Munster Chess Union
Rapid Championship 2025/2026

• Eligible clubs: Only clubs currently affiliated with the Munster Chess Union Club League are permitted to enter.
• Multiple teams: A club may register more than one team (e.g. Club A, Club A II). Each team is treated as a separate competitor throughout the event.
• Maximum number of participants: The tournament is limited to 28 teams.
• Divisions: Division 1 and Division 2 clubs compete together in a single section.

• Each team shall field exactly five (5) players, one per board.
• Substitutes are permitted. A substitute may replace any player between rounds, but not during a round already in progress.
• A player may only represent one team throughout the tournament.

• Fixed board order: The order in which players are listed at registration is binding for the entire tournament. Board assignments may not be changed after the deadline except when using a registered substitute.
• 200-Point Rule: The board order must comply with the Munster Chess Union Club League's 200-point rule — the rated difference between any two adjacent boards may not exceed 200 rating points (using the applicable rating per Art. 5). Where a player is unrated, the rule is applied as per current Munster Chess Union Club League regulations.
• Substitute board order: When a substitute enters, the resulting lineup must still satisfy the 200-point rule. The arbiter must be notified before the round in which the substitute plays.

• Default time: A player who has not arrived at the board within 10 minutes of the scheduled start of the round shall forfeit their game. The clock shall run from the moment the round is started.
• All games are played under FIDE Laws of Chess, including the Laws applicable to increment time controls.

Each round between two teams produces a match result. Match points are awarded as follows:

• Game points are the sum of individual board results: 1 for a win, ½ for a draw, 0 for a loss. Game points are accumulated separately and used as a tie-break criterion (see Art. 8).
• A forfeit on a board (default, absent player) counts as a 1–0 game point loss for the forfeiting side.

• Swiss system: The tournament is run on a Swiss pairing system over 6 rounds. Teams are paired by match points within each score group, with top seeds paired first.
• Odd number of teams — Bye: If the number of teams is odd, one team receives a bye each round. The bye is assigned to the lowest-ranked team in the lowest score group that has not yet received a bye. A bye counts as a match win (2 match points) for the receiving team.
• Walkovers: If a team is unable to field a complete lineup, walkovers are assigned starting from the bottom board upwards (Board 5 first, then Board 4, etc.).
• No team shall play another team more than once.

1. 1
   Double Blitz Playoff (title only) Two matches played between the tied teams under a blitz time control determined by the arbiter. The team with the better aggregate score across both matches claims the title. If still tied, a single sudden-death game decides the title.
2. 2
   Match Points Total match points accumulated over all rounds (higher is better). As a secondary criterion, this also accounts for the strength of opposition via progressive score comparisons.
3. 3
   Game Points Total individual board results accumulated across all rounds (wins = 1, draws = ½, losses = 0). The team with more cumulative game points is ranked higher.
4. 4
   Bottom Board Elimination The game result from Board 5 is removed from each tied team's total and game points are recalculated. If teams remain tied, Board 4 is eliminated next, and so on up the boards, until the tie is broken.

• The arbiter's decisions on matters of law are final during play. Protests regarding pairings, eligibility, or board order must be submitted to the arbiter before the start of the relevant round.
• A Players' Committee is elected by the participating players no later than 30 minutes before the first round (i.e. by 15:30). The Committee serves as the appeals body for any disputed decisions.
• Any appeal must be lodged with the Committee immediately after the disputed ruling. The Committee's decision is final and binding.

Actual round times are at the arbiter's discretion and will be announced on the day. Teams should be present and ready no later than 15 minutes before the first round.