Below Applicable to Events Hosted by The Chess Refinery

The guidelines below are not all inclusive. All players are expected to have a general knowledge and understanding of the USCF/FIDE tournament rules. For more details you can purchase a rule book or view what's available online thru USCF or FIDE. Accelerated pairings may be used.
All Electronic Notation Devices (ENDs) may be subject to inspection at any time.
If in a FIDE rated section, you will be required to also notate on a paper scoresheet.
Electronic Devices
  • Phones are to be POWERED OFF. Do not set to vibrate. Do not set to silent. Turn it COMPLETELY OFF. Phone may be placed on the table next to your chess board for the entire duration of the round while your game is in play.  You may not take the phone with you outside of the playing hall. It stays on the chess table or as instructed by the TDs for the duration of your game. 
  • If you are caught in possession or use of a phone or viewing of someone else's phone or electronic device during a round in areas such as the restroom, hallways, lobby of the building, skittles area, etc (anywhere in/outside of the building or in your car) you will face penalties up to the discretion of the tournament director. Such penalties could include immediate forfeiture/rated loss of the current game in progress and expulsion from the entire tournament.
  • No evidence of a chess app being open nor proof of cheating of the current position being played is needed to face the penalties above. 
  • All smart watches or devices capable of communication with a cell phone are to be treated as such and are not allowed to be worn on the person or carried within your apparel on your person. Keep it simple, just don't wear/bring one to a tournament. 
  • Participation in an event held by The Chess Refinery means you consent to a search of your bags, clothes and or other items or body, upon request by the tournament director. Metal detectors may be utilized during rounds as spot checks for detection of hidden electronic devices.
  • If a player refuses to comply with an inspection/search of property, the TD may take measures such as immediate loss of the game and/or expulsion from the tournament. An initiation of a search is not taken lightly and will not be undertaken unless there is reasonable suspicion of possession or use of an electronic device or other suspicious behavior.
  • Unless otherwise noted in tournament advertising, the above policies are applicable for all of our USCF/FIDE rated chess tournaments.
  • Our electronic device policy could change with each event - please make sure to view/listen to any additional requirements that may be announced.
Player Conduct
  • Players are not allowed to leave from the playing hall while it is on their move unless you have the arbiter's permission. If you need to go to the restroom, do so while it is on your opponent's turn to move.
  • You are expected to inform the tournament director if you need to step outside of the building for any reason, i.e. smoking, fetch a jacket from the car, etc.
  • You are not allowed to discuss your game with anyone during a round, this includes your friends or your parents or any bystanders. Do not discuss or comment on other games going on as other players may overhear conversations which could affect the game(s). 
  • Do not communicate with a player who is seated at the board during a game. This includes non-verbal communication such as hand gestures/body language, eye rolls, etc. Communication amongst players while walking around the playing hall during a round should also not take place as it will generate suspicion and likely lead to false accusations of cheating. 
  • Please upon each departure or entrance to and from the playing hall, close the door GENTLY and QUIETLY behind you. This is to minimize disturbance to other players. Do not slam or close the door in a hurry as this generates unnecessary noise. Players who refuse to cooperate with this request may face time penalties or more severe penalties for repeat offenders.
  • No running, hopping, skipping or similar horseplay in the tournament hall. Kids are expected to be on their best behavior both inside and outside of the playing hall. This means no screaming, yelling, loud talking in the hallways near the playing hall as it can be disruptive to the players inside of the hall.
  • Please be respectful and courteous of other players and of the playing venue itself. The playing venue includes all spaces within the building and the parking lot and surrounding areas. Players are expected to clean up after themselves and not litter and/or leave any mess behind in all areas.
Byes, Withdrawals, Missing a Round, Forfeits
  • You must immediately inform a tournament director if you need to miss a round, are running very late and/or want to withdraw from the tournament (i.e. you do not want to play any remaining games in the event).
  • Below is an example of how you may see withdrawals marked on a pair chart:
  • If you need to miss a round and would like a "half-pt bye" for the timely advance notice to the TD, let them know when you register and/or follow any of the pre-tournament publicity on how to request the byes. Some events have a maximum # of 0.5pt byes available & deadlines for when you can request them.
  • Forfeits happen due to a variety of reasons but most commonly when someone did not tell the TD that they were going to miss a round. This results in the opponent waiting an hour or so to get the free point. It is a waste of the TDs time to keep track of this and a waste of the player's time who is waiting around for his/her opponent. Penalties may be issued for future events if you fail to let the TD know you can't make a round.
Draws
  • Proper timing is to offer a draw after you have made your move, but before you hit the clock. Then hit the clock and wait for your opponent's response to the draw offer and/or claim as applicable. There are exceptions to this procedure. i.e. triple occurrence and 50 move rule draws
  • To claim a triple occurrence draw, the player claiming should write the move down on the score-sheet, don't play the move, stop the clock and state the claim to the opponent.  If no move is required to state the claim, then just stop the clocks and state the claim. 
  • To claim a 50-move rule draw, you must be able to demonstrate that the last 50 consecutive moves have been made by each side without any pwn move or any capture. You can ask for a TD to help count out 50 moves if in sudden death. You as the player need to declare the intention to invoke this 50-move rule. 
  • Per USCF rules, A TD is NOT responsible to initiate these draw claims on behalf of the players. 
Pairing Requests
  • You may not have an option to play "up" a section. Cutoffs for sections are determined by the tournament director and pairings are based off of the latest supplement rating unless otherwise specified. See each tournament's publicity details for options. 
  • We do not use "LIVE" ratings for pairings. Provisional ratings may be used based on the discretion of the TD. Foreign ratings may be used. Other references may be used in the event of an unrated player.
  • We only honor requests for family members (siblings) to avoid pairings for the first half of the tournament only. i.e. if it's a 3 round, only for rounds 1-2; if it's a five round event, only for rounds 1-3. In all other rounds, siblings may be paired against one another.
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