Step-Up Chess Tournament

Regulations

Dates/Venue/Format

Date: Sun, 9 February 2025
Venue: Shinagawa Ward General Kumin Hall “Curian” 6F
5-18-1 Higashi-Oi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo (map)
2 min walk from Oimachi Station on JR Keihin-Tohoku Line, Tokyu Oimachi Line & Rinkai-sen, 15 min walk from Aomono-Yokocho Station on Keihin-Kyuko Line
Format: 4R Swiss, 15min+10sec/move, National Rapid Rated

Registration

【Regular Category (U1400)】

Japan Chess Federation annual members, either rated under 1400 in National Rapid Rating or not rated.

【Group Z (U1600 without UR)】

Japan Chess Federation annual members, rated under 1600 in National Rapid Rating (If none, National Standard Rating) Players without rating are not eligible for this category.

Common Rules

Applicable Ratings
The rating announced in December 2024 will be used as the basis for the National Rapid Rating.
In case a player does not hold a National Rapid Rating, an alternative rating shall be applied in the following order, according to the Rating Regulations.:
a. FIDE Rapid Rating
b. National Standard Rating
c. FIDE Standard Rating
Participation in a higher category
Entry into a category higher than his/her National Rapid Rating is permitted.

*Please make sure that your membership is in effect until the date of the tournament (To become a member, please click here).
If you are not a member, please purchase tickets on Peatix and register as a member as soon as possible.

Entry fee: 3,000 yen
Registration: Purchase electronic tickets through [Peatix] during the registration period. (Limit: 72 players)
Show the QR code on your electronic ticket when checking-in.
*Please check that the QR code is displayed correctly beforehand.
* A “Waiting List” Ticket” will be sold at the same price along with the regular ticket on Peatix.
*Waiting List Ticket
The “Waiting list Ticket” can only be purchased when the event reaches full capacity and regular tickets are sold out. If cancellations occur, participation in the event will be offered to “Waitlist Ticket” holders in the order of purchase, and the ticket price will be applied directly as the participation fee. If the turn on the waitlist does not come, the purchase price will be refunded.
Additionally, if a “Waitlist Ticket” holder becomes eligible to participate in the event, a notification will be sent to the registered email address.
Registration Period: From 18:00 on Fri, 27 Dec 2024 to 23:59 on Sun, 2 Feb 2025

Schedule

Sunday, 9 February
13:30-14:00 Check-in
14:00 Opening Ceremony
14:20 R1
15:30 R2
16:40 R3
17:50 R4
19:00 Prize Giving

Prizes

The top places in both categories will be awarded as follows
Regular: 1st 3,000 yen, 2nd 2,000 yen, 3rd 1,000 yen, and certificates to 4th-6th place.
Group Z: Plaques will be awarded to the 1st-3rd places and certificates to the 4th-6th places.
ChessMood awards will be given to 1st-3rd places in both Regular and Group Z.
Tie-breaks will be used to determine winners. No two players will share the prize.

Other Regulations

Tournament Rules

Tie-breaks:
1. Buchholz Cut-1
2. Buchholz
3. Sonneborn-Berger
4. Sum of the ratings of the opponents
5. Drawing of lots.
Default time: If any player is not present within 10 min after the game starts, she/he shall lose the game by default. The game is not rated.
Advance Bye: Bye (non-playing) declarations will be accepted until 18:00 on the day before the tournament day, and must be entered on the Bye Request Form. A player will receive 0.5 points for an advance bye and 0 points for a bye declared after the deadline, but all byes declared in the final round will receive 0 points. Players with more than one round of declared byes will be eliminated from the prize pool.
The compulsory Bye (Bye on the pairings) will be 1 point.
Pairings for the first round must be made after 18:00 and before 24:00 on the day before the tournament.
If you wish to declare a bye or cancel your participation in the tournament after the closing time of the previous day, please contact japanchess.info@gmail.com.
If a player missed the last round without prior Bye report, and does not contact the above address by email, he/she will be disqualified and will be excluded from the tournament.
Players must use clocks, chess sets, and score sheets provided by the organizer.
It is not necessary to record the moves. After the game is over, both players must sign each other’s score sheets and report the result to the arbiter. The results must be confirmed before signing.
During a match, if a parent speaks to or makes eye contact with the player, penalties or a forfeit loss may be imposed. If a parent needs to provide the player with drinks, writing utensils, or similar items, they must first obtain permission from Arbiter and deliver the items via Arbiter. Directly handing items to the player will result in penalties or a forfeit loss.
If parents notice anything of concern during a match, they should not address it directly but instead call the arbiter.
All electronic devices including smartphones, tablets or smartwatches must be turned off and stored away. Players are not allowed to keep it on him/her or take it outside of the venue in a bag. When a player breaks these rules, his/her game shall be immediately lost. It is forbidden for anybody to use a mobile phone or any kind of communication device in the playing venue.
However, if you must carry an electronic device such as a cell phone during the game due to unavoidable circumstances, please send an e-mail to japanchess.info@gmail.com with the reason for your request when you register. The organizer will permit the possession of such a device only if it is approved by the organizer after taking the circumstances into consideration.
The order of precedence of the criteria for determining starting order shall be National Rapid Rating (if you do not have one, you will take over the National Standard Rating), Title, and Alphabetical order.
The other criteria will be determined in accordance with the FIDE Rules. However, illegal moves, wrong clock presses, use of both hands, etc. are also infractions, but since this is a tournament for beginners, the second time will not be considered a loss.

Media Related Rules

The tournament results will be posted on the Internet (chess-results.com) for reporting purposes. The game record may also be published on the Internet. Participants agree to the publication of their real names, results, and game records.
Observers are allowed to take photos for the first 10 minutes of each game, including the use of a mobile, but after 10 minutes, all mobiles have to be put away by the observers, and they are not allowed to use them in the playing room. Exception for people with special permission.
Individuals who wish to use photos or videos of participants (during games, award ceremonies, etc.) must be careful to protect their privacy. In addition to obtaining comprehensive consent in advance, for example, in the case of minors, the permission of their guardians must be obtained, and due consideration must be given to the protection of personal information and portrait rights.
The organizer will take photos, record videos, and broadcast the event live. These may be published and used in media such as websites, SNS, video sites, and journals managed by the Japan Chess Federation, or provided to the mass media in case of interviews. Participants shall agree to the publication and live broadcast of these photos and videos.

Other Rules

The organizer reserves the right to change the above conditions in case of reasonable cases before the first round begins.
Due to the spread of coronavirus infection or other unforeseeable reasons, there may be unavoidable changes to the duration of the event, or the event may be cancelled.
If you wish to cancel your participation in the convention, please contact japanchess.info@gmail.com.
If cancellation is made before the day 8-days before the registration deadline and the number of participants has not reached the maximum number, a refund will be made. We do not refund from 7-days before the application deadline. We do not refund once the number of applicants has reached the maximum.
The Japan Chess Federation cannot be held responsible for any problems that occur between individuals.
If there is a discrepancy between English and Japanese, the Japanese version prevails.