Chief Arbiter

Dr Peter Tsai IA will be the chief arbiter assisted by a panel of 5 national arbiters.

Time Controls

All moves in 90 minutes per player plus an increment of 30 seconds per move from move 1.

Default Time

A forfeit will be awarded if a player arrives at the board 30 minutes after each round is started.

Playing Schedule

Refer to the Playing Schedule for the times when games will be played.

Publishing Pairings

It is intended to publish pairings for the next round as soon as possible after the games of the previous round are completed. This will be done online at the tournament website at begoniaopen.com . A hard copy will also be posted in the main tournament hall and on the entry door in the case of the first games which start on Sunday and Monday morning.

Half Point Byes

Players may request the chief arbiter for up to 2 half point byes in rounds 1 to 5. This must be done in writing prior to the start of the tournament or before the start of the previous round. A player may only receive a total of one (1) point in byes. If a player has previously received a full point bye (or a point by default), they will receive no (0) points for that round.

Rating

The tournament will be both ACF and FIDE rated. FIDE ratings will be used in preference to ACF ratings for pairings when they are available, otherwise ACF ratings will apply.

Game Analysis

There is no game analysis permitted in the playing rooms whilst other games are in progress. A separate room will be available for analysis of games by players.

Games Commentary by GM Ian Rogers

One of the features of the tournament is the live games commentary by GM Ian Rogers. This will be available in a separate room for spectators and players whose games have been completed. No player with a game in progress is permitted to enter the games commentary room until their game is completed.

Broadcast of Games

The top 10 boards will be broadcast over the internet via the Ballarat Chess Club website. There will be a 30-minute delay for all games which are broadcast.

Rating Groups and Unrated Players

There will be 3 separate sections for players rated under 2000 and a separate section for unrated players. The 3 rated player groups will be determined by dividing the number of rated players under 2000 by 3. The unrated players will not be included in this calculation and will only be eligible for the outright prizes and those allocated for unrated players.

Policy on Short Draws

Draws under 15 moves will not be permitted. Any game which is drawn under 15 moves will have to be approved by the chief arbiter

Overseas Players

Any overseas player or one who is not an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia should provide their FIDE ID number. If they do not have one, they should contact their national FIDE body to obtain a FIDE ID before registering.

Accelerated Pairings

If the number of entries exceeds 132 players, which is almost certain, the pairings will be accelerated. The FIDE accepted acceleration system is the Baku Method. In a seven-round tournament, the pairings for four rounds are accelerated. The top half of the players are assigned one virtual point in the first two rounds, and half a virtual point in the next two rounds. The last three rounds will be normal swiss pairings.

Refund of Entry Policy

If a player withdraws 7 days or more before the starting date for the tournament they will be entitled to a full refund of their entry fee. If a player withdraws within 7 days the starting date for the tournament they will be entitled to a 50% refund of their entry fee. TryBooking processing fees will not be refunded. Any player who withdraws after the start of the tournament will not receive any refund.

Withdrawal Policy and Bonds

Players are expected to complete all rounds of the tournament. Any players who cannot do so should inform the chief arbiter before their next round. A player withdrawing under these circumstances could be required to pay an entry bond the next time they enter the Begonia Open. This bond to the value of the standard entry fee, will be refunded upon the completion of that next event. Players who withdraw without notifying the organisers in advance may have further conditions imposed upon their future entry at the Begonia Open. Any player with a chronic medical condition may be exempt from this regulation.

Mobile Phone Policy

There will be a strict ‘No Mobile Phone Policy’ in place for the tournament. All mobile phones and other electronic communication devices are to be switched off in the tournament hall. This includes smart watches, tablet computers, PDAs, MP3 players and any other devices that can receive external transmissions. Players are not allowed to have any such device on their person during their game. These items should be turned off and placed in a bag under your table or put in one of the external storage facilities provided. A breach of this rule will result in the automatic loss of the game in the case of a player whose game is in progress, or the exclusion from the tournament hall until the start of the next round in the case of a player who has finished their game, or for the rest of the day in the case of a spectator.

Appeals and the Appeals Committee

An appeals committee will be announced by the chief arbiter at the start of the tournament. The committee will consist of 3 players and 2 reserves in case any of the first 3 are not available or are involved in the appeal. The player lodging the appeal shall lodge a $50 bond, which will be refunded if the appeal is successful.

Late Entries and Refusal to Accept an Entry

The organisers reserve the right to accept entries beyond the entry closing time or to refuse to accept an entry from a player.

No Smoking or Vaping Policy

The Federation University, where the tournament is being held, has a no smoking policy. This means that nowhere on the premises or grounds of the Federation University will smoking or vaping be permitted. That includes the areas immediately outside the building where the tournament is being played.