MIDDLESEX COUNTY CHESS ASSOCIATION: THE MIDDLESEX FIDE BLITZ
TOURNAMENT RULES
8 Sept 2026 14:15
Management
1. The Tournament Organiser is David Lewis for Middlesex County Chess Association (MCCA).
2. The Head Arbiter is Adam Raoof for Chess England.
3. The Tournament Arbiter (described as the Chief Arbiter in chess-results.com) is the arbiter in charge of each tournament, i.e. the Head Arbiter or any qualified arbiter appointed by him.
Entry requirements
4. These tournaments are open to all. The management reserves the right to refuse entry at their sole discretion.
Entry fee
5. The entry fee is £40.
FIDE rules
6. The tournaments are FIDE-rated, and the full FIDE Laws of Chess shall apply.
Time control
7. Games will be played at the time control of 3 minutes per player, with increments of 2 seconds per move.
Schedule and pairings
8. The tournament shall comprise 9 rounds which are actually double-rounds where each paired player faces the other once as white and once as black, giving every player a total of 18 games not counting any byes.
9. The tournaments will start at 1:00 pm, and will be paired according to the Swiss pairing rules. Players arriving late for any round may be re-paired at the tournament arbiter’s discretion.
10. Each round will start shortly after the previous round has concluded; a short break between rounds may be added by the Tournament Arbiter.
Byes
11. Players may request two half-point byes in the first round by messaging the Head Arbiter not less than 24 hours before the start of the tournament.
12. Players may request any number of zero-point byes in any subsequent round by asking the Chief Arbiter before the round is paired, thereby avoiding a default.
13. The Chief Arbiter may impose a bye on any player for operational or other reasons.
Defaults
14. A player who defaults a game without a reasonable excuse may be excluded from the pairings for later rounds of the tournament, at the Tournament Arbiter’s sole discretion.
Prizes
General
15. Prizes are for paying customers only.
16. The Chief Arbiter may sometimes invite parents, MCCA officials and others in attendance to play one or more rounds to avoid giving byes or for other reasons. Their results may affect their own and their opponents' points and ratings, but these casual players won’t be eligible for prizes. "Player(s)" in these rules refers exclusively to those who have paid, as does "paid entries".
17. There are no tie-breakers.
18. A player who wins first or second prize may also win a rating prize, and vice versa.
19. Prizewinners should provide the Tournament Arbiter with their current bank details to ensure they receive their prize(s).
First and second prizes
20. The first prize is £60.
21. The second prize is £30.
22. Notwithstanding the last two rules, if two or more players have the most points there shall be no second prize and the first prize will be £90 shared equally among those players.
Rating prizes
23. The “best” player in either of the two rating ranges set out below is the one with the most points after the last round of the tournament.
24. The best player whose rating is between 1600 and 1799 inclusive shall receive the U1800 rating prize of £25. A player whose rating is below 1600 shall not be eligible for the U1800 rating prize.
25. The best player whose rating is below 1600 shall receive the U1600 rating prize of £25.
26. The ratings for the purpose of the rating prizes shall be based on a player's ratings in the following order (OTB unless stated to be Online):
FIDE Blitz;
FIDE Rapid;
FIDE Standard;
ECF Blitz;
ECF Rapid;
ECF Standard;
ECF Online Blitz;
ECF Online Rapid;
ECF Online Standard.
27. A player without any of the above ratings shall be excluded from the pool of potential rating prize-winners until he has one or more of those ratings.
28. If two or more players qualify to win a rating prize it shall be shared equally among them.