5th 4NCL Online Spring Congress

 

 
   
 
   

Tues 14 January - Tues 8 April 2025

 

Three Sections

 

Open

Under 1700

Under 1400

 

All sections - seven rounds (fortnightly @ 19.30)

 


 

Congress Dates

Tuesday 14 January – Tuesday 8 April 2025 (for individuals, 7 rounds played fortnightly)

 

 

 

 

 

Pairings & Results: Open | U1700 | U1400 | Replay Games | Winners | Entries

 

Sections

Open

Under 1700

Under 1400

 

 

Playing Schedule

Round

1:

14 January

19.30

-

finish  

Round

2:

28 January

19.30

-

finish 

Round

3:

11 February

19.30

-

finish 

Round

4:

25 February

19.30

-

finish  

Round

5:

11 March

19.30

-

finish  

Round

6:

25 March

19.30

-

finish 

Round

7:

8 April

19.30

-

finish 

 

Two ½ point byes may be taken in rounds 1–6.

 

Time Control

All moves in 45 minutes plus 15 second increment per move from move 1.

 

Re-pairing will take place 15 minutes after the start of a round. Players who have not arrived will be defaulted 15 minutes after the scheduled start of a round.

 

Ratings

Ratings from the ECF January 2025 (or most recently available) online rating list will take precedence for the purpose of determining the section in which players will play and for the purpose of rating prize calculations, and will be used where they are available. If ECF online ratings are not available the higher of ECF or FIDE OTB ratings will be used where these are available.

 

The 4NCL may at its absolute discretion disregard a player's FIDE rating if the player has played no FIDE rated games in the previous 20 years.

 

Players without a current FIDE or ECF rating must give details of estimated playing strength, including any previously held grade/rating, or any current rating from another body.

 

The 4NCL reserves the right to transfer players between sections at its absolute discretion at any time.

 

All games will be submitted for ECF online rating.

 

Tie-Breaks

In the event of a tie on points, the following tie-breaks will be used:

  1. Direct Encounter 

  2. Median-Buchholz 

  3. Buchholz Cut 1 

  4. Buchholz

Entry Fee

£10.50 for all sections.

 

Trophies

1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place in each section, best performance trophy in each section.

 

No player may win more than one trophy. Ungraded or unrated players may not win a rating trophy.

 

Trophies may be changed subject to numbers of entries.

 

Using Lichess

The 4NCL uses Lichess for its congresses. Players new to online chess or to Lichess should read the following documents before the congress:

 

 

Lichess and Child Safeguarding

Lichess is a third party website over which the 4NCL has no direct control, and as a result parents will need to consider for themselves whether or not it is appropriate for their child to use this website to play in this congress. Parents may want to consider the following child safeguarding measures:

 

  • Setting up children’s accounts account in “Kid Mode”, which disables all site communications and is password protected;

  • Whether or not parents want to fill in a real name, provide location details, and write other details in the biography on their children’s profiles;

  • There are various other privacy options, including allowing “followers” of the account, and whether or not to allow messaging.

 

Other

In all sections there is a pay to play fee of £5.00 for players who are not ECF members or supporters.

 

Players need an account at https://lichess.org/ in order to play in the congress.

 

Pairings in all sections will be made using Swiss-Manager.

 

Players under sanction in 4NCL Online or Junior 4NCL Online may not play in the congress.

 

The 4NCL reserves the right to refuse any entry without explanation.

 

The submission of an entry form and payment of the entry fee denotes acceptance that the 4NCL’s decision is final in all matters.

 

Entry information/deadlines

Entries for later rounds will be accepted up to and including round 4 (deadline of 6pm on the Tuesday of the round in question) e.g. deadline for round 4, 6pm Tuesday 25 February. The dates and playing schedule is here.

 

 


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Four Nations Chess League

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