Congress Rules

Emergency Contact Number:  07355 694490

The organisers can be contacted during the event on the above number.

Please, make the organisers aware of any travel delays that may cause your late arrival, especially ahead of Saturday round 1 and Sunday round 4.

Times of play

Saturday:   Round 1  10:00am,    Round 2  2:30pm,    Round 3   6:30pm.
Sunday:     Round 4  10.00am,    Round 5  2:30pm.

• A ½ point bye may be requested in advance, except in round 5.
• If your opponent has not arrived within 30 minutes of the start of a round they will be defaulted and you should report to the Controller’s desk for repairing.
• Players wishing to withdraw or request a ½ point bye should advise the Control Desk as soon as possible ahead of pairing the next round.

Rate of Play

All moves in 90 minutes, plus 10 seconds per move from first move.

Disputes

In the event of a dispute regarding the rules during play, a player should stop the clock and summon an arbiter.

The Arbiter's decision in all matters is final.

Payment of Prizes

There will be no formal Prizegiving. A list of all Prize Winners will be available on the Congress website shortly after the event.

Prizes will be sent within 7 days by PayPal

Except in the OPEN, no ungraded player may win more than a maximum of £60. However, to be eligible for this prize money they must have provided written evidence of their playing strength, before Sunday 30th April 2025.

Refunds

Refunds will not be granted for non-appearance.

Smoking

Smoking, including vaping, is not permitted anywhere in the school or its grounds.

Protection of Personal Information

All results will be submitted to the ECF for grading and it is a condition of entry that players agree to their grading information being published on the St Albans Congress, Congress Org UK and ECF websites.

Disclaimer

The organisers reserve the right to refuse entries, transfer entries, and to revise prize money, according to circumstances.