1. Is there a reentry option? In the Open Section?
All players may drop out of the 5 day schedule and reenter into the 3
day section, except for those in the Open Section.
2. I am an Unrated player. What section can I play in?
Unrated players are only allowed to play in the Unrated and Open
sections of the tournament.
3. I am an accomplished and internationally recognized Grandmaster. Do
I have to pay to play?
Yes. However; the fee may be refunded if you agree to perform at least
one hour of service at the event. This may include signing autographs,
doing an interview, reviewing one of your games for the public,
participating in a post game analysis for an audience, etc. Only a
limited number of Grandmasters will have their fee refunded. To request
a refund and discuss how you may contribute to the HB Global Chess
Challenge, please contact Maurice Ashley at
.
4. I am an International Master. Are there any special conditions under
which I may attend this event?
No. International Masters are required to pay the entry fee applicable
to all other players.
5. I will be attending this event from outside the United States. Will
I need to procure a visa? Will I need an invitation to your event in
order to request a visa?
Visa requirements for entry into the United States depend on your
country of residence. All players are required to make their own
arrangements for procuring a visa. A review of the procedures for
applying for a US visa may be found at
http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/.
In some cases, the application for a visa will require an interview
with the local US Consulate and/or an invitation from the HB
Foundation. In these cases we suggest you schedule your visa interview
as soon as possible since often this needs to be done well in advance.
If you require an invitation, we ask that you register for the
tournament first and submit your invitation request with your order
tracking number to Maurice Ashley at
.
Please place "Request for invitation for visa application" in the
subject line. The HB Foundation will post your invitation in a timely
manner.
If you are unable to attend the HB Global Chess Challenge because your
visa application was denied, you may request a refund under the
guidelines detailed in the Tournament Refund & Cancellation Policy.
6. Does the No Early Draw Rule apply to the all sections of the
tournament?
No. The Rule only applies to the Open section.
7. Why does the no early draw rule only apply to the Open Section?
The Open section is giving away the most prize money and the most
visibility, which may include television coverage. The sponsors agree
with the majority of fans who wish to see the top results decided by
real games, and do not wish to jeopardize further interest in their
event because of the practice of early draws.
8. I have more than one rating. Which one will be used?
Precedence will be given to the higher rating. In case there is
uncertainty as to the validity of a player's rating, or if a player's
rating cannot be established, the Tournament Director has a right to
assign a player a rating. In all cases, the Tournament Director
reserves the right to assign a player a rating and her decision is
final.
9. What is the schedule of games for this event?
The schedule of games may be found by clicking he (insert link to
game schedule).
10. I aspire to be a FIDE tournament director and would like to
participate in this event. How may I inquire as to the potential for my
assistance?
The HB Global Chess Challenge welcomes the assistance of volunteers
seeking to qualify as tournament directors. If you would like to
volunteer, please send an inquiry to: .
11. Do I have to become a member of the US Chess Federation (USCF) in
order to register?
No, but you must be a USCF member in order to play in the event. You
may register now and update your membership information later. You may
sign up to be a member of the USCF at www.uschess.org or call the USCF
at (845)562-8350 x180
12. How many byes can I take in this tournament?
You may take a total of 4 byes, but only for rounds 1 thru 5. After
round 5, you are allowed to forfeit a round and continue in the
tournament, but you must state this to the tournament director an hour
before the game is scheduled to begin.
13. What will be the time delays and initial display settings for the
digital clocks?
All digital clocks should be set with a 5-second delay (or Bronstein
depending on the clock) with 5 minutes deducted from the original start
time (85 minutes rather than 90). This would be for all the games,
including the 45-minute ones.
14. I have a special concern based on my religious belief? What can be
done to accommodate me?
Please contact the organizer at
15. I would like to share a room at one of the hotels in order to cut
costs. Is there anyone else interested in doing the same?
You may leave your information and someone will get back to you should
that possibility arise. Please contact the organizer at
16. How will the HB Global Chess Challenge benefit kids and chess?
Stonearch Bridge Minneapolis
Stonearch Bridge Minneapolis
The HB Foundation is a nonprofit education foundation dedicated to
promoting the game of chess as an educational tool. The Foundation
promotes the cognitive and academic benefits that children gain from
playing chess.
The Foundation provides post-secondary educational scholarships to
Minnesota men and women who have achieved a certain level of
chess-playing success based upon their United States Chess Federation
chess rating. Along with the scholarships, the Foundation also promotes
the benefits of chess playing through grants that support K-12 chess
educational programs.
This chess education program support includes: working with schools to
incorporate chess education into their curriculum, helping to start
after school chess clubs, and helping to support chess camps and
tournaments.
The success of the HB Global Chess Challenge will support our vision
that more children would have the opportunity to learn and enjoy the
game of chess, and ultimately to reap its many cognitive benefits.
17. What is the HB Global Chess Challenge's sandbagging and security
policy for the tournament?
The organizers of the HB Global Chess Challenge wish to ensure, to the
maximum level we are capable, that this historic tournament is handled
in a way that guarantees the maximum fairness to all participants.
While we believe that 99% of all chess players are honorable
competitors, we are well aware there is a small minority who do not put
a premium on fair play. Because of this unfortunate reality, we are
instituting a strong ratings policy to counter sandbaggers and
cheaters. This will work in concert with our Security Policy, which
together should cover most of the circumstances that may arise.
Cheating, a Zero Tolerance Policy:
On-site security will be very tight at the tournament. Any player who
is proven to be cheating by using electronic devices or computers,
talking to anyone without permission from a TD, speaking in a different
language to anyone while that person's game is in progress, making
unusually frequent or lengthy trips away from the board or any method
of illegally exploiting the system will be kicked out of the tournament
and no longer allowed to play in any future HB or Generation Chess
events. There will be no refund of entry fees.
USCF ratings alert:
To prevent sandbagging, the tournament will use each players' highest
published rating between October 1, 2004 and April 2005. Also, the
Tournament Director reserves the right to use CCA ratings, which are
fair assessments based on Continental Chess Tournaments held by premier
organizer Bill Goichberg over the last 30 years.
Players with multiple ratings:
The tournament will use players' highest rating on any official rating
list, including any added-on points, for pairing and prize purposes.
This includes FIDE, USCF, BCF, CFC etc.
FOR PLAYERS WITH:
* FIDE ratings -100 points will be added
* Bermuda, Canada (other than Quebec), Jamaica, USCF Quick ratings
- no change
* Quebec (FQE) -100 points added
* England - x8 + 700
* German Ingo - x8, that result subtracted from 2940 (the lower the
Ingo the stronger the player)
* Other national ratings with confirmation from national website or
official federation - 200 points added
* Non-verified foreign ratings- director will assign a rating that,
in most cases, will not be less than 2200.
Foreign players:
Foreign players must provide proof of their rating in the last year in
order to play in sections other than the Open or Unrated. No player
will be allowed to play in any class section without a rating
(provisional ratings do not count). Rating equivalents will be used.
Players should confirm their section before committing their travel
plans. No refunds (other than entry fees) will be given to players who
disagree with the Chief Tournament Director's decision as to which
section they will be assigned. Traveling players who plan to register
at the tournament should be forewarned that they may end up playing a
section that they did not anticipate. The best policy is to register
well in advance so that you may be notified very early on of the Chief
TD's decision.
Provisional ratings:
Players with Provisional Ratings will have to play in either the Open
or Unrated section (no exceptions).
In order to be considered as having a standard USCF non-provisional
rating, you must show proof to the Tournament Director of having played
25 USCF Rated Tournament games. This applies in cases where a player
has played the required number of games before April 1, can show the
cross tables, but the USCF has not yet managed to rate the games.
18. If I win a prize at the tournament when will I receive my money?
All prize winnings will be distributed before the close of the
tournament. Prize winners must show two forms of identification to
claim their prize: A valid driver's license, passport or other official
picture ID and a Social Security Card. Winners who do not have those
two forms of identification will have their prize winnings mailed to
them after their identity can be verified. Minors must be accompanied
by a parent or guardian with the appropriate identification.
19. I am a member of the press, are there any special conditions for me
to attend the tournament?
All members of the press will be given Press Credentials so that they
can have access to most areas of the tournament; access to restricted
areas will only be granted by the Chief Tournament Director. Members of
the Press are asked to call Brian Molohon of the HB Foundation at
651-209-3067 prior to the tournament if possible. Members of the press,
if playing in the tournament, will still need to pay their own
tournament registration entry fee.
20. What is your policy regarding tournament play on the Sabbath?
For those players who observe the Sabbath, the following policies
apply:
Scorekeeping:
If the player is not allowed to keep score, 10 minutes is deducted
from his/her clock at the beginning of the game. For the G/45 games 5
minutes will be deducted.
Clock:
If the player cannot use a digital clock (a) either an analog clock
may be used or (b) the opponent may insist on a digital clock but must
arrange for a third person to press the clock for the player who cannot
do so. There will be no rescheduling of games.
21. I am not a US citizen. How much of any prize money that I win will
I be able to collect given U.S. tax laws?
The HB Foundation is required to withhold 30% of the prize money if
you are not a U.S. citizen and you do not have a U.S. Social Security
Number. The HB Foundation must then report the prize to the tax
authorities (IRS) and send the withheld money to the IRS as income tax
on the prize. The international player can subsequently, on his or her
own, apply to the IRS for reimbursement if the player's native country
has a tax treaty with the U.S. More information on U.S. tax laws and
treaties can be found at IRS.gov .
For anyone winning any prize money, you must present 2 forms of
identification to claim your prize, a valid driver's license, passport
or other official picture ID and a Social Security Card to collect your
prize money. Those without a Social Security Number will have 30%
deducted from the prize for income tax withholding purposes. Winners
who do not have those two forms of identification will have their prize
winnings mailed to them after their identity can be verified. Minors
must be accompanied by a parent or guardian with the appropriate
identification.
22. What is your provisional rating policy for the tournament?
Players with Provisional Ratings will have to play in either the Open
or Unrated section (no exceptions).
In order to be considered as having a standard USCF non-provisional
rating, you must show proof to the Tournament Director of having played
25 USCF Rated Tournament games. This applies in cases where a player
has played the required number of games before April 1, can show the
cross tables, but the USCF has not yet managed to rate the games.
23. Are spectators allowed to watch the tournament?
HB Global Chess Challenge is free to spectators, please come and check
out chess at the Minneapolis Convention Center!