Would these be treated as ordinary withdrawals? Do they retain prize eligibility? I’m running a tournament today, so I just want to be prepared.
Seems more like forfeits if the game has already begun…but the worldwide earthquakes might disrupt the games too 
If a raptured player leaves a game in progress, it would still be sent in for rating. He would be be withdrawn for future rounds. It might be hard to fine him for future tournaments for not telling the tournament director he is leaving.
As for prize eligibility, I would say he already got his “prize”. The prize would go to the next eligible player or back into the prize pool.
As for the earthquakes, the remaining players might not notice if the round is in progress. They tend to ignore fire alarms, tornadoes, and TD instructions to leave the premises for an emergency. Triple weighted pieces will not tip over except in a 9.2 level earthquake. 
Looks like the “rapture” did not happen. All TD’s and players are safe. There was only one volcano that erupted in Iceland, with seismic activity afterward. But it erupts all the time. Now back to “capturing” pieces and pawns.
Sorry for my late reply as I was Raputured at 3:00 pm this last Saturday. I was as suprised as anyone to find myself among the 144,000 Host but then I saw Sam Sloan standing in line so I decided not to ask any questions.
Hey, it has been recalculated! The next end of the world is on October 21, 2011! I think that is on a Thursday to avoid many college homecoming activities. TD’s will be relieved as it won’t affect the running of their tournaments. Plan your rapture event now! It can coincide with National Chess Day. Two birds with one stone.
10/21/2011 is a Friday. 10/20/2011 is a Thursday and also the sixth round of our annual Knights’ Cup round robin.
Oops. I did not have a calendar in front of me. Looks like all of the high school football games will be disrupted on Friday evening.
That proves it’s an inaccurate prediction. Jesus would never disrupt football.
Alex Dunne wrote a very clear explanation of why chess tournaments will generally not be impacted by this kind of thing.
I believe it was in the late 1980s, in an article in Chess Life, in which he described having “A Near Life Experience”.
Perhaps someone can ask Alex if he still has a copy. It would make a great reprise for CLO!
Hey, you can’t have the rapture on a Friday evening. It would disrupt the Sabbath. I’ll bet the old guy, who is a big believer in the Old Testament, didn’t account for that in his calculations. Raptures can only take place on Tuesdays through Thursdays, and Mondays not during the NFL season. TDs should provide for players to sign a “rapture” list, just as they do for those who must have their cell phones on. Of course, they also should be informing the TD of their activities in advance since they will be away for 15 or more minutes from the board. The raptured players’ pieces, boards, and clocks can be given as prizes to the sinners who are left. Many of the players I know would miss the Apocalypse because they would be playing bughouse. Nobody who plays bughouse will be on the list to be “saved.” It is the Devil’s creation, I have been told by the holier than thou.