You can download a pdf version of this schedule here.

Summer Cup: 7-round Swiss with time control of all moves in 60 minutes with 30 seconds increment added per move from move 1 (scoresheets must be kept up-to-date throughout the game). Up to two half-point byes available (but not final round) – if notified a week in advance. Players absent without giving notice will score 0.

Lightning Tournaments: The time control for club lightning tournaments is “3 + 2”, i.e. 3 minutes plus an increment of 2 seconds per move from move one. This year, the Lightning Championship will be a 9-round swiss. Other events may be run as swiss system if someone is present to run the Vega pairings.

Rapid Championship: Grand Prix format with three 6-round Swisses (2 rounds per night). Each player counts his/her two best results with ties broken by the players' third scores. Time control is 25 minutes per player with an increment of 10 seconds added per move from move 1.

Autumn and Spring Tournaments – top section a 6-player round-robin (if practical) with a catch-up day; the rest play in a swiss (6 rounds, ie one round longer). Time controls as for Summer Cup (ie 60 min with 30 sec increment).

Club Championships: Standard time control of 90 minutes for the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move from move 1. Top section a 10-player round-robin (if practical) with two catch-up days; the rest will play in a swiss (11 rounds, ie two rounds longer) with B-Grade and C-Grade trophies to be awarded, and certificates for other Grades.

Fischer-Random Championship: A 6-round swiss-system tournament. Like the Rapid, this has two rounds a night, with a time control of 25 minutes per player with an increment of 10 seconds per move from move 1. Not rated (until FIDE makes a Chess960 list!).

How to enter club tournaments: For standard and rapid events, an entry list is usually posted on the club notice board a couple of weeks in advance of the first round with entries closing on the Wednesday before the first round. The Lightning Championship should also be entered in advance. It may be possible to accept late entries on the first night (or during the event) if the format permits. Entries may also be emailed to Helen: heligan@heliganchess.nz

Commitment: FIDE-rated events require a licensed arbiter to be present, so games cannot be played at home. There are catch-up nights for round-robins but any games that you miss would have to be scored as defaults. We may abandon attempts to hold round-robins if there is still the likelihood of many absences due to illness.

Note: our Junior Club on Friday evenings (7:00-8:30pm) will restart on Friday 20th January. Chessmatcher software is used to give all those present some games. NA Daniel Johns is in charge.