1.1Our mission is to enable the players to include in advance slow LIVE chess in their weekly schedule.
1.1.2On that purpose, the members of the SLCA play Negotiated Games (NG). A NG is basically a game where the players agree days in advance about when to start the game.
1.1.3For such an agreement to happen at a very high rate, the playersmustobserve some strict and precise Rules as well as a Protocol of Discussion (PD). This is what you will find out in Articles 3, 4 and 5 below.
2. The Player’s Commitment to the SLCA and its members
2.1The players who sign up for our slow LIVE events are commited to a very high level of reliability.They are aware of:
2.1.1The importance of making their Initial Game Offers (IGOs) quickly after the pairings are posted. Or...
2.1.2 The importance to quickly accept one of the other player's IGO.
2.1.3 The importance to show up on time for their game.
2.1.4 The importance of complying with the agreement.
2.1.5 The importance oftrackingthe discussion and to react quickly when something is happening in your Forum of Discussion
2.2It is also obvious that the member will need some spare time in order to enable them to agree with the other players upon when to play.
2.2.1For each opponent, you need 9 hours of spare time spread over 2 weeks to comply with our Protocol of Discussion. See Articles 4 and 5 below.
2.3The member needs spare time during the week-end days, as well as during week days to play. It happens sometimes that the only way to play a game with a certain opponent is to schedule it for the week-end. This is especially true when the players are located far apart on the planet.Maybe you should not try our system if it's impossible for you to play on Saturdays and Sundays.
3. The Forum Of Discussion
3.1Each pair of players will have their own Forum of Discussion (FD). One’s FD will be easy to find, as most the time, a hyperlink that leads to it will be included with the pairings.
3.2It ismandatorythat the players use their Forum of Discussionfor anythingregarding their game.
3.3That FD will be monitored by a Tournament Director. The TD may occasionnally intervene in the course of discussion. The players need to comply with his/her recommendations.
3.4No other mean of communication is accepted.
3.4.1Using an other mean of communication may be considered as an attemp to circumvent The Rules as well as to evade the supervision of the TD.
3.5The player must respond within15 hoursafter someone posted in their Forum of Discussion.
3.5.1It is the player’s responsibility to make sure that they track their Forum of Discussion.
4. The Protocol Of Discussion
4.1The first player to enter the Forum of Discussion (FD, see Article 3) must make at least 3 Initial Game Offers(3 IGOs) to the opponent. See the definitionof an IGO at Article5 below.
4.2The second player to enter the Forum of Discussion must either:
4.2.1Accept one of the opponent’s Initial Game Offersas is. Or...
4.2.2If accepting anything is impossible, the second player to enter the FD must make at least 3counterInitial Game Offers. See more about the IGObelow.
4.3If after both players have offered the other player with at least 3 IGOs no agreement has been found, then the players will keep trying hard for a solution.
4.3.1Anytime during the discussion the players will keep usingtheir Forum of Discussion.
4.3.2If after the players have done their best to agree no deal is possible, the game will duly be called a draw by the TD (½Z - ½Z).
5. The definition of “3 Initial Game Offers”.
5.1.1IGO#1must propose a game that would start at least36hours after posting time.
5.1.2IGO #2 must offer a game that would start at least3 hours after IGO #1.
5.1.3IGO #3 must propose a game that would start at least24 hours after IGO #1.
5.2The players must / should look at their opponent's pre-availibilitiesherebefore issuing their 3 IGOs.
5.3This is how your 3 IGOs should graphically look like:
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5.4Generally speaking, we want to avoid unclear/approximate proposals. For exemple, stating "I would be available anytime during the week-end"isapproximate/unclear and can not be considered as an IGO. No one wants to play in the middle of the night, right?
5.4.1Remember! We want to fasten up the discussion. Anything unclear requests an extra intervention by one of the players and costs time.
5.4.1.2Something like "I would start a game on Saturday anytime between 1:00PM UTC and 7:00PM UTC" is more to the point.It is clear and precise.
5.5 Sensible and flexible: Since we need at least 3 hoursbetweenIGO 1 and IGO 2, stating "I would start a game on suchday,anytime betweenH:M and H+3:M" works pretty well. It would count for 2 IGOs since there is at least 3 hours betweenH:M and H+3:M. Moreover, it would enable the other player to accept anything included in that interval of time, hense saving on the number of interventions in the discussion.
6. Accepting a game proposal
6.1After you have accepted a game proposal there is no need for your opponent to reply, though it would be nice. A game has to be played in accordance with the agreement.
6.1.1An acceptance to be valid must be posted at least 24 hours before the occurrence of the game.
6.1.2But even if there is less than 24 hours between the time of acceptance and the occurrence of the game, the accepter must show up for thegame anywaywithoutany reconfirmation by the offeror.
7. The Deadline For The 3 Initial Game Offers (IGO)
7.1The players have until the first Wednesday at 23:59UTCafter the pairings are posted to fulfill their task with the 3 IGOs. Thus, the players have no more than 48 hours after the pairings are posted.
7.2After the deadline, the too late player will forfeit the game and may not be paired for the round after.
7.3In case of a forfeit loss a game may be played as well. It will however not count for the Standings.
7.3.1If a game is played anyway, the faulty player will be paired for the next round.
8. No show
8.1The player who does not show up for the game at agreed time forfeits the game.
8.1.1Thenthe faulty player must communicate with the TD if they want to be paired for the next round.
8.1.2The faulty player may be suspended or even banned if 2 occurences or more.
8.2Note that the players may decide to play a game later anyway but it will not count for the Standings.
9. Period Of Grace
9.1The period of grace allowed for the delayed player is 15 minutes.
9.2After the period of grace, the opponent may claim the win.
10. The Completion Of The Game
10.1All the games must be completed by the second Monday following the posting of the pairings at 19:00UTC.
11. Reporting The Result Of The Game
11.1The winner must post the result of the gameandits link in their Forum of Discussion.
11.1In case of a draw, White will fulfill the task.
11.2Please do not proceed by sending a private message to me or to the TD.
12. Postponing A Game
12.1Postponing a game is envisionnable if doing so would make playing the game possible.
12.1.2In such the situation, there would be a temporary result for the game, making possible the creating of the pairings for the round after.
12.1.3The temporary result would be based on the ratings of the player.
12.1.4Then the temporary result would turn into actual result and the Standings would be adjusted consequently.
13. Breakdowns
13.1In case of a breakdown it is possible to resume the game later if both players accept.
13.1.1The game would resume at exactly what was left on both players' clock. We would create an algorithm for the players to apply.
14. Fairplay
14.1We strongly support Chess.com's efforts to keep our game clean.
14.1.2Thus, using an engine, books, databases, magazines or any exterior help during the game is strictly prohibited.
14.1.3We frequently ask Chess.com's Fairplay department to randomly verify some accounts. This means that if you have some cheating history, it might not be a good idea to play in our events.
In the Slow LIVE Chess Association (SLCA), we organize slow LIVE chess tournaments with increment. All the games are Negotiated Games.
What is a Negotiated Game?
A Negotiated Game is one where the players need to agree on a mutual/suitable day/time for a game.
But Why Such A Formula?
That is the only formula that has passed the test of time. I think the reason is that it would take an enormous pool of players just to match a fix time tournament. Let us think about it. It may be OK for you to play at a certain time. But 30 minutes later would be just too late. Thus, it is preferable to let the players fine tune their starting time for the game.
What Is A Qualification Tournament?
We use Qualifiers to filter the people at the entrance!
WOW! Wait-Wait-Wait! Why would you need to "filter" me?
In those tournaments where the people mustdiscuss,agree,show upon timeandplay, it is of premium importance that the people are serious and reliable enough to do all this. For exemple, it is notorious that starting discussion soon impoves drastically the chances that a game is played. The worst thing that may happen to a league like this people lose interest because of some people's poor behavior.
What Is An Increment?
An increment is a bonus time that is added up to your clock each time you make a move. For instance, a 45m + 45s game is a game where both players have 45 minutes on the clock. Then when you play a move, you automatically get a 45 second bonus time on your clock. The increment is often refered to as Fisher Bonus.
Our best case scenario is when the players agree quickly about starting day/time for their game.
Fine! But how to quickly agree on a mutual/suitable day/time for a game?
You do it by starting discussion as soon as you can!The longer you wait, the less likely you will have a game. For the purpose of high effeciency, you have 48 hours after the pairings are issued to enter your Forum of Discussion and fulfill your task, as described above in The Rules. A sensible idea may be to offer the other player withall your available days and times for the game. Trying to spare some proposals is nothing to help. Giv'em all!
Yeah! But how to communicate with the other player?
Yomustuse your Forum of Discussion as per The Rules established above.
When the day/time for your game comes, you need to send the other player a game challenge or accept theirs.
OK. How to send a game challenge to an other player?
You need to first friend the player. This should be done as soon as you find out you have been paired to them. Do NOT wait until the game comes! Then this.
The Rules Of The Slow LIVE Chess Association
1. Our Mission
1.1 Our mission is to enable the players to include in advance slow LIVE chess in their weekly schedule.
1.1.2 On that purpose, the members of the SLCA play Negotiated Games (NG). A NG is basically a game where the players agree days in advance about when to start the game.
1.1.3 For such an agreement to happen at a very high rate, the players must observe some strict and precise Rules as well as a Protocol of Discussion (PD). This is what you will find out in Articles 3, 4 and 5 below.
2. The Player’s Commitment to the SLCA and its members
2.1 The players who sign up for our slow LIVE events are commited to a very high level of reliability. They are aware of:
2.1.1 The importance of making their Initial Game Offers (IGOs) quickly after the pairings are posted. Or...
2.1.2 The importance to quickly accept one of the other player's IGO.
2.1.3 The importance to show up on time for their game.
2.1.4 The importance of complying with the agreement.
2.1.5 The importance of tracking the discussion and to react quickly when something is happening in your Forum of Discussion
2.2 It is also obvious that the member will need some spare time in order to enable them to agree with the other players upon when to play.
2.2.1 For each opponent, you need 9 hours of spare time spread over 2 weeks to comply with our Protocol of Discussion. See Articles 4 and 5 below.
2.3 The member needs spare time during the week-end days, as well as during week days to play. It happens sometimes that the only way to play a game with a certain opponent is to schedule it for the week-end. This is especially true when the players are located far apart on the planet. Maybe you should not try our system if it's impossible for you to play on Saturdays and Sundays.
3. The Forum Of Discussion
3.1 Each pair of players will have their own Forum of Discussion (FD). One’s FD will be easy to find, as most the time, a hyperlink that leads to it will be included with the pairings.
3.2 It is mandatory that the players use their Forum of Discussion for anything regarding their game.
3.3 That FD will be monitored by a Tournament Director. The TD may occasionnally intervene in the course of discussion. The players need to comply with his/her recommendations.
3.4 No other mean of communication is accepted.
3.4.1 Using an other mean of communication may be considered as an attemp to circumvent The Rules as well as to evade the supervision of the TD.
3.5 The player must respond within 15 hours after someone posted in their Forum of Discussion.
3.5.1 It is the player’s responsibility to make sure that they track their Forum of Discussion.
4. The Protocol Of Discussion
4.1 The first player to enter the Forum of Discussion (FD, see Article 3) must make at least 3 Initial Game Offers (3 IGOs) to the opponent. See the definition of an IGO at Article 5 below.
4.2 The second player to enter the Forum of Discussion must either:
4.2.1 Accept one of the opponent’s Initial Game Offers as is. Or...
4.2.2 If accepting anything is impossible, the second player to enter the FD must make at least 3 counter Initial Game Offers. See more about the IGO below.
4.3 If after both players have offered the other player with at least 3 IGOs no agreement has been found, then the players will keep trying hard for a solution.
4.3.1 Anytime during the discussion the players will keep using their Forum of Discussion.
4.3.2 If after the players have done their best to agree no deal is possible, the game will duly be called a draw by the TD (½Z - ½Z).
5. The definition of “3 Initial Game Offers”.
5.1.1 IGO #1 must propose a game that would start at least 36 hours after posting time.
5.1.2 IGO #2 must offer a game that would start at least 3 hours after IGO #1.
5.1.3 IGO #3 must propose a game that would start at least 24 hours after IGO #1.
5.1.4 At least 2 out of 3 IGOs must fit in your opponent’s Normal Playing Time (NPT).
5.2 The players must / should look at their opponent's pre-availibilities here before issuing their 3 IGOs.
5.3 This is how your 3 IGOs should graphically look like:
---------------------------
5.4 Generally speaking, we want to avoid unclear/approximate proposals. For exemple, stating "I would be available anytime during the week-end" is approximate/unclear and can not be considered as an IGO. No one wants to play in the middle of the night, right?
5.4.1 Remember! We want to fasten up the discussion. Anything unclear requests an extra intervention by one of the players and costs time.
5.4.1.2 Something like "I would start a game on Saturday anytime between 1:00PM UTC and 7:00PM UTC" is more to the point. It is clear and precise.
5.5 Sensible and flexible: Since we need at least 3 hours between IGO 1 and IGO 2, stating "I would start a game on suchday, anytime between H:M and H+3:M " works pretty well. It would count for 2 IGOs since there is at least 3 hours between H:M and H+3:M. Moreover, it would enable the other player to accept anything included in that interval of time, hense saving on the number of interventions in the discussion.
6. Accepting a game proposal
6.1 After you have accepted a game proposal there is no need for your opponent to reply, though it would be nice. A game has to be played in accordance with the agreement.
6.1.1 An acceptance to be valid must be posted at least 24 hours before the occurrence of the game.
6.1.2 But even if there is less than 24 hours between the time of acceptance and the occurrence of the game, the accepter must show up for the game anyway without any reconfirmation by the offeror.
7. The Deadline For The 3 Initial Game Offers (IGO)
7.1 The players have until the first Wednesday at 23:59UTC after the pairings are posted to fulfill their task with the 3 IGOs. Thus, the players have no more than 48 hours after the pairings are posted.
7.2 After the deadline, the too late player will forfeit the game and may not be paired for the round after.
7.3 In case of a forfeit loss a game may be played as well. It will however not count for the Standings.
7.3.1 If a game is played anyway, the faulty player will be paired for the next round.
8. No show
8.1 The player who does not show up for the game at agreed time forfeits the game.
8.1.1 Then the faulty player must communicate with the TD if they want to be paired for the next round.
8.1.2 The faulty player may be suspended or even banned if 2 occurences or more.
8.2 Note that the players may decide to play a game later anyway but it will not count for the Standings.
9. Period Of Grace
9.1 The period of grace allowed for the delayed player is 15 minutes.
9.2 After the period of grace, the opponent may claim the win.
10. The Completion Of The Game
10.1 All the games must be completed by the second Monday following the posting of the pairings at 19:00UTC.
11. Reporting The Result Of The Game
11.1 The winner must post the result of the game and its link in their Forum of Discussion.
11.1 In case of a draw, White will fulfill the task.
11.2 Please do not proceed by sending a private message to me or to the TD.
12. Postponing A Game
12.1 Postponing a game is envisionnable if doing so would make playing the game possible.
12.1.2 In such the situation, there would be a temporary result for the game, making possible the creating of the pairings for the round after.
12.1.3 The temporary result would be based on the ratings of the player.
12.1.4 Then the temporary result would turn into actual result and the Standings would be adjusted consequently.
13. Breakdowns
13.1 In case of a breakdown it is possible to resume the game later if both players accept.
13.1.1 The game would resume at exactly what was left on both players' clock. We would create an algorithm for the players to apply.
14. Fairplay
14.1 We strongly support Chess.com's efforts to keep our game clean.
14.1.2 Thus, using an engine, books, databases, magazines or any exterior help during the game is strictly prohibited.
14.1.3 We frequently ask Chess.com's Fairplay department to randomly verify some accounts. This means that if you have some cheating history, it might not be a good idea to play in our events.
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General Considerations And FAQs
In the Slow LIVE Chess Association (SLCA), we organize slow LIVE chess tournaments with increment. All the games are Negotiated Games.
A Negotiated Game is one where the players need to agree on a mutual/suitable day/time for a game.
That is the only formula that has passed the test of time. I think the reason is that it would take an enormous pool of players just to match a fix time tournament. Let us think about it. It may be OK for you to play at a certain time. But 30 minutes later would be just too late. Thus, it is preferable to let the players fine tune their starting time for the game.
We use Qualifiers to filter the people at the entrance!
In those tournaments where the people must discuss, agree, show up on time and play, it is of premium importance that the people are serious and reliable enough to do all this. For exemple, it is notorious that starting discussion soon impoves drastically the chances that a game is played. The worst thing that may happen to a league like this people lose interest because of some people's poor behavior.
An increment is a bonus time that is added up to your clock each time you make a move. For instance, a 45m + 45s game is a game where both players have 45 minutes on the clock. Then when you play a move, you automatically get a 45 second bonus time on your clock. The increment is often refered to as Fisher Bonus.
Our best case scenario is when the players agree quickly about starting day/time for their game.
You do it by starting discussion as soon as you can! The longer you wait, the less likely you will have a game. For the purpose of high effeciency, you have 48 hours after the pairings are issued to enter your Forum of Discussion and fulfill your task, as described above in The Rules. A sensible idea may be to offer the other player with all your available days and times for the game. Trying to spare some proposals is nothing to help. Giv'em all!
Yo must use your Forum of Discussion as per The Rules established above.
When the day/time for your game comes, you need to send the other player a game challenge or accept theirs.
You need to first friend the player. This should be done as soon as you find out you have been paired to them. Do NOT wait until the game comes! Then this.