My tournament rules, I send them to everyone I do not Know.

I would like to say up front that these are not just rules, but also information about how things work, or are run and interpreted. This is in no way saying that you are or every have been a cheater, a poacher, rude, nasty, or otherwise. It is just so you know how this site is run.

Rules:

I ask three things in my tourneys and if I do not get them I do not invite you back. Have Fun, Play Fair, and be competitive. Making Friends should be just as important as the game. Be polite, GL, GG, Good move, Etc... I have a good following now, but I did have to weed quite a few to get here.

Start dates:

The Tournament start dates are not correct. I have hosted many tournaments and have learned from them. Poachers are the biggest problem and hardest to avoid. By setting a start date way out in the future I can avoid Chess.com from starting the tournament, thus keeping poachers from slipping in at the last few spots to fill the tournament and make it auto start. This also gives me time to check out all the stats on players I do not know. When the tournament is full, and full of the kind of people I want, I then start it myself. By doing this I can eliminate anyone I feel unworthy, or a poacher. I can also eliminate anyone who is over the maximum rating allowed limit.

Cheating:

I hold a lot of tournaments, in only one case has it been brought to my attention that there may be unfair play involved. As a Tournament Director it is my responsibility to look into this to protect the players in my tournament. Cheating comes in many forms, poaching being the biggest in my rating level. They could plain be cheating, using a chess program, GETTING HELP ON THE INTERNET, FRIENDS or they are poachers. Poachers, lose or forfeit a bunch of games to get a low rating, they then join all the low rated tournaments, so they can win them all. What fun that could possibly be is beyond me, but it happens. The most cheaters on Chess.com are in the 1100 - 1300 rating range. I can remove any player from my tournament before it starts, but once started it is out of my hands. This type of cheating is not a Chess.com problem. It is my problem. That said, if a player is playing well above their rating, or I start getting complaints I have to research it. I will research all complaints using the rules on Chess.com about cheating before I report it. I have to put some trust in the system, no one wants to play a cheater, and you may as well just play the computer. Chess.com has been around a long time, when looking at a game for cheating they are not looking for one good move you learned in a book, they are looking for patterns that only chess engines use.

In the rules it tells you what the punishment is for cheating. It is very clear.

I do not know if there is a way to clear your name once labeled a cheater, in all my Tournaments, I have had to send in one game for analysis. You do not know the outcome, but any tournament's Director has a responsibility to protect his players as I have said. The Director must look at all the stats, listen to the complaints, check the games, and then make a decision whether he or she feels it should be looked into further. In all cases, I am sure, everyone hopes they are wrong. It is a necessary evil that comes with the job, but please know I take this very seriously and I will report it.

Vacation allowed:

I allow vacations in my tournaments as a benefit to my players. I, like many other regular players, have health issues. I am always one step away from a hospital visit or jail. With vacation time there is a safety cushion and I feel it is needed for emergencies. Yes it can be abused but EVENTIALLY they will run out of vacation time and forfeit. I always have tournaments starting so you can always play while you wait. I feel the benefits of having it are greater than the time drag it puts on the tournament.

I have been experimenting with 5 day tournaments and no vacation allowed. Many of my higher rated players prefer no-vacation as the games drag on. So far I have had a good response. Please let me know what you think.

Tournament changes:

Many of you have been with me for a very long time and I thank you for that, but you have also gotten accustom to how I operate and run my tournaments. This section is for new joining members and those that have not been in the FFC for long. When I set a tournament, well, it’s not set. Part of being in the FFC and the joined groups that go with it is that we SA’s take care of our players. That’s part of the deal. What I am trying to say is, I will change the rating levels, I will change the number of players allowed, and I will change the number of players per pairings, starting positions, whatever it takes to meet the needs of the players and Friends in our groups. So there are two things you can always count on: Awesome tournament combats, and cool trophies. They may not be there when you join, but they will be when I start the tourney. PLEASE be ready for changes.

Please leave comments or suggestions on how I can make my tournaments better or any changes you would like to see.

I look forward to playing you'

Sincerely;

Keven T.D. Speaking for all SA's and Admins of the joined groups

A MADMAN WITH A BOX

Super Admins