Ashland Rapid

Sept. 15th is Ashland Rapid with McMahon pairings.  You can play up to 4 games for only $6.

4-SS G/45 TD/5. Ashland Rapid. McMahon Pairings Used.
EF: Free for unrated members, $6 for COLA  members, $10 for others.

Rounds at 10:00, 11:45, 2:30, 4:15

FAQ:
Q:What are McMahon pairings?

A:In McMahon parings, players are given a set # of points before the first round.
Expert+ (2000+ rating): 5.0 points
Class A (1800-1999): 4.0 Points
Class B (1600-1799): 3.0 Points

Players are then paired normally, so Class A players will play class A players, Class B players will play class B players, etc. in the first round. These pre-1st round points are never taken away in the tournament, so in the 2nd round, a class B player who lost his first game might play a class C player who won his first game (as both would now have 3.0 points)

Q:Why have McMahon pairings? Why not have one open swiss?

A:McMahon pairings give many more players a chance to play players who are approximately their own skill level. Under this format, it will be rare that a player has to play somebody more than one class level away from them. In an open swiss, players probably wouldn’t get to play somebody their own class until the 3rd or even 4th round.

Q:Why have McMahon Pairings? Why not have quads instead?

A:Quads (where players are divided by rating into groups of 4) do allow players to have three games with players who are close to their own rating, but since they are round-robins they have inflexible schedules. Players cannot come late or withdraw early without messing up the tournament for the other players. Also, the top rated player in each quad will not have an opportunity to play anyone rated higher than himself, and the lowest rated player in each quad will have no opportunity to play anyone rated lower than himself.

Q:Will I receive credit towards COLA tournaments for full-point byes, forfeit wins and half-point
byes?

A:Players who obtain a full-point bye or a forfeit win will receive $3 credit towards another tournament, as if he had won a rated game.

Players who request half-point byes will receive $1 credit toward another tournament, as if he had drawn a rated game.

Q:What is the limit for half-point byes?

A:You may declare half-point byes up until 15 minutes before a scheduled round. There is no limit to the # of half-point byes you can take.

Q:What is the penalty for forfeiting a game?

A:If you are withdrawing from a tournament, TELL THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR so that you won’t be paired! Not only is this courteous and respectful to both the director AND any potential opponent(s), but you are missing out on $1/game credits if you had declared half-point byes!

As an extra incentive, any player who forfeits a game at an Ashland Rapid will lose any and all accumulated credit towards other tournaments and may be required to pay a deposit for future club tournaments.

Q:What can the discounts on future COLA events be used for?

A:Columbia Chess Club has many events throughout the year that these discounts ($3 for each in, $1 for each draw) can be used for.

Columbia Chess Club Membership ($10/yr):

Membership gives you discounts on many COLA tournaments and also makes you eligible for the club prizes at the end of the year and the Columbia Chess Club Championship. Just three tournaments a year makes the membership worth it!

Ashland Club Games ($2):

This is the bread-and-butter of the Columbia Chess Club. These tournaments are five- round Swisses, with one round a week (G/90) at the Ashland Church. The club holds approximately six of these events a year. If entries warrant, players will be split up into multiple sections.

Ashland Rapids ($6):

You can use your winnings from an Ashland Rapid to gain entry into another Ashland Rapid. As long as you win two games each Rapid and maintain your club membership, you won’t have to buy another entry. This is a new event, but the club is planning on
holding four of these events for 2012-2013.

Ashland Quick ($10):

This is a three-round quad G/20. 1st place in each quad wins $20 and 2nd place wins $15.
The club holds approximately five of these events a year on Thursday nights. Check the calendar on www.columbiachess.com for the date of the next Ashland Quick.

Columbia Chess Club Championship ($10):

Like the regular Ashland club games, this event is held over five weeks with one round played a week. The winner of this tournament becomes the Club champion for the year.
Unlike other COLA tournaments, the Championship is open only to club members.

Ashland Action ($20):

This is a four-round swiss G/30 which is held the last club meeting of each year with about 80% of entries paid out in prizes.

Columbia Open ($59):

The premier weekend event in South Carolina. This tournament is held in mid-August
each year, and is a five-round swiss. Sections in 2012 were Open, U2000, U1600, and
U1200.