Thursday, May 22: Event #1: 3|2 WALTHAM ONLINE #160 (Arena). https://www.chess.com/play/arena/4217833. 3|2 Live 1-hour Arena. Registration 6:55-7:55 p.m. First game at 7:55 p.m. (FIXED). EF FREE, no cash prizes. Players may play as many or as few games as they wish within the 1-hour play time. Games in progress at the end of the hour will be cut off with no score. Points are gained by wins and draws, with bonus points awarded for streaks. Players must join our chess.com site Waltham Chess Club to be eligible to play. No half-point byes, no reentry after withdrawal.
Thursday, May 22: Event #2: 3|2 WALTHAM RATED BLITZ #250 (Swiss). https://www.chess.com/play/tournament/5678395. Six-Round, 3|2, USCF-RATED Swiss (only Online Ratings will be affected). Registration 4:30-5:30 p.m. First game at 5:30 p.m. (FIXED). EF FREE, no cash prizes. Players must join our chess.com site Waltham Chess Club - USCF Rated to be eligible to play. No half-point byes, no reentry after withdrawal.
Thursday, May 22: Event #3: 10|3 WALTHAM RATED #180 (Swiss). https://www.chess.com/play/tournament/5678397. Five-Round, 10|3, USCF-RATED Swiss (only Online Ratings will be affected). Registration 6-7 p.m. First game at 7 p.m. (FIXED). EF FREE, no cash prizes. Players must join our chess.com site Waltham Chess Club - USCF Rated to be eligible to play. No half-point byes, no reentry after withdrawal.
Thursday, May 22: Event #4: 5|2 WALTHAM RATED BLITZ #251 (Swiss). https://www.chess.com/play/tournament/5678399. Six-Round, 5|2, USCF-RATED Swiss (only Online Ratings will be affected). Registration 8:30-9:30 p.m. First game at 9:30 p.m. (FIXED). EF FREE, no cash prizes. Players must join our chess.com site Waltham Chess Club - USCF Rated to be eligible to play. No half-point byes, no reentry after withdrawal.
Zoom Meeting REQUIRED (for ONLY the Rated tournaments): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81727541527?pwd=N2pZUksvbVo4SDBiRUQrTms0eFJJZz09
Meeting ID: 817 2754 1527 Passcode: 867753
Any player who wants to join a USCF-Rated group or play in a USCF-Rated online tournament on chess.com needs to fill out this form one time: USCF Authentication Form. Once you have done so, please join the US Chess Members Only group here: https://www.chess.com/club/uschess-members-only. After that you will be eligible to play in any USCF-Rated online tournament provided that you maintain a USCF Membership in good standing.
Event #5. Every week starting later in May and lasting into June: Waltham CC 18th ONLINE INVITATIONAL - Round 1. Offered to Waltham CC players by Invitation only.
Starting later in May and lasting into June, I offer Waltham Chess Club players the opportunity to play in Waltham CC's 18th ONLINE INVITATIONAL. One Round per Tuesday or Thursday or Friday per player will be scheduled at 6:30 PM, 7:30 PM, 8:30 PM, or 9:30 PM ET each of the six weeks. Other times may be offered besides these. Players paired with each other will set up a challenge on the Play page of chess.com and play individually. Zoom will be REQUIRED for players on their respective nights (but see below).
Here are the details:
1. The tournament will run for five weeks (for a Swiss) or six weeks (for a Double Quad; see 4. below) on chess.com each Tuesday or Thursday or Friday at 6:30 PM, 7:30 PM, 8:30 PM, or 9:30 PM ET (players' choice). Other times may be offered. However, if two players need to reschedule a game, PROVIDED that they notify me in advance of their play session, they may choose a time of their own agreement. If they choose a time when I am unavailable to supervise, the Zoom session will be set up so that the players can join themselves and be recorded on it, but they will have to conduct the game in my absence.
2. The player playing White challenges the player playing Black in each Pair. However, if the player playing White is having trouble issuing the challenge, the player playing Black may offer to do so in their stead. Both players are responsible for reporting the results to me accurately and promptly.
3. Zoom is REQUIRED for all players during their Rounds. On Zoom either Screen-Share of a player's ENTIRE desktop window is required, or else the player must show their play area in their video with their game in progress in full view of the TD. All other monitors and electronic devices must be turned off, and all principles of Fair Play must be observed. The TD reserves the right to require, at his discretion, any and all players to log into Zoom with two separate webcam views, especially any players who are scoring high.
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81727541527?pwd=N2pZUksvbVo4SDBiRUQrTms0eFJJZz09
Meeting ID: 817 2754 1527 Passcode: 867753
4. The time control is 45|5. Players are arranged into Quads or small Swiss Sections after being grouped together based on the day and time when they choose to play. The format, where possible, is a Double Quad in which the Pairings of Rounds 1-3 will be duplicated in Rounds 4-6 but with all the colors reversed. The Pairings of all Double Quad Rounds are published prior to the playing of Round 3. For Sections for which a Double Quad is not feasible, a Small Swiss of only 5 Rounds long will be used instead.
5. To be eligible to play, you must be a Member of the chess.com group Waltham Chess Club - USCF-Rated, must have a current Membership with USCF extending at least through April 2025, and must be authenticated with chess.com as a USCF player after submitting the USCF Authentication Form (USCF Authentication Form).
6. In the unlikely event that a player gets a full-point Bye, I will offer to play that player in a side game. This is recommended but not required.
7. The entry fee is $25. Entry fees may be sent to me by VenMo, Zelle, or PayPal. I will send payment details individually. If a player cannot pay electronically, they may send me a check in the mail. Entry fees will be refunded if the event is canceled due to insufficient attendance or any other reason, or if a player must withdraw due to unavoidable exigency with sufficient notice.
8. The tournament is USCF-Rated. All games will be reviewed for Fair Play by chess.com before being Rated by normal procedure. Players may also report to me REASONABLE suspicion of a Fair Play violation if they have cogent evidence; frivolous or defamatory claims may result in penalties. If a Fair Play violation is confirmed after the tournament is over, the offending player will forfeit any prize money due them. If the player commits the violation while the tournament is in progress, they will be ejected from the tournament. All claims MUST be shared with only me as Tournament Director PRIVATELY and must NOT be disclosed to any of the other players in the tournament unless I deem it necessary for extraordinary reasons.
9. If one player appears online but the other does not, reasonable attempts will be made to contact the missing player and play the game normally. If a player arrives more than 30 minutes late, the TD will deduct time off the clock in excess of the first 30 minutes. If a player fails to show altogether without having notified the TD or their opponent of an expected absence or late arrival, the game will be forfeit by that player. (Note: if the missed player makes reasonable efforts after the missed night to make up the game with his opponent, with the agreement of the opponent the TD reserves the right to annul a forfeit. Otherwise, the player will be liable to a $25 fine to reenter the tournament if he/she forfeits a game without reasonable explanation.) If both players fail to show without advance notification, both will forfeit unless both approach me and can show extenuating circumstances.
10. (i) If a player's chess.com account is disabled for any reason, and they cannot play one or more Rounds at their chosen times of play, they forfeit automatically. NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule. (ii) If a player has or opens a second chess.com account on which they can play their games after the original account's shutdown, the TD reserves the right to allow the player a probationary period in which they may play their (remaining) games on their second account. During this period, the player is obliged either to get the original account restored or to supply incontrovertible proof that the shutdown was improper. If the player fails, any wins or draws the player gained in the probationary period will be forfeited. Regardless of any USCF rules to the contrary, the opponents of the player will receive one Forfeit Point for games they originally lost and one-half Forfeit Point for games they originally drew. (iii). If the player is found in violation of any other chess.com rule aside from Fair Play, such as having multiple accounts, and they do not correct the violation, they forfeit automatically. NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule. (iv) If on ZOOM a player fails to use a webcam as directed and gives no suitable explanation or takes no suitable corrective action, they forfeit automatically. NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule.
11. By default, "mouseslip" moves, false resignations, and timeouts caused by server disconnects are treated as completed moves by USCF and and MAY NOT be taken back. The losing player is simply out of luck. If, however, two players agree to approach the TD about taking a move back or replaying a game, the TD reserves the right to waive this rule if there are extenuating circumstances. In all instances, the TD renders the final decision. Furthermore, a legimately winning player is never OBLIGATED to accommodate a losing player except by their own voluntary choice.
12. Earbuds or other devices worn in the ears that may serve as communicators are expressly forbidden. Penalties may be assessed for repeat violations. If an exception is warranted (e.g., excessive background noise needing some type of silencing aid), the TD reserves the right to grant it.
13. First prize and second prize will be awarded to each Section. The amounts are $60-$30 except for the top-Rated Section whose prizes are $80-$40. The top-rated Quad is the one whose four players' Ratings average the highest among the Quads. Small Swisses are graded by the average of the top four players' Ratings, with the lowest Rating(s) dropped.
14. If we have a very large number of participants, I may postpone the free Rated events on Thursday nights until after the Invitational is concluded.
WCC Member Coordinator
Todd Chase
(781) 790-1033
info@WalthamChessClub.org