Slow Live Chess Association

The Rules

Negotiating

For each of the games, a related Negotiation Forum (NF) is created and supervised by an arbiter. The Negotiation Forum is the only mean of communication that the players will use to agree about a day & time to play the game. The players will comply with all the rules, with all the instructions given in the Negotiation Forum and with all the instructions given by the arbiter. We use the English language to communicate. We use GMT for any negotiation, even when the players come from the same time zone. A link to a Time Zone Converter will be available in all the Negotiation Forums. Let's now give our definition of a «Starting Time» and Initial Starting Time:

A Starting Time is the starting point of a chess game notwithstanding the duration.

An Initial Starting Time is one of the three (3) mandatory first Starting Time offers made at the very beginning of the negotiation process by one or both players.

After the Pairings & Negotiation Forums are posted, the players' main objective is to find a common suitable Starting Time towards the game. The first player to get inside the Negotiation Forum must offer three (3) Initial Starting Times as when to play in accordance with our four (4) Guidelines shown below. The second player to show up in the Negotiation Forum must either accept one of the first player's Initial Starting Time offers OR, if accepting is impossible, counter-offer with three (3) Initial Starting Times of his own following the same four (4) Guidelines shown below. This must be accomplished before the first Wednesday after the pairings / Negotiation Forums are posted @ 4:00GMT. The player who fails to meet this requirement on time automatically earns a full Misconduct Penalty Ticket even when the game is played. In such a case, the arbiter may suspend the negotiation (or not) between the players by locking the Negotiation Forum. Please see below about «Misconduct Penalty Ticket» for more on this topic.

In case of no agreement after both players have offered their three (3) Initial Starting Times, the players keep negotiating, making offers and counter-offers (one Starting Time at a time or more) in the way Ping-Pong players would return the ball. If no agreement is possible after the players did everything in their power and followed all the rules, the game is duly declared draw by the arbiter in charge. Here are our four (4) Guidelines that the players will comply with when offering three (3) Initial Starting Times:

1. A Starting Time to play before Tuesday @ 12:00 GMT does not count towards the three (3) Initial Starting Times requirement;

2. There must be at least 24 hours between posting time and playing time for a Starting Time to count towards the three (3) Initial Starting Times requirement;

3. There must be at least three (3) hours between each of the Initial Starting Times;

4. The maximum number of Starting Times offered to play within twenty-four (24) hours of playing time is two (2);

We are going to classify the different types of Starting Time.

A Standard Starting Time is always made more than 24 hours before the occurrence of the game it proposes.
A Suicidal Starting Time is always made less than 24 hours before the game it proposes.

A Standard Starting Time offer expires twenty (24) hours before the occurrence of the game it proposes. On the other hand, a Suicidal Starting Time offer expires one (1) hour before the occurrence of the game it proposes. The case of an Initial Starting Time is a special case. It expires on the first first Thursday @ 4:00GMT after the pairings are posted. Conveniently, a player can accept an expired Starting Time offer if the offering player is still willing to honour it. Given everything has been done in accordance with The Rules, as soon as an offer is made by a player and accepted by the other, there is no need to confirm anything. It then binds on both players to show up on time to play the game.

Playing the Game

Each player receives a Game Reminder ± twenty-four (24) hours before the game. It is of premium importance that both players show up on time to play. However, each player is allowed a twenty (20) minute period of grace. After twenty (20) minutes, the situation is treated as if the faulty player didn’t show up.

As soon as the player gets to the LIVE server, it is mandatory that he checks in by sending the arbiter a private message. The private message must contain the blue label that comes with the official seal posted inside the Negotiation Forum. This blue label can be copied from the Negotiation Forum or from the Game Reminder. Here’s a sample of it:

Bd# Player A v Player B: dd/mm hh:mmGMT

In case of a no show up for the game by one of the player, it is also obligatory that the non-faulty player sends his related private message to the arbiter in order to notify him of the situation. This private message must be sent immediately after the twenty (20) minute period of grace.

All games to be played are rated games. Unless otherwise specified, the player whose username appears left has the white pieces. It is usually a good idea that one player «friends» the other before the occurrence of the game in order to make seeking each other easier on the «LIVE» server. When the time comes, one player sends a game offer to the other on the «LIVE» server in respect to the parameters of the game: color assignment, time control, increment, rated game. Click here to find out how to do. When the parameters of the game don’t match the ones prescribed, the game is declared 0F-0F.

After the game is played, it is the responsibility of both players to make sure that at least one link to the game is posted inside the Negotiation Forum. Click here to find out how to do.

Loss of connection

The player who disconnects loses the game even if he has a winning advantage. However, if both players agree and if the arbiter also agrees, another game can be rescheduled and this latter will count for the Standings. Sportsmanship plays a crucial role here. If the players remember the remaining times, the arbiter might oblige the players to follow an algorithm that will enable them to reach the approximate remaining times and to play the exact position that was on the board just before the loss of connexion.

Misconduct Penalty Ticket

Not showing up for a game is a grievous «blunder» and must be punished accordingly. In fact, experience has shown that it is the main threat to a system like the one the Slow LIVE Chess Association utilize. Consequently, the player who, for any reason, does not show up for his game gets a full Misconduct Penalty Ticket and withdraws from the tournament. However, the player has a twenty (20) minute period of grace at his disposal. This means that the non-faulty player must stay on the LIVE server at least for twenty (20) minutes after the agreed Starting Time. Immediately after the period of grace, the non-faulty player must send his related private message to the arbiter. When one of the player does not show up for the game, the game can be rescheduled if the non-faulty agrees and if the arbiter permits. However, all the penalties will remain.

After an agreement is found by the players as when to play, it happens sometimes that one of the player has to change plans. Of course, there is a life beside chess. This player has the obligation to inform the other through the Negotiation Forum about the situation. If the information is posted inside the Negotiation Forum at least one (1) hour before the game, the faulty player gets ½ Misconduct Penalty Ticket. In such a case, the game can be rescheduled if the non-faulty player agrees and if the arbiter permits. When the game is rescheduled and played, the penalties no more remain. If the information comes less than one (1) before the Starting Time of the game, the arbiter might decide to issue a full Misconduct Penalty Ticket.

After two (2) Misconduct Penalty Tickets within 30 days, the player becomes suspended for 30 days. After three (3) Misconduct Penalty Tickets within 120 days, the player is permanently suspended. After a temporary suspension, the player will be considered as a Recovering Player and will have to get through what follows below.

New Participant and Recovering Player

The player who is participating in an SLCA tournament for the very first time, hereafter named «New Participant», and the one who is recovering from a temporary thirty (30) day suspension, hereafter named «Recovering Player», will be paired with another New Participant / Recovering Player for the first round. He then will be allowed to participate in the subsequent rounds if and only if:

He has complied with all the rules and all the instructions
He showed up on time for the game;

If such is indeed the case, the player will be paired with the Veteran Players for the rest of the tournament.

When the New Participant / Recovering Player fails to make the two (2) points above, he is automatically withdrawn from the current tournament and from all the others that he is participating in. Plus, the same thing will happen when the player succeeds to make it in the first round but fails in any of the subsequent ones. After the New Participant has failed, he may sign up for another tournament but then, the whole qualifying process will start from the very beginning. The New Participant has two (2) chances to qualify and become a Veteran Player. For his part, the Recovering Player will be permanently suspended after just one (1) failure.

Miscellaneous

The arbiter may issue a Misconduct Penalty Ticket, withdraw or suspend temporarily and even permanently any player who, in the arbiter's opinion, might represent a threat to the SLCA or its members. This also applies to a player who takes too long to reply, or does not reply to the other player or to the arbiter in the Negotiation Forum, or does not reply to a private message or e-mail sent by the arbiter.

Regular 45|45 Tourney #5 (Mar 31 - May 4)

Super Admins