1996 Pan-American Chess Championships

Time Controls, Byes, Tie-Breaking, and Rules

Time Controls (same for all events)

50 moves in 2 hrs; then sudden death in 1 hr.*
Thus, each game will finish within six hours.

*approved by the USCF College Chess Committee in December 1995.

Bye Policies

No elective byes are permitted in any of the team events.

In the Open, half-point byes are available in any one of rounds 1-3, if requested before round 1. For alternates only, half-point byes are available for any round in which the alternate plays on a team, if requested at least one hour before the round.

Tie-Breaking

In determining final rankings, and in determining the awarding of team trophies and scholarship prizes, the following tie-breaking systems will be used in order:
  1. Total game points
  2. Team modified median
  3. Team Solkoff
  4. Sonneborn-Berger match points
  5. Sonneborn-Berger game points
  6. Team cumulative
  7. Team Kashdan
  8. Result between tied teams
  9. coin flip

All cash prizes will be evenly divided among teams or players with identical scores.

To qualify for an individual board prize, the competitor must play in at least five of the six rounds. Board prizes will be determined by the following methods in order:

  1. Mean score (individual score divided by number of games played)
  2. Number of games played
  3. Modified median
  4. Solkoff
  5. Sonneborn-Berger
  6. Cumulative
  7. Kashdan
  8. Result between tied players
  9. Most Blacks
  10. Result between teams of tied players
  11. coin flip

Team Swiss System

In a Team Swiss event, each team is paired as if it were an individual in an individual Swiss System. When two team (say, A and B) meet, the first board on Team A plays the first board on Team B, the second board on Team A plays the second board on Team B, and so on.

Players on Boards 1-4 must play in decreasing order by rating, with the highest rated player on Board 1. Transpositions of players within 50 rating points are allowed. Unrated players may play on any board. Once the team order is chosen, however, it may not be changed.

Alternates play only when replacing a team member. When an alternate plays, the alternate plays on the lowest board, and regular team members shift up to fill any vacancies on higher boards. (Alternates are encouraged to play in the Open.)

Although individual scores may affect tie-breaks, only the team score (0, 1/2, 1) affects the pairings.

Governing Rules

USCF Rules (not FIDE Rules) apply. It is the responsibility of each player to be familiar with USCF rules. In particular, please note that there are significant differences between USCF and FIDE rules concerning time forfeitures and how to claim them.

In addition, the Guidelines of the USCF College Chess Committee govern many details of the event.