Metro Chess League (Omaha)

Trenton Kerger, chess coach at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, is looking for teams for the new interscholastic chess season.

If you plan on fielding a team this year, please reply to tkerger@cbcsd.org no later than Friday, December 16th.

League play will commence in late January and conclude in late February or March.

Lewis Central High School will be joining the league this year!

League Rules are listed below for your consideration.

OMAHA METRO AREA HIGH SCHOOL CHESS LEAGUE RULESĀ 

Home team coach, please try to contact your opponent to let them know where to meet, directions as to where to park at school, room number, directions to room, etc., etc.

Games can start as soon as your opponent arrives, but start before 4:30 unless unavoidable. Telephone numbers are not for distribution to students.

General Rules 

1. Best Player plays board #1, next best #2, etc.

2. You can have more than 5 players, but only the results of the top five matches count.

3. Matches should take place on the scheduled date as these dates are set well in advance.  If you are unable to field a team or if you have less than five players, you must forfeit the game or the empty positions.  If a player is absent, the players behind him/her must move up.  The empty position(s) are always the bottom most boards.  In the event of a snow day or other school closing, matches should be rescheduled.  Otherwise any changes need to be done well in advance.

4. Home team plays white on boards 2 and 4.

5. Touch Move!

6. Each player gets 30 minutes to complete the game.  If a player runs out of time, he/ she loses the game provided that the opponent has sufficient mating material.  If the opponent does not have sufficient mating material, the game is a draw.  Note:  one pawn constitutes sufficient mating material because it can become a queen)

7. No player may receive help from another player, person, or coach.

8. If a player has a question or dispute during a match, both coaches should hear the facts and / or assess the situation, and agree on a solution.

9. Forfeits count as a loss and draws as 1/2 point.

10. Home team coaches please inform Trent at tkerger90@gmail.com  of the results of your match.  Example; Westside beat Roncalli 3 – 2.

11. Have Fun / Promote Chess.

Tie break system:
Tie breaks in the event that schools have the same match record.  

1.  Head to head competition.  Whichever school defeated the other school when the two schools met.  If a 3-way tie, combine the scores from the matches.

2.  Total game score record.  The individual scores from each of the matches.

3.  If still tied, return to the head to head competition. The team that won on board #1.  If still tied, the team that won on board #2.  Continue through all five boards.

4.  If still tied, the team with the fewer forfeited games throughout the season.

5.  Coin flip or tiebreak match agreed upon by the coaches.  The tiebreak match may use time limits from game 5 to game 40, and may use from 1-5 players.  Colors should switch from the regular season match.

Team Championship:

Top team from East will play top team from West to determine 1st and 2nd in Metro.

Second team in East will play second team from West to determine 3rd and 4th in Metro.

Match site to be determined by coaches of teams playing.  If only four teams sign up again this year, we will adapt.

Individual Board Championship:

Top two boards are eligible to compete in the Individual Board Championship. Every effort will be made to ensure that players from the same school will not meet until later rounds. First round pairings will be first board players vs. second board players.

In the event of a draw, a five minute blitz game shall be played.  If this game ties, another shall be played, etc.

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