GENERAL RULES For Online (See below for Over The Board challenges)

The format will be 30 Min per side minimum, random colours with a standard starting position. You can decide if you want it rated or unrated. You have to be logged on to live in order to challenge or be challenged. It is easier if you 'friend' someone in order to play them live.
Only one ladder game is played to determine the winner.
You may challenge anybody up to 5 places above you (not counting people on vacation).

First post your challenge in the forum GPCA Ladder Challenges

Then contact your victim and give him the bad news. If the higher ranked on the ladder wins or the game ended in a draw, there is no change in positions.
If the lower ranked wins, he takes over the higher rank's spot, and everybody in between moves down 1 position.

You have to accept all challenges within 5 days except if:

1) you challenged someone and are waiting for acceptance
2) it is against the same opponent as your previous game unless it ended more than 5 days ago.
3) you are on Vacation

If you don't accept a ladder challenge within 5 days, then your challenger won the game.

The positions are posted in the forum GPCA Ladder Standing

VACATION

Everyone can take vacation (up to 3 months per year)

JOINING THE LADDER

If you want to join the ladder, post request in Joining or Leaving The Ladder.
You have to play at least one game in the first month since joining the ladder.

LEAVING THE LADDER

If you want to leave the ladder, post request in Joining or Leaving The Ladder.

You may be removed from the Ladder if:

a) you were not online on chess.com for more than 3 months,
b) you did not play any ladder games for more than 4 months,
c) you did not accept 3 challenges in a row (aborting the game or losing on time in less than 6 moves without explanation counts as unaccepting the challenge)
d) you left Grassy Park Chess Academy
e) you joined the ladder but did not play any game in the first month.

ADDITIONAL RULES

If you want to challenge someone, but for some reason are unable to do so (e.g. the person is not accepting challenges from higher/lower rated players), then you should send a message asking for a challenge. Then this person should:
1) Challenge you
or
2) Make it possible for you to challenge them.

If it happens that you have forgotten to post your challenge in the GPCA Ladder Challenges forum and someone challenges you to a ladder game, you should post your first challenge in the GPCA Ladder Challenges forum and ignore the second challenge.

OTB Challenges

These will take place on Saturday mornings at the club, starting between 09:30 and 10:00. The time control will be 1 hr each without any increment. Should a player be unable to play at the club or online, arrangements may be made to play elsewhere.

Should a female ever reach #1 in the ladder, then all chauvinistic wording in this forum will be altered so that masculine pronouns will be changed to their feminine counterparts.

Grassy Park Chess Academy

Super Admins