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Tournament Rules
Format: This event will be conducted in three sections.
Charles Fisher A Grade — Round robin, 8 players
Charles Fisher B Grade — Round robin, 8 players
Charles Fisher Swiss — Swiss format, 7 rounds, open to all remaining players
Prizes: There is a $75 prize for the champion as well as $75 awarded to the highest finishing player in the lower half of the field (the “Reserve Prize”). There will also be a cash prize of $50 awarded to the highest finishing unrated player provided that there are at least 5 unrated players. A medal will also be presented to the winners of each section of the tournament.
Rate of Play: 60 minutes plus a 30 second increment for each move played.
Section Eligibility and Entry: Entry to the A Grade will be offered to the eight highest-rated (using ACF ratings) available club members. Entry to the B Grade will be offered to the next eight highest-rated available members. All remaining players, including unrated players, will participate in the Charles Fisher Swiss.
The following automatic promotions apply regardless of rating:
- The prior year's B Grade winner is automatically eligible for A Grade.
- The prior year's Charles Fisher Swiss winner (where that player would not otherwise qualify for B Grade on rating) is automatically eligible for B Grade and will be recognised as such in the following year's entry process.
Prizes: Prizes and medals will be awarded to the winner of each section.
In addition, a separate Reserve prize and medal will be awarded to the highest-placed player in the Swiss section who was not rating-eligible for A or B Grade, ensuring that lower-rated members have a meaningful prize to compete for.
All prizes will be open prizes — there is no separate female prize in this event, nor is there an unrated prize.
Commitment and Scheduling: Players entering A Grade or B Grade sections are making a commitment to play every scheduled round. Players who anticipate missing two or more rounds during the tournament period are strongly encouraged to enter the Charles Fisher Swiss instead, where half-point byes are available and the format better accommodates absences.
There are no half-point byes in the round robin sections.
Make-up Games and Forfeits: Where a player is unable to attend their scheduled round robin game, the following procedure applies:
- A player wishing to arrange a make-up game must notify both their opponent and the tournament director at least 48 hours before the scheduled round. A make-up game will only be arranged if both players are available and have no outstanding make-up games from previous rounds.
- If notification is less than 48 hours then the opponent has the discretion to agree to a make-up game or not.
- If a make-up game is not agreed then the absent player forfeits the game.
- Make-up games must be played on a club night in the presence of an arbiter, in accordance with FIDE rating requirements. In practice, this means make-up games should be played during the designated make-up week (currently Blitz 4 week). [The committee should consider whether the programme can be structured to allow at least two make-up opportunities, for example by scheduling blitz or rapid evenings immediately after the tournament concludes.]
- If a make-up game is not completed within the agreed period, the game is forfeited by the player who was absent at the original scheduled game time.
- If a player forfeits more than half their games in the round robin, all their results will be annulled for the purpose of determining the tournament standings. However, all completed games will still be submitted for rating purposes.
About the Charles Fisher Tournament
It was decided at the 2026 Ballarat Chess Club AGM to change the name of the Arthur Teters Memorial to the Charles Fisher Tournament. Charles Marshall Fisher was arguably one of Australia's best chess players from the mid to late 1800s and was the President of the Ballarat Chess Club in 1867. More can be read about him in the club history site - here...
For more information on Arthur Teters who the tournament was named after from 2011 to 2025, read about him here in the profiles page...