Just the Rules: An Extra Round?

You get and itch to push a little wood. Your fast review — Click here to show email address — of nearby events for the upcoming weekend revealed exactly what fills the bill: The Chessboard Open. The entry fee is a mere $20. The four round schedule sets games ASAP (as soon as possible) starting at 9 a.m.. The time control is G/30 with no delay or increment. And check out those prizes: $50 - $30 - $25. This little event will scratch your itch. 

You arrive at the site, which turns out to be a couple of rooms in the community center. The TD takes your cash and processes your entry. He notes that you are the top dog so far. Your rating outdistances most of the other players. There are a few chaps close to your rating, but you are the number one seed. Here's how it goes:

• Round 1: You defeat your first opponent in short order with your trusty Sicilian Defense. In fact, all the other tournament contests ended quicker than expected. 
• Round 2: The next ASAP game start was paired and ready to go by 9:45 a.m.. Those round two face-offs all finished by 10:30 a.m.. Again, your game was finished early thanks to your trappy Scoth gambit offense — and your opponent dropping a piece.
• Round 3: The round three ASAP pairings were posted fifteen minutes later. That 10:45 a.m. match-up paired you with an experienced wood-pusher. They fell for none of your Scandinavian traps. You had to grind this one out. In fact, your win was the last result to be reported, about an hour later at 11:40 a.m.. 
• Round 4: The TD worked on the last round match-ups while you and the other contestants hunted up a nearby lunch. At 12:30 p.m., the TD put up the pairings for the last round! Your last game was a hard-fought contest with a lot of ups and downs for both you and your adversary. Still, you manage to eke out another victory in just 35 minutes with a Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (declined). You are the only player with a perfect score. 

Because the games for each round finished earlier than expected. there is plenty of time left before the two community center rooms need to be vacated. The TD announces that there is time for an extra round of play — a fifth round. Moreover, the TD says, these extra games will now determine the prize money winners. 

Hold on. You took clear first place in the announced, and advertised, four-rounder. You are owed the $50 first place prize, right!? 

TJ Says: You are owed the advertised $50 first place prize without having to essay any further games. You do not have to push any more wood to collect your gold. The TD could consider paying out the prizes earned for the four round event AND THEN pair an extra round five that counts for ratings only — or turn in the games from the extra unadvertised fifth round as a separate, no prizes, section of the tournament. 

Want more? Past columns can be found here or by searching the Chess Life Online archives. 
Plus, listen to Tim when he was a guest on “One Move at a Time”, “The Chess Angle” and his interview hosted by Kathy Lin (Columbus Chess Academy).

TDs are the rock that our tournaments are built on. Now, you can check out the latest list of TDs that recently upgraded: Introducing TD Upgrades Chart | US Chess.org

Tim Just is a National Tournament Director, FIDE National Arbiter, and editor of the 5th, 6th, and 7th editions of the US Chess Rulebook. He is also the author of My Opponent is Eating a Doughnut & Just Law, the latter of which is also available from US Chess Sales. Additionally, Tim revised The Guide To Scholastic Chess, a guide created to help teachers and scholastic organizers who wish to begin, improve, or strengthen their school chess program. US Chess awarded the 2022 Tournament Director Lifetime Achievement Award to Tim. He is also a member of the US Chess Rules Committee plus the Tournament Director Certification Committee (TDCC). His new column, exclusive to US Chess, “Just the Rules” will help clarify potentially confusing regulations.