Introduction
The Handicap Blitz Grand Prix (“HBGP”) runs throughout the winter season as one of our “first of the month” activities – events run on the first Clubnight of each month. (Others are the Lightning Championship and the Blitz Championship, which is an entirely separate event).
The basis of the HBGP is a time handicap, with the higher rated player in each game having less time and the weaker player more time. There will be five events in the series, each of seven rounds. Each of the five tournaments are stand alone events, so members can enter as many or as few as they like. But for the Grand Prix points scored in each event are aggregated during the course of the season to find the overall Grand Prix winner. We now have a Grand Prix trophy.
Conditions and Playing Rules are given below.
Handicap Blitz Grand Prix Conditions
- Core time is 8 minutes on each clock per game;
- Rapid ratings will continue to be used, while Blitz ratings are still under consideration;
- In each event, players will be allotted to a rating group;
- Games played with equal time, i.e. 8 minutes each, will be submitted for ECF Blitz rating.
The following are the rating groups:
| Group | Rating band |
|---|---|
| 0 | 2151+ |
| 1 | 2001-2150 |
| 2 | 1851-2000 |
| 3 | 1701-1850 |
| 4 | 1551-1700 |
| 5 | 1401-1550 |
| 6 | 1400 and below |
To calculate the time Handicap: for each game, take the difference between the players’ respective rating groups, call this figure minutes. Deduct these minutes from the higher-rated player’s clock and add those minutes to the lower-rated player’s clock. The greatest time adjustment is therefore +/– 6 mins. Players in the same rating group play with equal time, 8 minutes each.
Example – a game between a player in group 3 and a player in group 5: the difference in their rating groups is (5-3) = 2, so the lower rated player has 8+2 = 10 minutes, while the higher rated player has 8-2 = 6 minutes.
On the pairings screen each player’s rating group will be shown in the column headed “Origin”.
Clocks with the various possible time differences wil be available on the table below the pairings screen. When each round is announced, players should work out the time difference, collect the appropriate clock from the table – remember the clock should be place on Black’s right side. On completion of the game, the clock should be re-cycled, i.e. returned to the table below the pairings screen.
HBGP Playing Rules
The FIDE Laws for Blitz games
Being an extract of the Laws of Chess published by FIDE and applying to events starting on or after 1 January 2023.
Link: Full FIDE Laws of Chess
Appendix B. Blitz
B.1 A ‘blitz’ game is one where all the moves must be completed in a fixed time of 10 minutes or less for each player; or the allotted time plus 60 times any increment is 10 minutes or less for each player.
B.2 The Competitive Rules of Play shall apply if:
B.2.1 one arbiter supervises one game and
B.2.2 each game is recorded by the arbiter or his/her assistant and, if possible, by electronic means.
B.2.3 The player may at any time, when it is his/her move, ask the arbiter or his/her assistant to show him/her the scoresheet. This may be requested a maximum of five times in a game. More requests shall be considered as a distraction of the opponent.
B.3 Otherwise, play shall be governed by the Rapid chess Laws as in Article A.2, A.3 and A.5.
B.4 The regulations of an event shall specify whether Article B.2 or Article B.3 shall apply for the entire event.
In accordance with Article B4, as we will not have one Arbiter for each board, B3 applies for the entire event, i.e. Articles A.2, A.3 and A.5 of the Rapid Laws, which are quoted below.
FIDE Guidelines III (games without increment, including the ‘2 minute draw claim’ rule) will NOT apply.
Appendix A. Rapid Chess
A.1 A ‘Rapid chess’ game is one where either all the moves must be completed in a fixed time of more than 10 minutes but less than 60 minutes for each player; or the time allotted plus 60 times any increment is of more than 10 minutes but less than 60 minutes for each player.
A.2 Players do not need to record the moves, but do not lose their rights to claims normally based on a scoresheet. The player can, at any time, ask the arbiter to provide him/her with a scoresheet, in order to write the moves.
A.3 The penalties mentioned in Articles 7 and 9 of the Competitive Rules of Play shall be one minute instead of two minutes.
A.4 The Competitive Rules of Play shall apply if:
A.4.1 one arbiter supervises at most three games and
A.4.2 each game is recorded by the arbiter or his/her assistant and, if possible, by electronic means.
A.4.3 The player may at any time, when it is his/her move, ask the arbiter or his/her assistant to show him/her the scoresheet. This may be requested a maximum of five times in a game. More requests shall be considered as a distraction of the opponent.
A.5 Otherwise the following apply:
A.5.1 From the initial position, once 10 moves have been completed by each player,
A.5.1.1 No change can be made to the clock setting, unless the schedule of the event would be adversely affected.
A.5.1.2 No claim can be made regarding incorrect set-up or orientation of the chessboard. In case of incorrect king placement, castling is not allowed. In case of incorrect rook placement, castling with this rook is not allowed.
A.5.2 If the arbiter observes an action taken under Article 7.5.1, 7.5.2, 7.5.3 or 7.5.4, he/she shall act according to Article 7.5.5, provided the opponent has not made his/her next move. If the arbiter does not intervene, the opponent is entitled to claim, provided the opponent has not made his/her next move. If the opponent does not claim and the arbiter does not intervene, the illegal move shall stand and the game shall continue. Once the opponent has made his/her next move, an illegal move cannot be corrected unless this is agreed by the players without intervention of the arbiter.
A.5.3 To claim a win on time, the claimant may pause the chessclock and notify the arbiter. However, the game is drawn if the position is such that the claimant cannot checkmate the player’s king by any possible series of legal moves.
A.5.4 If the arbiter observes both kings are in check, or a pawn stands on the rank furthest from its starting position, he/she shall wait until the next move is completed. Then, if an illegal position is still on the board, he/she shall declare the game drawn.
A.5.5 The arbiter shall also call a flag fall, if he/she observes it.
A.6 The regulations of an event shall specify whether Article A.4 or Article A.5 shall apply for the entire event.