Details 2015/16

Hastings Masters
A nine-round accelerated Swiss Pairing tournament
Monday 28 December 2015 to Tuesday 5 January 2016
This event will provide opportunities to qualify for titles and for the FIDE Rating List. Such ratings go down to 1000, thus it would be reasonable for any player graded over ECF 50 to aspire to a FIDE Rating here.
Rate of Play: 40 moves in 100 minutes, followed by all remaining moves in 50 minutes, with the addition of 30 seconds for each move from the start.
Entry fees
GM, IM, WGM, WIM Free
FM, WFM £32
Players with FIDE Ratings:
2100 and above £72
Below 2100 £112
Players without FIDE Ratings:
ECF190 (Elo 2120) and above £122
Below ECF 190 (Elo 2120) £142
The entry fee is reduced by 50% for any of the following: females; players Under 18 or over 65 on 28.12.2015; registered disabled players; and male members of Hastings & St Leonards Chess Club and players residing in the Borough of Hastings.
Tradewise Insurance will award prizes for those not already holding the title: For GM/WGM norms £100; for IM/WIM norms £50.
Limited assistance may be available for suitable players under 21, details will appear on website.
All English entrants are required to be Gold or Platinum members of the English Chess Federation and must quote their membership number when entering. Other entrants are required to have a FIDE Identification Number. If they do not, they must obtain one in advance from their International Rating Officer.
Prizes: £2000, £1200, £750, £500, £350, £250, £200, plus Horntye “Winner of Best Game” prize and trophy. The winner will hold the Golombek Trophy in name for one year.
Plus £200 each for:
The highest placed female player
The highest placed player who is neither a GM nor IM
Best relative FIDE rating performance by a player rated under 2200.
Best relative FIDE Rating performance by a player aged under 18.
No player may win both rating prizes.
The three highest placed eligible players not already qualified will be entitled to play in the British Championship in Bournemouth 2016.
GM Chris Ward will provide commentaries on the games in progress, starting at 14.45 each afternoon.
Congress Director Alan Hustwayte will present a prize for best performance against rating.
Hastings Masters games will be shown on this website daily. Names of entrants to this and all other tournaments will appear from the start of October. The final cross-tables of all tournaments will be displayed.

Rate of play – applies to all tournaments other than Masters: all moves in 110 minutes, with an extra 10 seconds for each move. Each player must keep score until the time remaining on his clock has dropped below 5 minutes. Once a player has stopped scoring under this rule, he does not need to resume scoring if his time then increases to above 5 minutes.
Default time: Players arriving 30 minutes or more after the start of a session in any tournament shall lose by forfeit, unless the arbiter decides otherwise.
Refreshments while at the board
Players must confine their refreshments to tea, coffee and cold drinks.
Juniors are players under 18 years on the 28.12.2015.
Females may deduct 50% off of the entry fee for any of the following events.

Christmas Morning Tournament
Monday 28 December 2015 to Friday 1 January 2016
5 – round Swiss tournament over five days.
This event will be in graded sections of approximately 16 to 20 players below ECF 200 (Elo 2200)
Entry Fee: £38 (Juniors £34)
Prizes (for each section): £130, £80, £50 plus a grading prize of £30.

Christmas Afternoon Tournament
Monday 28 December 2015 to Friday 1 January 2016
5 – round Swiss tournament over five days.
This event will be in graded sections of approximately 16 to 20 players below ECF 200 (Elo 2200)
Entry Fee: £38 (Juniors £34)
Prizes (for each section): £130, £80, £50 plus a grading prize of £30

New Year Tournament
Monday 4 January 2016 to Tuesday 5 January 2016
4 – round Swiss Tournament over two days.
This event will be in graded sections of approximately 16 to 20 players below ECF 200 (Elo 2200).
Entry Fee £34 (Juniors £30)
Prizes (for each section) £120, £75, £50 plus a grading prize of £30


HASTINGS WEEKEND CONGRESS
Friday 1 January 2016 to Sunday 3 January 2016
First round 19.00hrs
Major Tournament – FIDE Rated.
All English entrants are required to be Gold or Platinum members of the English Chess Federation and must quote their membership number when entering. Other entrants are required to be members of a national federation affiliated to FIDE.
Open to players below ECF 180 (Elo 2040)
Entry Fee: £38 (Juniors £34)
Prizes: £300, £200, £100, plus a Rating Prize of £50 for those with a published FIDE rating below 1900.
Minor Tournament
Open to players below ECF 150 (Elo 1800)
Entry fee: £38 (Juniors £34)
Prizes: £300, £200, £100, plus a grading prize of £50 for players below ECF 135.
Under-120 Tournament
For players below ECF 120 (Elo 1560) or with no previous experience of competitive chess
Entry £22 (Juniors £20)
Prizes: £100, £75, £50, £25 plus grading prizes of £25 for players graded ECF 99-80 and below ECF 80.
Players may take a ½ point bye in any round except the last. Requests for such byes must be stated on the entry form.


Hastings FIDE-rated Blitz Tournament
January 4, 2016 @ 8:30 pm – 11:00 pm
White Rock Hotel, Hastings TN34 1JU
FIDE-rated blitz – Contact: Alan Hustwayte Email: alan.b.hustwayte@tesco.net Tel: 01424 443300
A blitz event where players can have a good time, unrated players can get a blitz rating in one evening and players can improve their rating.


THE MAUREEN CHARLESWORTH TROPHY
The Maureen Charlesworth Trophy will be awarded for the most meritorious performance by a local player. Further details will appear in the programme.