Tournament Rules

1. Participation

The number of players is unlimited. The entry fees are based on the quality of the participants and are regulated by the General Information.

2. General Regulations

2.1. The playing schedule should be distributed to the players before the start of the first round. Any change in the schedule should be announced by the Chief Arbiter.

2.2. No postponement of games is allowed.

2.3. The rate of play, except of tie-breaks, is G-15'+10'' (15 minutes for a game for a player, with an increment of 10 seconds per move).

2.4. The rate of play in tie-breaks is 5 minutes for white and 4 minutes for black for a game.

2.5. The Tournament is played according to the FIDE Laws of Chess 2005.

• In G-15'+10'' games, the rapidplay rules shall be applied.
• In tie-break games, the blitz rules shall be applied.

2.6. Players are kindly requested to keep silence at the tournament hall. Players who will not comply with this request may receive the following penalties:

• official warning
• time penalty (reduction of time by 50% in the next game)
• exclusion from the pairings of the next round (for instance in the case of using mobile phone in the playing hall).

2.7. Chief Arbiter's decisions are final.

3. Qualification Tournament - 8 rounds

All participants play in the 8-round Swiss Qualification Tournament. The standings are determined by:

• number of scored points
• Buchholz without the best and the weakest opponent
• Buchholz (full)
• number of wins
• progressive score

After the 8^th round, the best 16 players qualify to the Final Tournament. If the players from places 17 and further score the same number of points as the player from the 16^th place, tie-breaks will be played.

4. System of the Tie-break Matches to establish qualifiers for the Final Tournament

4.1. All players who scored the same number of points as the player classified on the 16th place participate in the Tie-break Matches to establish qualifiers for the Final Tournament.

4.2. The playing schedule (knock-out system) will be made in such a way that in the last tie-break round the number of matches will be equal to the number of places to be determined.

4.3. In the case the number of players is not a multiple number of this number of places, a preliminary round will be played among the players with the lowest scores in the final ranking.

4.4. In each tie-break round the first ranked player will play versus the last ranked, the second ranked versus the last but one ranked, and so on. This schedule will be valid to the end for the winners and losers.

4.5. After drawing of colours, a sudden death game is played, in which White has 5 minutes, Black has 4 minutes for the game. White is obligated to win, a draw is sufficient for Black. The player who wins the drawing of lots may choose the colour.

5. Swiss Tournament - 5 rounds

Players who didn't qualify to the Final Tournament play further 5 rounds for a win in the Swiss Tournament, taking into consideration the results from the Qualification Tournament and that the best 16 players withdrew after the 8th round of the Qualification Tournament.

The final standings in the Swiss Tournament are determined by:

• number of scored points
• Buchholz without the best and the weakest opponent
• Buchholz (full)
• number of wins
• progressive score

The winner of the Swiss Tournament will be classified on 17^th place, etc.

6. Final Tournament

The final tournament contains 4 Group Tournaments, Tournaments for places 5-8, 9-12, 13-16, the Semi-finals, the Match for the 3^rd place and the Final.

6.1. Group Tournaments - 3 rounds

The starting numbers of the 16 qualifiers are given according to the ranking of the Qualification tournament. The players are divided into 4 groups as follows:

• I - No. 1, 8, 9, 16
• II - No. 2, 7, 10, 15
• III - No. 3, 6, 11, 14
• IV - No. 4, 5, 12, 13

The starting numbers are determined by drawing of lots.

Group Tournaments are round-robin tournaments (3 rounds).

The final standings are determined by number of scored points. In case of a tie, according to Sonneborn-Berger, then by the number of games won, then by a position in the Qualification Tournament after 8 rounds.

6.2. Tournaments for places 5-8, 9-12, 13-16 - 3 rounds

Players who finish on 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th places in Group Tournaments qualify respectively to Tournaments for places 5-8, 9-12, 13-16.

The starting numbers are determined by drawing of lots.

Tournaments for places 5-8, 9-12, 13-16 are round-robin tournaments (3 rounds altogether) and the final standings are determined by number of scored points. In case of a tie, according to Sonneborn-Berger, then by the number of games won, then by a position in the Qualification Tournament after 8 rounds.

6.3. Semi-finals, Match for the 3^rd place and Final

The Semi-finals pairs are composed of the winners of the groups I - IV and II - III.

Players defeated in the Semi-finals participate in the Match for the 3^rd place.

Winners of the Semi-finals qualify to the Final.

In the Semi-finals, the Match for the 3^rd place and the Final, 2-game matches are played. In case of the 1-1 result, an additional sudden death game (after drawing of colours) is played. White has 5 minutes, Black has 4 minutes for the game. White is obligated to win, a draw is sufficient for Black. The player who wins the drawing of lots may choose the colour.