ACP-Chessbase Knock-Out Regulations

Date and platform
The ACP-Chessbase Knock-Out takes place from 23-28 July on the Playchess platform.

 
Format and time control
The format of the competition is a knock-out, best of 32. The time control is 10 minutes + 5 seconds per move. The higher rated player (FIDE rapid rating of July 2020, in case of absence standard rating will be used) plays White in the first game of the match changing in the next game and so on. Each match will consist of 4 games, in case of a tie an Armageddon takes place with White having 5 minutes against Black’s 4. White needs to win the game in order to progress in the next round. In the Armageddon game the player who was White in games 1 and 3 will play with White. The knock-out tree will be determined once all the players are known.

 
Eligibility
Only ACP Premium members can take part in the tournament. All interested players are welcome to apply at secretary@chessprofessionals.org. Deadline for submissions is 15 July.
In case there are more than 32 interested players, there will be a preliminary knock-out round to determine the 32 players who will play the main knock-out.
Depending on the number of interested players, based on rating some will be seeded directly to the main knock-out phase while the others will play a preliminary round for the remaining places. These will be announced after the deadline of 15 July.
The players will play under their real names on the Playchess server, for the purposes of which they are required to create an account there. Chessbase will provide each player with a free account with the rank of Queen or King and a one-year free Premium membership for this account.

 
Schedule
23 July –Preliminaries at 3pm (all times are CEST, Rome, Berlin, Amsterdam)
24 July – Round of 32 at 8pm 
25 July – Round of 16 at 8pm
26 July – Round of 8 at 8pm
27 July – Semifinals at 8pm
28 July – Final at 8pm

 
Fairplay Regulations
Players must be logged onto Zoom-conference to test the connection and webcam with the organisers 30 minutes before start of each match. They must maintain the connection and allow a live webcam broadcast and to share the screen for the whole duration of the match.
 
Players must be logged onto the Playchess zone 15 minutes before the start of the match.
 
In case of a disconnect, players agree to attempt reconnecting as soon as possible. 
The games will begin when the arbiters give the order. Players may get up when the arbiters have confirmed the result of the game. There will be a 10-minute break between the games. The break will start after the finish of the game, not after the finish of the complete round.
 
There will be a Grandmaster panel to aid the arbiters in their decisions. The names of the Grandmasters that will be part of the panel will be announced by 15 July.
 
The organisation will check all games and if there is a suspicious case, an arbiter from ACP and one from Playchess will make the final decision before the start of the next round. This decision will be made in consultation with the GM panel, the Playchess anti-cheating measures and Ken Regan’s results.
 
The arbiters have the right to disqualify any player for suspected fairplay violation during the course of the tournament. The disqualified player may be declared lost in all the games he played. The decision is final and not subject to any appeal, review or other challenges.
 
Accidental draw offers, resignations or losses by flag via disconnection will count and the result will not be reversed.
 
By starting the tournament the players accept the Fairplay regulations and accept the decision by the arbiters as final.

 
Prize Fund
 
The total prize fund is 2600 eur and at least 16.800 ducats. (The ducats can be used in the Chessbase shops and the engine cloud).
 
All players who fail to qualify for the knock-out phase will receive 100 ducats.
Players who lose in the 1st round (16 players) will receive 300 ducats.
Players who lose in the 2nd round (8 players) will receive 500 ducats plus 75 eur.
Players who lose in the 3rd round, quarter-finals, (4 players) will receive 1000 ducats plus 100 eur.
Players who lose in the 4th round, semi-finals, (2 players) will receive 2000 ducats plus 250 eur
The finalist will receive 500 eur.
The winner will receive 600 eur.
(10 ducats  = 1 eur)
 

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