I'll give it a try. Carol ----- Original Message ----- From: R Dinger To: chess Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 6:18 PM Subject: [blind-chess] Ladder Tournament Proposal Hi Chessers, Below is a proposed set of rules for a correspondence ladder tournament. Please look this over and provide any comments or complaints and also let me know if you are interested in playing once we have the details worked out. Richard ------- Ladder Competition Rules The ladder tournament will run throughout the current year. The rules are as follows. Object: The object of the tournament is to climb the ladder by challenging players higher up the ladder. Winner: The yearly winner of the competition will be the player occupying the top position of the ladder at the end of the current year. Tournament Controller: The Tournament Controller will maintain a list of on-going and pending challenges and a list of color selections for each player. The Tournament Controller will also maintain and publish the current ladder rankings. Challenges: A player may challenge any other player one or two places above him in the ladder. If the challenger wins, the challenger takes the position of the vanquished player and pushes the others below down one rung. If the game is a draw or the challenger loses, no change in position is made. A challenge must be issued by e-mail through the tournament controller. If a player fails to take up a challenge for more than 3 weeks, then the challenger wins by default, and may, on appeal to the controller, take the position immediately above the defaulting player. No player may have more than one challenge outstanding at any one time, and any player who has received a challenge must play that game before accepting or issuing any further challenges. A second challenge between the same two players cannot be held until each has played a challenge match against a different player. Game Colors: Each challenger will play White in odd numbered games. Thus you play White for your first challenge and simply alternate colors for each subsequent challenge you play. Time Controls: Five days total of reflection time is allowed for the entire game. Time is counted from the time you receive a move and you have 24 hours to respond or you lose one day. Start: The competition will start immediately this year and on January 1 thereafter. The starting position of the ladder will be in reverse grade order. New Player: Any new addition to the ladder populates a new rung at the bottom of the ladder. Disputes: Any disputes arising should be referred to the tournament controller.