start games: every day at 2 p.m., except the last game, which starts at 10 a.m.
Registration modalities
Until June 24, one can pre-register via the website and pay € 40. Subscriptions and payments after June 24 (and on site on the first day of play) are only possible if sufficient space is available and against payment of € 55.
Registration & sign-in on the first day: each pre-registered player must sign in at the playing room before 1 pm (can also be done via Whatsapp or SMS). On-site registration by non-pre-registered players is possible only until 12:00 pm.
Eligibility to play: participants in the expert series are designated by the RBCF. The open tournament is open to any player affiliated with one of the three cultural federations and who is not entitled to participate in the expert series. Therefore, players who are not affiliated with RBCF through a club cannot participate.
Contest Rules
System of ranking at the start of the tournament: the pairings of the open series will be made on the basis of ELO (Swiss on Rating) with the FIDE ELO taking precedence over the national ELO (likewise so for the category ranking). The ranking of July 1, 2025 will be used. Sending the results: the results of the open will be sent for both FIDE and Belgian elo processing.
Rules of play: The latest version of the FIDE rules applies.
Rate of play: the Fischer pace of 40 moves in 1h30′, then 30′ for the rest of the game with an increment of 30″ per move from move one.
Separation points when points are equal: separation points in the experts are as follows: mutual match – Sonneborn-Berger – Koya – advance; and in the open series: mutual match – Bucholz cut 1 – Bucholz – Sonneborn-Berger – advance.
Announced absence: in the open series, a player may be absent for one or more rounds. This player will then not be paired and will receive no points. Absences should be announced to an arbiter and noted and signed on the list of absences on the arbiter’s table. This should be done no later than the end of the round preceding the one for which one is absent.
Mating: expert series pairings will be announced in advance. The matings in the open series will be done using the latest version of the mating program SWAR.
BYE: If a player is bye, he should not attend that round. He gets one point for this. Each player should check for himself whether he is bye or not. The organization will not inform players of this personally.
Forfait: players who forfait a round without notifying one of the contact persons will not be paired again for the following rounds. Irresponsible forfaits will also be reported to the RBCF, which may take further sanctions.
Contact: if a player has to forfeit a round due to force majeure or unexpected circumstances, this should be reported as soon as possible to tournament director Steven Bellens (tel. +32 472 11 44 15).
Cell phone/watches/electronic device: according to the new FIDE rules, it is forbidden to bring a cell phone or any other electronic communication device into the players’ area (i.e. everything in the building: the playing room, the toilets, the bar, the analysis room, the smoking area). But the RBCF’s guidelines are more lenient. During his match, a player may not have a cell phone (or any other electronic communication device) on him. If it is found that he does have such a device on him, he loses the game and his opponent wins. Consequently, players are asked to leave their cell phones at home or at their lodgings or in their cars on their own responsibility, either to leave them switched off next to the board or to hand them over to the referee’s table. Also, a player who enters the playing room when the round is already in progress is allowed to make a rule regarding his cell phone before making his first move. The same applies to the use of all types of watches, even mechanical ones. If it is determined that such a device is not switched off in the playing room, the playing owner will be deducted 10 minutes the first time and lose the game the next time. If a time overrun occurs as a result, he loses the game and his opponent’s result is determined by the arbiter.
It is forbidden to disturb the opponent in any way.
Analyzing and rapid chess in the game room is not allowed.
Each player must sign both notation forms after the end of the game. The winner (or in case of a draw the white player) brings the original of the notation forms to the arbiter’s table.
Each player is co-responsible for keeping the tournament site orderly. Garbage will be deposited in the provided places.
Smoking is prohibited throughout the tournament venue. The organization will designate an area where smoking is allowed.
Appeals Committee:
Before the start of the first round, an appeals committee will be formed. Its composition is then also displayed in the tournament hall.
If a player does not agree with the decision of the Chief Arbitrator, he may appeal in writing. This appeal must be delivered to the head arbiter within half an hour after the end of the game in question. In addition to this appeal, a deposit of €100 must also be issued.
If the Appeals Committee finds that the appeal is fully or partially founded, the deposit will be refunded in full. Otherwise, the organization will transfer the deposit to the RBCF’s account.
Prizes: the prize distribution of the open will be communicated at the latest before the third round. Expert prizes and classification prizes in the open series will be shared, all other prizes will not be shared. All prizes are not cumulative. A player will receive the best prize for him/her. If a player has won prizes of the same amount and since he can receive only one prize, the order of determining which prize he/she has won is the classification prize – the rating prize.
Awards ceremony: the awards ceremony on Sunday, July 13, is scheduled for 5 p.m. A compulsory attendance is required to be entitled to the prizes. Except in cases of force majeure left to the discretion of the organizers, an absent player may not be represented and thus waives his prize.
Arbitration Team:
Chief Arbiter:IA Sylvin De Vet
Arbitrators : IA Luc Cornet, NA Bart Van der Avort
Retrieved from Westerlo.
On behalf of the organization:
Steven Bellens, tournament director Sylvin De Vet, Chief Arbiter
