Aug 22	Round 1
Sep 5	Round 2
Sep 19	Round 3
Oct 3	Round 4
Oct 17	Round 5
Oct 31	Round 6
Nov 14	Round 7

3^rd Cornwall Online Congress

This tournament starts on 22^nd August 2021

General Arrangements

If there are sufficient entries, there will be two or more rated Swiss sections (grade boundaries TBA). If they prefer, players may enter a higher section.

The ECF online rating list will be used.

7 rounds to be played fortnightly at dates to be agreed by the players.

½-point byes may be taken in any two of rounds 1-6. Notice must be given two weeks before the draw is made for the round.

In each round the players will play a single game against their opponent.

Rate of play: 45 minutes each with 15 second per move increments from move 1.

Games must Be RATED or a loss will be scored for both sides.

All games will be rated for the ECF Online Rating List (Standard Play)

Prizes (all sections): 1^st: £50. 2^nd: £25. 3^rd: £15, 4^th: £10. Grading prize: £10

The rules are here.

Enter by 9 a.m., Saturday 7 August to guarantee a place in the round 1 draw. Anyone entering after that date will be required to take a ½-point bye in round 1.

Email: 3a.roskear@gmail.com. Text: 07890 133221. Lichess message: roskearman.

Draw Offers

There have two or three instances in our league and congress of players intending to offer or accept a draw and pressing the RESIGN button instead. This is partly due to the poor design of the relevant lichess page where, instead of placing the DRAW button at either end of the page a long way from the RESIGN button, they have put it in the centre of a row of closely spaced buttons with the RESIGN button on the right.

Where this has arisen so far the positions have been dead drawn with no winning prospects for either side. In all cases the situation was resolved afterwards by fine sportsmanship on the part of the "winner" in agreeing to a draw.

In order to prevent this situation occurring in their games, I would urge all players to check carefully before offering or agreeing a draw.

Ian George

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Take Back Requests

In common with other online platforms lichess allows players to make a take back request, which the opponent is at liberty to grant or refuse as he or she sees fit. The principal use of this is where a mouse slip cause a player to move a piece to an unintended square.

I understand how frustrating this is, having done it myself more than once. I also understand that momentary loss of control might affect, for example, an arthritis sufferer. Having said that, I believe that competitive online play should, wherever possible, be conducted according to the same principles as over the board play. Furthermore the use of take back requests has the potential for creating a form of "moral blackmail" whereby the opponent considers that he or she will, unfairly, be thought guilty of poor sportsmanship if he or she refuses.

Accordingly, while I'm not going to a make a rule prohibiting take back requests, I do not think that they should be used in our online competitions. I therefore request all players to refrain from making them. If you do make one and your opponent refuses, please remember that he or she has every right to do so and that for some people this is a matter of principle.

The above remarks apply only to our formal competitions and not to the less formal events that we organise from time to time.

Ian George

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Last updated 30/7/2021