Tournament rules for the PC Gibbs Trophy
Published October 2008 Tournament Controller Bob Veitch

(MCCU Counties Correspondence Championship)

  1. Play and Control
    1. Games shall be played in accordance with the FIDE Laws of Chess where applicable.
    2. The Controller is responsible for the proper conduct of the tournament. For this purpose he may use any means he considers appropriate. These must of course not be in contradiction to the rules of play and the Tournament rules.
    3. All correspondence in respect of time claim disputes, adjudication and appeals shall be transmitted by First Class Post.
  2. Transmissions
    1. Moves shall be numbered and sent
    2. In algebraic or a mutually agreed notation
    3. On postcards (or letters)
    4. Bearing the name and address and signature of the sender and
    5. A correct repetition of the opponent's latest move(s) and confirmation of the postmark date
    6. The sender shall record on the postcard
    7. The date on which the opponent's last move was delivered and
    8. The anticipated postmark
    9. Failing this, reasonable dates shall be assumed by the recipient and notified with reply move. (Courtesy would suggest that the opponent be informed of this assumption)
    10. When the anticipated postmark date does not agree with the postmark, the recipient shall correct this and the sender be informed with the reply move.
    11. The time used for the move and the accumulated time for the game shall also be recorded
    12. First class post shall be used for the transmission of moves but
    13. If BOTH players agree, moves may be transmitted by email, fax or using a webserver (e.g. chessworld etc). The players should inform the controller as a matter of courtesy the method by which the games are being conducted.
    14. Scorecards or score sheets may be used only if BOTH players agree, they must understand that this method does not provide positive proof of the moves played or the dates of transmission and receipt
    15. In the absence of any agreement re the transmission of moves postcards are default method.
  3. Failure to reply
    1. Should there be no reply to any move within 14 days plus the average time in the post both ways, the full details shall be repeated (RECORDED delivery is no longer essential, but a certificate of posting is a wise precaution, where a player intends to take a prolonged period (i.e. over 10 days) over a move, the opponent should be informed)
    2. If no reply is received to the repetition then the controller should be informed.
    3. Games in which no moves have been played for four months may be scored as a loss to both players.
  4. Moves and continuations
    1. No legal move shall be retracted after posting, clerical errors are binding if they are legal moves. A correct repetition of the latest move is necessary for the sender's reply move to be valid.
    2. Illegal or illegible moves shall be referred back to the sender without any obligation to move the piece in question.
    3. A blank card or a card posted without a reply move shall be treated as an illegal move.
    4. The omission or addition of chess indications (such as “check”, “captures”, “en passant”) is without significance
    5. Proposals of conditional continuations are binding until the recipient, makes a different move from that proposed
    6. Any accepted continuation move shall be correctly repeated with the reply
    7. When no reply is made to an accepted conditional continuation it shall be treated as an illegible move.
  5. Records and reports
    1. All transmissions from the opponent concerning the game and a record of all the moves and dates shall be kept until the end of the tournament and sent to the controller on request
    2. Changes of permanent address shall be notified to the controller and opponent
    3. The controller must be notified immediately of any disagreement between the players about the game
  6. Time allowed and penalties
    1. Each competitor is allowed 30 days per 10 moves (40 days per 10 moves if games played by email or fax)
    2. Time saved shall be carried forward
    3. The time used is the difference in days between the date on which the opponents last move was delivered and the postmark date of the reply
    4. Time in the post will not count
    5. Accepted continuation moves are included in the time taken for reply moves
    6. The starting date for the Tournament (1 st August) or when the white player receives his pairing notice, whichever is later
    7. Players who get the pairing notice before the start date may start play; in that case time of reflection will not be counted until the starting date
  7. Time exceeding
    1. Claims that the time limit has been exceeded shall be sent to the controller with full details at the latest when posting the 10 th 20 th etc move.
    2. At the same time, the opponent shall be informed
    3. Any protest shall be sent to the controller within 14 days of receiving the information otherwise the claim shall be deemed to be conceded.
    4. The controller shall inform both players of the decision
    5. If a claim for exceeding the time limit is upheld then the player who has exceeded the time limit shall forfeit the game
  8. Leave
    1. Each competitor may take up to 14 days leave during the stipulated period of play.
    2. Players taking leave must inform their opponents and the controller in advance
    3. In addition the controller may grant up to 14 days additional leave which in exceptional circumstances may be backdated
    4. If a player answers a move during his leave the leave is cancelled and normal time shall be counted
  9. Withdrawal
    1. In the event of withdrawal or death of a competitor before he has completed half or more of his games, his results are eradicated for the purpose of determining final standings, but any such results stand for grading purposes. Once half his games are complete, remaining games may be adjudicated, but adjudicated games may not be graded.
  10. Adjudication
    1. If no result has been agreed by 31 st May players must submit by 5 th June a record of the moves played
    2. The position reached
    3. A statement claiming either a win or a draw which may or may not be supported by analysis
    4. The controller shall notify the adjudicators decision to both players indicating whether the result is subject to appeal
    5. Adjudication Appeals

• i. Any appeal against the adjudicator's decision must be posted to the controller within seven days of a player receiving the notification. The controller will forward the appeal to the ECF adjudication service

• ii. Analysis or additional analysis must accompany an appeal

  1. Reporting results
    1. As soon as possible after ending a game each player should send the result and a clear record of the moves made to the controller
    2. The result is officially recorded only after the receipt of this record
    3. Should no record be received from either player, the result may be scored as lost to both
  2. Decisions and Appeals
    1. The controller may penalise or disqualify competitors who break these rules
    2. Any matter not covered by them shall be decided by the controller (If the controller is a competitor any dispute involving the controller's game(s) will be referred to P.C. Gibbs)
    3. Any player may appeal within 14 days of receiving a decision of the controller to the Chief Executive of the MCCU. The appeal may be referred to the appropriate committee of the MCCU whose decision shall be final