A) DEFINITIONS

1. The competition will be known as the "World Chess League", abbreviated to "WCL".

2. Individual competitors within the WCL will be known as "players".

3. A "match" is a competitive meeting between two players, comprising 3 games of chess.

4. The "league table" is the list of players ranked in descending order.

 

B) MATCH PLAY

1. All players must have an online account at www.lichess.org.

2. All fixtures will be played online at www.lichess.org.

3. The Match List sets out who will play whom, and when.

4. Players will alternate colours between games in a match, with their starting colour decided randomly.

5. The game clock for each game in a fixture will be set at 15 minutes plus 0.

6. Each player will play a single match against the others.

7. The person who is listed first in each match on the randomly drawn Match List shall challenge the person listed second.

8. Matches must begin within 15 minutes of the official start time shown on the Match list (or as rearranged by the organisers). There shall be a break of not more than 5 minutes between games in a match.

9. Matches may be rearranged by theWCL if one or both players asks; but matches may not be played after the date and time on the Match List.

 

C) SCORING & RANKING

1. A game win in a match is worth 2 points, a draw is worth 1 point.

2. The match score is the total points scored by each player over 3 games. The possible match scores are 6-0, 5-1, 4-2, or 3-3. A win followed by two draws, for example, scores a 4-2 match win.

3. All 3 games will be played, even when the third game makes not difference to the final result, as the points will count on the league table.

4. Whomsoever scores the most points in a match is the winner.

5. Ranking priorities are Wins (W), Points Difference (+/-) and the result between players.​

 

D) CONDUCT

1. Be excellent to each other. No rudeness, bad language etc.

2. Be sporting.

3. No moves may be taken back once made.​

 

E) EXPANSION

1. The WCL will comprise a maximum of 16 players in Season #1.

2. If a second division (D2) is formed after Season #1, there will be promotion and relegation, with the lowest ranked two players retrospectively relegated to D2 and two new players taking their place. Thereafter, there will be promotion and relegation on a 2-up 2-down basis between each division.

3. There will also be a play-off match for one place in the next season's D1 between the next 3rd bottom D1 player and the 3rd placed player in D2.

 

F) AWARDS

1. The WCL winner and runner-up in each division will receive a badge of honour, as will the winner and runner-up of the knockout tournament.

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G) PENALTIES

1. Breaking rules will result in a penalty ranging from a warning to expulsion from the competition.

2. To complain about something, players must use the form on this website.

3. Decisions of the organisers are final.