I have been asked to TD a Scholastic tournament in which advance publicity states:
My question is whether there is a document of guidelines and rules as stated in number 1.
And it does not seem appropriate to point out illegal moves when you cannot watch all of the games.
Please comment.
See
main.uschess.org/images/stories/ … 09.red.pdf
I’m not sure whether or not your spelling of helpers in 2 was a Freudian slip.
The national scholastic guidelines follow 11D (and variation 11H1) in stating that directors will NOT point out illegal moves.
Since it is in the advance publicity, the variation they are using seems legal.
There can be some reasons for it. In a small non-USCF rated school event I have opted to announce that I’ll point out (for correction) any illegal moves that I see. I will not do so in an event with rated sections.
Pick and choose your scholastic regs: http://main.uschess.org/content/view/7864/131/
As long as it was announced in the publicity that observed illegal moves will be pointed out, then the rules are satisfied (1B1/1B2). Players that don’t like that announced rule can always choose to skip the event. How fair it is is a matter of perception and another story entirely.
I misspoke to say that the fact that TD’s will correct illegal moves that they see was included in advance publicity. It was not mentioned in the flyer on the USCF web site or in flyers e-mailed to prospective entrants.
It is mentioned in the set of guidelines for players and TD volunteers that is posted on the club web site and will be posted at the tournament site. Is this sufficient for “advance notice”?
This rule is being posted/announced at the site, which is the minimum that is required. Is there a mention in the flyer, or USCF web site or in the mailing, that the event guidelines can be viewed on the club web page? That also would be enough of an announcement coupled with the on-site posting. Only major rules variations are required to be in advanced publicity (like no digital clocks, no 14H, special prize fund rules, no byes, …). Is this variation a major one? I suspect the answer is debatable but would eventually fall into the non-major variation category.
Actually, it would be more appropriate to announce that the TD will not correct observed illegal moves. The rule is that the TD shall (11H) and as the standard rule would not “need” advance notice. That said, I think that the players should be informed that this is the way the event is being run. The variation is to not correct - 11H1 but I don’t think this needs to be in advance publicity and I don’t remember ever hearing an announcement that this variation is being used.
I believe that almost all TDs use 11H1 and recommend that the rules committee consider reversing these two rules and make correcting the variation.
Regards, Ernie
11D1 (to not correct) is for sudden death. Odds are that the events will be sudden death.
11H (to correct) is for non-sudden death with 11H1 (to not correct) is a variation often used for most player/TD ratios.
The O.P. did not state the time control. Almost all scholastics I’ve done have been SD.