Internal competition rules

All players in the Worcester City Chess Club Championsip and the Rapidplay all-play-all Championship must be paid up members of the club.

Club Championship

Each round will be a random draw, with no seedings. Colours will be drawn randomly too. The draw for the first round will take place at the club on Thursday 18th September 2025.

Time control will be 45min and 30 second increments, to match the same we use across (some of!) the WCA standardplay league fixtures. All games will be rated.

We have set (fixed) dates for each round of the cup. Only special circumstances, deemed acceptably by the Competition Secretary (me) and agreed by both players, will allow for an alternative playing date to be arranged. If attendance on the fixed dates could be a challenge for you, please don't enter: withdrawals create a real disruption to your fellow players in the draw (and more importantly, add to my admin!!).

The set dates are:
• Round 1: Thursday 2nd October 2025
• Round 2: Thursday 27th November 2025
• Round 3 / Quarter-finals: Thursday 22nd January 2026
• Semi-finals: Thursday 26th March 2026
• Final (and 3rd place playoff): Thursday 14th May 2026

Replays will be organised by the Competition Secretary (Rob Sutton) on mutually convenient dates in good time before the next round. Following the first drawn game, colours will be reversed adopting the same time control; a second drawn game will be decided by Rapidplay 20+10 (colours reversed again); a third drawn game will be decided by blitz 3+2 (colours reversed again); a further drawn game will result in lowest rated player advancing or a coin flip will determine the winner if players (or one player) is unrated.

The draw for the next round will take place on the evening of the completed previous round.

Again, following the positive feedback from last season, losing players in each round will be paired with other losing players, to maintain involvement across the whole season. After the second round, the losing players will be seeded, to allow for ranked 'final standings' for all participants.

Last season the championship was won by Ed Osbourn.

Club Rapidplay all-play-all Championship

Six Thursday evenings across the season have been set aside, free from League fixtures or other events, to allow matches to be organised and more games to be played. These dates are: 11 Sep, 30 Oct, 12 Feb, 19 Feb, and 3 Mar. All-paly-all rapidplay championship Games can also be played on any Thursday night, but emails will be sent in the days leading up to "Rapidplay Evenings" to advertise the opportunity. Also, a poster will be put on the "admin table" summarising the rules and regulations; the results and current standings; names of participants; and the forthcoming 'Evenings' for play.

The time control will be 20 minutes plus 10 second increments, to follow that adopted by the County Association (WCA). Notation (recording your moves) is not required. However, unlike previous seasons, there will be no 'finals' to determine the overall Rapidplay Champion, with the completed League standing (in early May) determining the winner.

Match results need to be reported to the Competition Secretary noting which player took white. All usual WCA (ECF) rules for Rapidplay apply (i.e. time control following illegal moves, etc..) .All results must be recorded on the Rapidplay Championship results sheet displayed on the 'information table' near the hall entrance. All results will be formally rated and submitted to the ECF (via LMS); thus ECF membership (alongside WCCC membership) is required.

Participants will be able to play the same opponent twice (but no more), with colours reversed for the second game (preferably playing both matches on the same night, but this isn’t compulsory). Unlike the Standardplay Championship there is no deadline for expressions of interest to participate in the Rapidplay Championship, with old or new members able join at any point during the season.

Matches will be organised amongst yourselves; starting with immediate effect and running up until (and including) Thursday 30 April 2026. No need to (and please don’t!) include the Competition Secretary in your communications to arrange matches.

There are some complicated regulations regarding participants intentionally avoiding playing certain players to improve their potential performance. I won't bore you with these details; because I know none of you would be behave so unscrupulously! All disputes will be resolved by the Competitions Secretary, who has the final judgment on all matters.

• The time control shall be 20 min + 10 sec increment from move 1.
• Play shall be governed by the FIDE laws of Chess, except where they are overridden by the following rules.
• Players do not need to record any moves.
• The flag is considered to have fallen when a valid claim to that effect has been made by a player.
• To claim a win on time, the claimant's flag must remain up and the opponent's flag down after the clocks have been stopped.
• If both flags have fallen, the game is drawn.

The winner will receive a club award as wil the player with a starting rating (in September) under 1450, with highest accumulated points at the end of the season will also receive an award

Last season, the championship was won by Joe Rastall