ORGANISATION OF THE COMPETITION

5. The Championship will be organised in two stages: a Zonal stage, and a National stage for Zone Champions and runners-up.
   
   
6. The Zonal stage
   The Chief Conductor will place teams in local Zones which, as far as practicable, will be of equal size. A Zone may, at his discretion, be split into two or more groups. If it is not so split, the whole Zone will be considered a "group" for the purpose of Rule 6.
        If there is one group only, the teams placed first and second will be respectively the Zone Champions and Zone runners-up. If there is more than one group, the leading team or teams in each group will proceed to a knockout competition for the Zone Championship, and the losing Finalists will be Zone runners-up.
        A group may be either a knockout competition or a league competition. It will always be a knockout competition if the number of teams in it is greater than six.
   
   (a) Knockout competitions. The draw will be made by the Zone Conductor, who will state venues and a finishing date for each round. In cases of difficulty meeting the due date, the Zone Conductor will act according to his discretion. He is entitled, if he thinks fit, to award the match to one side or to disqualify both.
   
   (b) League competitions. The Zone Conductor will state venues for matches and will set a date by which the group stage is to be completed. (1) In each group, each team will play one match against each other team.

   (2) If a school has more than one team in a group, each of these teams must play all its "internal" matches, and send in the results, before playing any matches against other schools. Any internal match not so played will count as lost for both sides.

   (3) If a match is unplayed through inaction or default on the part of one side only, it will be scored as a win to the opponent. Matches otherwise unplayed by the due date will be lost for both sides.

   (4) If any team plays less than half its matches, all its results will be discounted.

   (5) At the end of the group competition, teams will be placed in descending order of matches won. Where matches won are equal, then:

   (a) teams will be placed in descending order of matches won between (or amongst) themselves. This operation will be repeated until it has no further effect.

   (b) Where teams are still equal they will be placed in ascending order of average age, taking into account all matches they have played and using the averages as calculated according to Rule 16, but adjusted as though the match had been played on the 1st January of the current season.

   The winner of each Zone will receive a suitably inscribed chess clock.

7. The National stage
   The National stage has two sections: a National Championship for Zone winners, and a Plate Championship for Zone runners-up. Both will be knockout competitions. The draw will be made by the Chief Conductor, who will state venues and a finishing date for each round. In cases of difficulty meeting the due date, he will act according to his discretion. He is entitled, if he thinks fit, to award the match to one side or to disqualify both.
   
   The winners of the Championship and of the Plate will hold a permanent Trophy for one year.

MATCH RULES

8. All matches will be played over the board unless otherwise provided by the Chief Conductor.
   
   
9. It is essential to fix a finishing time before play begins. Unless otherwise agreed, or otherwise provided by the Chief Conductor, the time allowed for a match will be 2½ hours.
   
   
10. Before the start of play match captains will exchange team lists, arranged in descending order of known current playing strength. Any defaults must be on the lowest boards.
    
    
11. After the exchange of team lists, match captains will toss for colours. The side winning the toss will choose to take white on either the odd-numbered or the even-numbered boards.
    
    
12. A player absent at the time agreed for the start of play is allowed 30 minutes’ grace. If he is still absent after that and no substitute is provided, he will lose his game by default.
    
    
13. A substitute may be provided at any time during the 30 minute period of grace. He may not play on a lower board than that on which he would have played had he been a member of the original team.
    
    
14. Matches with Clocks
    Clocks should be used where available, and any player providing a clock may insist on its use in his game. Where clocks are used, each player has 1¼ hours in which to make all his moves. Teams may agree, and the Chief Conductor may stipulate, a different rate of play.
    
    
15. Matches without clocks
    If any game is unfinished at the close of play, the two sides should try to agree a result. If they cannot agree, the position must be submitted to the Zone Conductor (in the Zonal stage) or the Chief Conductor (in the National stage) for adjudication. The position must be submitted by both sides within 24 hours of the match, using first-class post or faster method. If a position is submitted by one side only, that side’s claim will be upheld. A team claiming a draw cannot be given a win.
         Each position for adjudication must be accompanied by a fee of £10 from each side. A team whose claim is upheld will receive a full refund.
         There is no right of appeal against an adjudicator’s verdict.
    
    
16. Scoring: the Age Handicap
    The competition has a handicap based on the difference between teams' ages.
         Average ages
    Before play begins, each team will calculate its average age. The average will be calculated in years and completed months, ignoring fractions of a month both in individual players’ ages and in the overall average.
         If a named player is absent after 30 minutes and no substitute is provided, the average age will be recalculated as that of the remaining players. The team then takes its recalculated average or the one it first claimed, whichever is higher. If a substitute is provided, he will be deemed to have either his real age or the age of the player he replaces, whichever is higher, and the average age will if necessary be recalculated.
         If an error in calculation comes to light during the first 30 minutes of a match, the team concerned will take its real average or the one it first claimed, whichever is higher. After the first 30 minutes such errors cannot be corrected. If a date of birth has been incorrectly reported, the error will be corrected in the same way but without the 30-minute limit. It may be corrected even after the match is over.
         Scoring: the Handicap
    Players score 1 point for a win, ½ for a draw, and 0 for a loss. The age handicap will be applied as follows.
    • Difference of less than 12 months: no handicap
    • Difference of at least one year but less than two: the older team, to win, must score at least 1 point more than the opposing team. If it does not, it loses.
    • Difference of at least two years but less than three: the older team, to win, must score at least 2 points more than the opposing team. If it does not, it loses.
    • Difference of at least three years but less than four: the older team, to win, must score at least 3 points more than the opposing team. If it does not, it loses.
    • Difference of four years or more: the older team, to win, must score at least 4 points more than the opposing team. If it does not, it loses.
      
      
17. Drawn matches
    A match cannot be drawn. If two teams play without age handicap and score equally, the match will be decided by board count or bottom board elimination or colour.
    
    (a) Board count. Each team adds up the numbers of the boards on which it scored wins, and the team with the lower result is the winner.
    
    (b) Bottom board elimination (to be used only if (a) has not resolved the match). The result on the lowest board is discounted. If it was a draw, the next higher board is discounted; and so on until a result is achieved.
    
    (c) Colour (to be used only if (a) and (b) have not resolved the match). The team that had black on board 1 is the winner.
    
    
18. Ineligible players
    If any player is found to be ineligible, his game will count as lost by default. Additionally, for each ineligible player in a team, one half penalty point will be deducted from the team’s score in that match.
    
    
19. The result of each match must be sent promptly by both sides to the Zone Conductor (in the Zonal stage) or the Chief Conductor (in the National stage). In the case of knockout competitions it must be sent within 24 hours, by first-class post or faster method.

GENERAL RULES

20. Except as otherwise provided by these Rules, all play in this competition will be in accordance with the FIDE Laws of Chess.
    
    
21. Any claim of ineligibility, or other complaint, must be submitted within 24 hours to the Zone Conductor (in the Zonal stage) or the Chief Conductor (in the National stage), by first-class post or faster method. In the Zonal stage, an appeal against the Zone Conductor’s ruling may be submitted (within 24 hours) to the Chief Conductor. An appeal against a ruling by the Chief Conductor may be made (within 24 hours) to the English Chess Federation’s Director of Junior Chess, whose decision will be final.
    
    
22. Any question arising which is not provided for by Rules 1-21 will be referred to the Chief Conductor. An appeal against his ruling may be made (within 24 hours) to the English Chess Federation’s Director of Junior Chess, whose decision will be final.