 Members Itinerary & Announcements
Team4545League T-52
Team entries start January 24, 2012
If you want to be on a team, Contact Us or on ICC message RD1974
The earlier the better, latecomers may miss out.
Current Fishers of Men
Members and Guests!
Now listed on the page: About Us
Updated December 26, 2011
Fishers of Men - Christian Group Invitational
Invitational T-9
Concluded April 27, 2011.
T-10 schedule to be advised but if you want to receive an invitation,
or for entry criteria Contact Us or on ICC message chesskix
Useful Team4545League
Information and Tips:
Updated: Nov 17,2009
Please note: This is not an attempt to absolve anyone from reading the Players' Handbook .
The T4545L "Rules & Regulations" are in place so that everyone has a clear understanding of their commitment and responsibilities when playing team chess. It is so that we may all enjoy team chess & camaraderie together. Without all the rules & regulations the Tournament simply could not work.
1. Team chess
Team4545League (T4545L or League) is not an individual event, but a team event. Team Players (or Leaguers) playing on boards 1 to 4. Individual results are ICC standard game rated and before each T454L tournament Leaguers' ratings are re-adjusted. As a team we aim to win the match and to earn a match point. Occasionally it may be good strategy for a Team Player to play for a draw. I.E. If after the first 3 games the game score is 2 - 1, a draw will clinch the match point. Or if your opponent is server out-rating you by a lot, you may want to tactically play for a draw by playing simplifying moves and aiming towards a draw-ish end game. This is a good tactic against a player who is "expected" to earn a game point against you. In exasperation such a player may attempt to play a "risky" move in order to try & complicate the game but it may well backfire and allow you to start playing for the win.
2. (C)heating
The use of any form of computer assistance, including blunder checking and strategy options whilst playing a League game is strictly forbidden by T454L. Suspected (C)heaters games will be closely scrutinised by Speedtrap and once a determination is made that a Leaguer is a (C)heater, the Leaguer will be busted back to 1200 standard game rating & banished from the League indefinitely. If you have reason to believe that your opponent has been (C)heating, click on the preceding Link & report your suspicion to Speedtrap. If you Contact Us regarding your suspicions, we are obliged to treat the matter as confidential.
3. Game Forum
The Game Forum is the League's Email Message Centre. By posting and replying to messages left at the Game Forum's message board you can work out with your "Paired Opponent" a mutually agreeable Game Start date & time. You can enter the Game Forum via the Player Menu which is located on the League's Home Page. Simply log-in and click on Game Forum. All official T4545L communication should be made at the Game Forum. When posting or replying to a message (or post) it can be viewed by your opponent, both Team Captains and Assistant Captains and Tournament Directors. (TD's) So a TD or Team Captain from either side may also post a message pertinent to the scheduling of your game. It is a good policy (and you are encouraged) to visit the Game Forum at least once a day to check for new messages. Don't just rely on auto generated emails sent to your nominated email account alerting you that you have messages waiting for you at the Game Forum. Emails can go astray or end up in a Spam folder so if you don't get an email, still check for any new posts at the Game Forum.
We encourage and expect friendly, considerate and courteous Posts at the Game Forum and we commend you for making the effort.
4. Time Zones and the 24 Hour Clock
For the purpose of avoiding confusion with players living in different Time Zones, all times mentioned at the Game Forum should be in ICC server time. When logged-in to ICC type the Command: date The date and time shown will be ICC Server time which is also New York time or Eastern Daylight Time. By typing "date" it is easy to synchronise your own local time with ICC time. During Daylight Saving months ICC server time is GMT - 4h. (Greenwich Mean Time minus 4 hours) GMT 0h is also London time. During Non Daylight Saving months ICC time is GMT - 5h.
Refer to Item 12 of the Players' Handbook for an AM/PM - 24 hour clock Conversion Chart.
5. Player Pairings
T4545L Rounds always start from 22:00 Tuesday to 21:45 Tuesday (7 days) known as the "Playing Week'. At the beginning of a Round you should receive an email notifying you of your Paired Opponent. The information will contain both players' Time Zones and a Link to the Game Forum. Do not "reply" to the email as it will go to a dead address, you should click on the Link at the bottom of the email which will take you to the Game Forum.
6. Scheduling Your Game, Deadlines and Forfeits.
i) "Grace Period"
When you settle upon a mutually agreeable "Game Start" time with your opponent, you are expected to "show up" as agreed. However you are allowed up to a further 30 minutes known as the "grace period" in which to start your game. If at the end of the grace period you or your opponent have not shown up, the offending player will Forfeit the game.
It is a good idea to set an alarm (your cell phone for instance) to alert you 30 minutes prior to your game start time as a timely reminder. That's because plain forgetfulness, distractions & nodding off pre-game can cause you to miss your game altogether, resulting in an automatic "no show" Forfeit with an Reliability Reduction rating of -1.
ii) "24 Hour Rule"
Be careful! If either player offers a time which is less than 24 hours away, then that player is expected to honour it even if his/her opponent agrees to it 15 minutes before the time offered. So unless you receive confirmation from your opponent agreeing to the time, you will need to check the Game Forum 15 minutes before the offered time to see if your opponent has accepted your offer.
iii) "First Contact Deadline"
After 22:00 Tuesday, the beginning of a Round, you have 48 hours in which to commence negotiations with your opponent & to work out a mutually agreeable Game Start time. It is a good policy (and you are encouraged) to visit the Game Forum at least once a day to check your posts, beginning within 24 hours of receiving your pairing, or by 22:00 Wednesday. So when you log-in to the Game Forum you can "reply" to your opponent and either accept one of his/her date and time offers, or propose initial offers of your own. Click on "Reply" to do both.
If you agree to one of your opponents offers, then you should also click on the "Post Agreed Game Time" button & enter the agreed date & time on the drop down scale & submit. If you make a mistake simply start all over again. The agreed Game Start time will be binding on both players. If afterwards a player wants to re-negotiate a new Game Start time, for whatever reason, then it is entirely up to the other player's "good will" to do so.
Your initial offers must include at least 3 times, at least 3 hours apart and include 2 separate days. Be specific, avoid generalities such as, "I can play Saturday afternoon and most weekday mornings." Such generalities do not necessarily save time, but can waste time, and you could be apportioned some blame if the game does not get scheduled.
At this stage offers can be any times in the "First Playing Week" which is at the start of a Round or soon after 22:00 Tuesday & including the next 7 days to 21:45 the following Tuesday. Try to post a wide range of offers including some weekend times, rather than offering the minimum requirement as in the following examples:
Example 1: Saturday 18:00 to 21:00 or Monday 20:00 is altogether 3 legitimate offers. (18:00 to 21:00 are 3 hours apart, it is the same as offering 18:00 or 21:00, 2 offers at least 3 hours apart.)
Example 2: Wednesday 20:00 or Saturday 13:00 & 21:00, is altogether 3 legitimate offers.
Example 3: Saturday 8:00 to 1300 and 18:00 is only 2 offers. That's because even though the offers are at least 3 hours apart, there needs to be at least one more offer other than Saturday.
Example 4: Friday 23:30 or Saturday 02:00 or Sunday 21:30 is only 2 offers. One more offer is required. That's because Friday 23:30 and Saturday 02:00 are within a 3 hour period. Any number of times within a 3 hour period is counted as one offer.
If the initial posted offers are not acceptable to either player, then communication at the Game Forum must continue with ongoing back & forth posts from both players until a mutually agreeable time is reached.
iv) "Forfeits"
Be careful. An RR-1 reduction (Reliability Rating) is usually awarded to players who forfeit a game. If a player's RR is reduced to RR-2, he/she is disqualified from the rest of the Tourney and the next 2 Tournaments.
a) If after 48 hours (Thursday 22:00) you or your opponent has not made at least 3 date/time offers, then the offending player is obliged to accept one of his/her opponents offers. This must be done within the next 24 hours. (by Friday 22:00) If the offending player has not agreed to one of his/her opponents offers by Friday 22:00 then the offending player Forfeits the game.
b) A Forfeit is also issued for a "no show". That is not turning up to play your game at the agreed Game Start time and after the 30 minute Grace period has expired.
c) Forfeits can sometimes be issued to both players if after the DivTD adjudication process, the TD rules that blame is to be shared by both players for failing to schedule their game. Seek help from your Captain if you are having trouble scheduling your game.
v) "Game Completion"
You may negotiate a date/time in which to play your game up until 22:00 Tuesday of the following week, known as "The Playing Week". In some cases it becomes clear that the players' cannot arrive at a mutually agreeable date/time to start their game. Under those circumstances, one player may suggest to adjourn the game with offers of date/times in the second week known as the "Adjournment Week" which is one extra week in which to schedule their game, but this option is to be offered as a last resort only. Both players must also be in agreement to play their game in the Adjournment Week. But the agreed adjourned Game Start time must be posted by the end of the "Playing Week" (22:00 Tuesday) & the game must be played before 21:45 Tuesday of the "Adjournment Week."
But if the offered player declines to accept offers or play the game in the adjournment week, and the game does not get scheduled, then the DivTD will adjudicate the game citing the Statutes. Seek advice from your Team Captain well before it gets to this.
7. Some Specific T4545L Rules
Make sure you type the command: Set noescape 0 Then if a player has an unexpected disconnection, wait for him/her to return. If after 15 minutes there is no re-connection, then post a comment at the Game Forum. You are entitled to request a Set Game Win.
You will lose the game if you:
i. Seek advice on your game. (Includes ICC chat, tell & messages)
ii. Allow a take-back.
iii. Disconnect with no-escape on.
iv. Allow your opponent extra time
8. Courtesy
i. Whilst playing a League game tells are not forbidden but should be kept to an absolute minimum. A player can email a complaint to the TD's & report unwanted tells during a game. Unwanted tells can be ruled as abuse & the offending player may receive a warning or even the issuance of a yellow card.
ii. Repeatedly offering a draw: Same scenario as (i)
iii. When observing a League game, only "whispers" are allowed.
9. Researching Your Opponent.
You may wish to do some homework and prepare some opening strategy against your opponent. The following may help:
i. Examine his/her past games in ICC. Type: History "handle" (Alternatively, click on the handle name of the player at the Leagues' website. IE Ratings )
ii. Or for 2000+ players Type: Search standard r "handle"
iii. View your opponent’s personal library of games. Type: Liblist "handle"
iv. You can deprive your opponent from examining your games in History by playing “trainingbot” 20 times in a row. Type the command: Play Trainingbot
For further clarification on any of the above: Contact Us
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