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100. All ICU events are by invitation only. There are no entry or membership fees to participate in any ICU sponsored event.
101. 
     
102. The purpose of a rating system.
103. 1. The primary purpose of a rating is to allow the comparison of the strength of two players without requiring them to actually play.
     2. Typical uses of ratings include properly ranking players in a tournament and classifying players as to prize eligibility.
     
     
104. ICU and the Rocky Mountain Chess Rating system (RMC)
105. 1. The ICU provides this service to tournament directors in order to allow them to access the Rocky Mountain Chess Rating (RMC) system.
     2. ICU tournaments must meet certain criteria set by RMC and ICU to be eligible for rating.
     3. Organizations other than the ICU may have different criteria for tournament eligibility and event ratability under the RMC System.
     
     
106. Ratability: Time controls and related issues.
107. 1. RMC maintains three separate ratings lists.
     2. The Standard rating list consists of games played at a time control of Game/30 minutes or longer.
     3. The Rapid rating list consists of games played at time controls greater than or equal to Game/10 and under Game/30.
     4. The Blitz rating list consists of games played with a time control under Game/10 minutes.
     5. All games of a particular tournament section must be rated under the same list.
     6. A player is not allowed to be in competition with more than one opponent at a time, including players in other sections. In other words, no simultaneous play is allowed.
     7. Games lost through failure to show up within one hour of the start of the game or failure to show up for the resumption of an adjourned game should be scored as a forfeit loss for offending player and will be rated.
     8. Use of time increment/delay in time controls.
     9. 1. The use of increment or delay time controls is not allowed unless all games to be played have access to compatible equipment.
        2. The insertion of an increment or delay capable clock is allowed to help the director resolve claims of insufficient losing chances.
        
        
108. ICU and tournament directors.
109. 1. The bedrock of local tournament chess is the tournament director.
     2. Tournament directors are not agents of the ICU or RMC for any purpose.
     3. ICU grants directors the privilege of directing ICU sanctioned tournaments upon written request of the director to do so.
     4. ICU may rescind the director’s privilege for any reason.
     5. ICU, except as noted below in sections 105 through 116, allows the tournament director discretion concerning the organization of his or her events.
     
     
110. Dual rating ICU events under the USCF and RMC rating systems.
111. 1. Events rated by the USCF are not eligible for rating through the ICU unless ICU grants an exception in advance. Events that are granted the privilege of being dual rated must clearly state that fact in all advance publicity (USCF Tournament Life announcements, mailings, websites, etc.) as well as announced at the site prior to the start of the first round.
     2. ICU reserves the right to disallow the RMC rating of any dual rated tournaments that are not properly advertised and announced as such.
     3. Ratings to use for a pairing a particular event.
     4. The use of the latest available RMC rating for ICU only rated events is to be the preferred practice.
     5. If the ICU player is unrated by RMC, but has a USCF rating, use the USCF rating for pairing purposes.
     6. If the ICU player is unrated by RMC or USCF, assign a pairing rating that is just above the bottom one-third of the rated players.
     7. Dual USCF/ICU rated events should use the USCF rating for pairings. USCF rules allow the use of other ratings for unrated players at the tournament director’s discretion and the use of the RMC rating is considered preferable to pairing the player as unrated.
     8. Directors can receive the most current WINTD master file containing ICU players and their RMC ratings as an email attachment prior to the start of the tournament. It is preferred that player information for the tournament be selected from the master file.
     9. If using WINTD, it is not necessary to enter an ID number of new players. RMC will assign ID numbers.
     
     
112. Ratability of events involving children under the age of 14.
113. 1. Children under the age of 14 are not generally granted the privilege of participating in ICU events. It is felt that they do not have the emotional maturity to successfully compete against established players and certain questions remain about the implications of the Child Online Protection Act: (COPA = US code Title 47: Section 231) regarding our ability to identify children in tournament reports and rating lists posted online and exchanged by e-mail.
     2. For the purposes of this document, ’children’ and ’scholastic age players;’ are defined as people under the age of 18.
     3. Children participating in ICU events must be clearly identified as such in the rating report sent to the ICU.
     4. ICU will submit for rating sections that are restricted to only scholastic age players as long as they are clearly identified as scholastic age sections in the rating report.
     5. Some tournament sites may require that children under 14 not be discriminated against in participating in events at their site. In that case, the games involving those children must be reported, but will not be rated for either the child or his or her opponent.
     6. Players having an RMC or USCF rating of 1300 or over have demonstrated sufficient emotional maturity and skill development to be allowed to play in ICU events regardless of age.
     
     
114. Player levels.
115. 1. Some tournaments sanctioned by ICU may require that participants hold a certain color of player card.
     2. The different levels of eligibility are defined as:
     3. 1. Gold (restricted to ICU board members)
        2. Ivory
        3. Blue
        4. Green
        5. Grey
        6. Red
        7. Black
        
        
     4. In general, ICU tournaments should be open to all players without regard to a players color card. ICU tournaments should also, in general, be open to players that have not been assigned a color card yet.
     5. If a tournament is restricted to players of certain card or above, all advance publicity for that tournament must clearly state the card required.
     6. ICU reserves the right to assign or raise or lower the color of players’s cards - except for board members - they have to die in office.
     7. Players may petition the ICU in writing to change the color of their player card.
     8. Player card colors will be reported in the RMC rating lists provided by the ICU.
     
     
116. Ratability of events involving players holding a ’Black’ player card.
117. 1. Participation in ICU events is a privilege, not a right. Some players have demonstrated poor chess related behavior over the years and they have been assigned a ’Black’ player card.
     2. Players holding a ’Black’ player card must not be allowed to play in any ICU event including matches.
     3. Some tournament sites may require that no one be discriminated against in participating in events held at that site. In that case, the games involving players with ’Black’ player cards will not be rated for either player.
     
     
118. Match play and rated games
119. 1. Match play may be rated through the auspices of the ICU. A match may consist of a single game and that is considered just a rated game.
     2. Matches must be between players with a maximum rating difference of 400 points.
     3. Both players must be on the ICU accepted player list prior to the start of the match and sign a declaration as to the facts concerning the results of the match to be submitted to the ICU or the match may be submitted by an ICU affiliated tournament director.
     4. Games with a time control greater than or equal to 30 minutes per side must be recorded and the games must be promptly submitted to an ICU affiliated tournament director.
     5. The maximum rating change allowed in any match event is 50 points.
     6. Matches involving any player holding a ’Black’ level of eligibility will not be rated under any circumstances!
     7. Disputes that occur during match play not controlled by an ICU affiliated tournament director must be resolved between the players.
     
     
120. Reporting events.
121. 1. The preferred method of submitting a rating report to the ICU is by the use of email or electronic recording media.
     2. The preferred format of the rating report is the .PTO file generated by WINTD or similar files generated by other pairing software that can be imported by WINTD. The least preferred format of the rating report is on paper.
     3. Sections must clearly be identified as to which system (Standard, Action or Blitz) they are to be rated under and whether or not they are scholastic only.
     4. Player information submitted with the rating report should include as a minimum middle initial, address and birth date.
     5. ICU will return a cross table, updated rating and WINTD master player list to the tournament director as soon as possible. The director has one week from the expected date of receipt of this return to make any corrections. After that, the rating results stand and will not be changed.
     
     

© 2008 The Idaho Chess Union