sort code 40-03-33
account number 82357054
Include your initials and surname as a reference so we can match your payment to your entry.
After payment, please send the following in an email to Richard Walsh [email protected]:
ECF Graded players
Go to the ECF database ecfrating.org.uk and find your details. Click on your ECF Code. Forward a link to this to [email protected] together with which section you wish to enter (open, major, intermediate or minor) and your name and rating. Use the priority list below to determine your grade.
Note – if you do not do this you will be treated as an ungraded player unless we can track your details in some other way.
If you would like to take a half point bye please let Richard know in your entry e-mail and say which round you would like the bye.
Entrants eligible for the special junior prize should include their date of birth and address.
Entrants in the Open or Major who are not ECF gold or silver members should provide their date of birth and the country they wish to be FIDE registered with. If we do not hear otherwise we will assume England.
Ungraded players
Please email [email protected] the following information:
First Name
Second Name
Sex
Date of Birth
Club if any
Screen shots of chess.com and lichess ratings charts
Location of Congress
The Assembly Hall, Lancaster Royal Grammar School, East Road, Lancaster, LA1 3EF. One large playing room, analysis rooms and access to cafeteria opposite. Meals will be available on Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes. Dedicated car park almost opposite with same post code – via Lee House entrance. The Assembly Hall has disabled access and the playing area is on the ground floor.
Accommodation
Cumbria University, Bowerham, Lancaster LA1 3JD Cumbria University has made available well priced student on-site campus accommodation – £35/night – two nights minimum stay - see link for how to book. Note as this is student accommodation it is basic so please bring your own toiletries. It is 15 minutes walk from the Grammar School. Free parking in visitors car park close to accommodation. Check in after 1 pm on Friday. Check out any time on Sunday.
As there is limited availability early booking is recommended. There are also a very small number on en-suite rooms at a slightly higher price. If you would like one of these please contact Pilar direct – her contact details are shown in the link.
Small print
Eligibility for grade-restricted sections is determined by the published ECF August grading list. This means that which section you enter may be changed by the organisers if your grade changes between the date of entry and the release of the August ratings. Players’ ECF ratings from the August 2024 list will be used for determining allocation to sections, tournament pairings, and best performance prizes.
All sections are ECF graded. The Open and Major are FIDE rated. The following priority is used for section allocation and seeding in the Standard Play event.
ECF Standard Play Grade
FIDE Standard Play Rating
ECF Rapid Play Grade
FIDE Rapid Play Grade
The priority to be used for the seeding in the Blitz and for grading prizes will be:
ECF Blitz Grade
FIDE Blitz Grade
ECF Rapid Play Grade
FIDE Rapid Play Grade
ECF Standard Play Grade
FIDE Standard Play Grade
Players without a current grade should use any grading previously held from the on-line ECF database and provide the link from the site. This will be accepted as their grading subject to approval by the organisers.
Ungraded players are not eligible for a grading prize.
Ungraded players can only win up to £50 for the major, intermediate or minor events. Any unallocated prize money in either event will be allocated to the runner up assuming they are graded.
A player qualifying for two prizes receives only the higher of the two prizes. The exception is the special junior prize which is not included in this rule. Prize money is subject to change depending on number of entrants.
In the event of a tie for grading prize, the prize is awarded to the lowest graded player.
Swiss manager dictates the pairings in all rounds and they are not changed to suit individual preferences.
Cancellations – in the event that a player is unable to attend there will be no refund for cancellations after 30 June but please let the organiser know so pairings can be rearranged.
Byes – entrants may take one half point bye in rounds 1-4. The bye may not be taken in the last round.
FIDE rated sections will use duplicate score sheets. Both players must give the top copies to the organisers and sign each of them to confirm the result. The top copies remain the property of the congress.
Cars parked at the venue or the accommodation are done so entirely at the owners own risk.
BY ENTERING, PLAYERS AGREE THAT IN THE EVENT OF ANY DISPUTE, THE ARBITER’S DECISION IS FINAL.
How to find the venue
By car:
From the North
Leave M6 at J34. Turn onto the A683 and travel towards Lancaster for 1.5 miles joining the one-way system at the traffic lights. Choose the left hand lane and continue for approximately half a mile. Filter left at Dalton Square (statue of Queen Victoria) signed Clitheroe. Go straight on through traffic lights, passing the Cathedral on the right. Continue up the hill, over the crossroads. Continue onto East road. There will be limited parking at Lee house on your left just before you come to the next intersection. The assembly hall (playing venue) is on your right.
From the South
Leave the M6 at J33. Travel towards Lancaster on the A6 North for approximately 3.5 miles. Make a slight right onto Barton Road just past the Booths supermarket on your right, and continue on as it turns into Bowerham road. Take the second exit at the roundabout on to Coulston road. Stay left at the junction with Wyresdale road. Continue on Wyresdale road until you come to the crossroads. Turn left onto East road. There will be limited parking at Lee house on your right. The assembly hall (playing venue) is on your left.
By rail:
Lancaster is on the main west coast rail line from London to Glasgow. A taxi from the station will take around five minutes and cost around £5. There are no buses there from the station.
By foot from the station:
Walking from the station · Leave the station passing the main ticket office and via the station slip road and left onto Meeting House Ln. Continue to the traffic lights at the bottom of the hill. Cross over and turn right onto King St/A6. continue straight ahead, against the flow of road traffic. Turn left at Common Garden St and walk past the bus stops. Keep straight on to traffic lights and cross over to the town hall side of Dalton Square. Keep straight on past the town hall. Keep going straight on up the hill and you will reach the assembly hall which is on the right hand side. It is a 10 minute walk from the town hall but quite a steep hill.
How to find the accommodation
By road:
From the north leave the M6 at junction 34 and follow signs to the city centre. Travel south, keeping in the left lane of the one-way system. Just past the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (on the right), take the first exit at the large roundabout onto Bowerham Road. The entrance to the campus is 300 yards on the left, opposite Bowerham Primary School. From the south leave the M6 at junction 33 and follow the A6 into Lancaster. At the first roundabout, take the third exit onto Bowerham Road. The entrance to the campus is 300 yards on the left, opposite Bowerham Primary School.
By rail:
Lancaster is on the main west coast rail line from London to Glasgow. The campus is a 30-minute walk or short taxi ride away. A taxi from the station will take around five minutes and cost around £5. Alternatively there are regular buses from Common Garden St – 100 or 4. Get off at Park Hotel stop and follow footpath to the campus.
By foot:
Walking from the station · Leave the station passing the main ticket office and via the station slip road and left onto · Meeting House Ln. Continue to the traffic lights at the bottom of the hill and · Turn right onto King St/A6. continue straight ahead, against the flow of road traffic · At the canal bridge traffic lights, continue straight ahead, remaining on A6 · At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Bowerham Rd · The entrance to the campus is 300 yards on the left. There is a pedestrian footpath just by the Park Hotel bus stop.
How to get from the accommodation to the venue
By foot
Go to visitors car park. Follow path up to the sports centre complex. Go past the sports centre up the path and you will face the gates to Williamson Park. Remember this point for your walk back. Turn left down Wyresdale road. Carry on downwards and keep left on East Road and the assembly hall is on your left.
By car
Leave the campus and turn left up Bowerham Road. Turn left at Coulston Road. Turn left at the junction with Wyresdale Rd. Continue on Wyresdale road until you come to the crossroads. Turn left onto East road. The assembly hall is on your left, and the entrance to limited parking at Lee house will be on your right.
Sponsors
