Tournament regulations of the Open Championship Gouda 2026

• Players registration at 08.30 - 09.30 hrs
• When not present at time, you lose your right of participation.
• Starting time of round 1 is planned at 10.00 hrs.
• Playing is according to the most recent Dutch translation of the FIDE regulations. Appendix A, Rules for rapid chess, is applicable, but Article A3 is not applicable.
• Playing tempo is 15 minutes plus 5 seconds increment.
• Pairing takes place according to the Swiss system, using the most recent version of SwissMaster or SwissManager.
• We play seven rounds according, for all rounds pairing is made according to Swiss on rating.
• For the ratings we use the KNSB rapid ratings, if not available the KNSB classical rating, the FIDE rapid rating, the FIDE classical rating or an estimated rating are uses, respectively.
• Once published, a pairing will not be changed, unless it conflicts with the absoulte paring rules.
• For the end ranking we use as successive criteria:
  1. The number of game points. If equal, money prizes will be shared.
  2. For the first place: the mutual result. If the involved players have not met all the others, mutul result will count only if an ordering can be made that is not influenced by missing mutual games.
  3. Buchholz points.
  4. Sonneborn-Berger points.
  5. Drawing of lots.
• Against decisions of the arbiters, no appeal is possible.
• The tournament comittee might differ from parts or all of these regulations if that is regarded necesary for orderly proceedings of the tournament.

Rating prizes are assigned as follows:

• The player in group A that does NOT receive a money prize in the end ranking and has best scored above his own rating.
• The player in group B that does NOT receive a money prize in the end ranking and has scores best above his own rating.
• The player in group C that does NOT receive a money prize in teh end ranking and has scores best above his own rating.