Grand Prix Event #1 Results and FAQs

The Alabama Online Chess Grand Prix started off with a bang! 46 competitors from around the state participated in this first-of-its-kind event, and the competition did not disappoint. Congratulations to Scott Varagona (2270) and Edward Xiao (1176) with a perfect 5.0/5 in the Premiere and Adepts sections, respectively, along with  Nikhita Chintareddy (1727), Grady Moore (1691), and Samuel Joseph Gilliland (1687) with scores of 4.0/5 in the Challenger section for all winning their respective sections.

For full standings along with a letter from me to the competitors, please go to this link: https://alabamachess.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Final-Event-1-GP-Standings-and-Notes.pdf

If this first event whets your appetite for more – it’s not too late to sign up!! Whether you want to play in one event or all remaining 5, you can do so by signing up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGL8TIqKE4EFnGVDyczPxW7OubVrW50s8Ahyk2dVrV0KWDAw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Tournament Flyer Here: https://alabamachess.org/events/alabama-online-grand-prix/

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FAQs:

Ratings:

1. How do you determine the “assigned ratings” for the events?
   1. Your “assigned rating” is determined by the highest established rating between your USCF standard, USCF quick, and Chess.com rapid ratings as of 1/1/2021. If you are provisionally-rated or unrated in all of these, we will use your chess.com blitz rating. If you do not have an established chess.com blitz rating, the highest of the four will be used. If all four ratings are unrated, you will be considered unrated, placed in the Adepts section, and be eligible for the under 1000 prize.
2. What if my rating goes up or down between events? Will I now be moved to another section?
   1. No. You will play in the section with the assigned rating you started with. That assigned rating will be determined on 1/1/2021 for all players in every section.
3. How is it determined who will be eligible for the under prizes in each event?
   1. Whoever has an assigned rating under the threshold in each section (Premiere [2000], Challenger [1500], Adepts [1000]) as of 1/1/2021 will be eligible to win the under prize in each event regardless of if their actual rating goes up. Unrated individuals will be eligible for the U1000 prize.
4. I don’t have an established USCF standard, USCF quick, or Chess.com rapid rating. How will you determine my rating?
   1. If you have not played 25 games in a particular rating category, you have a “provisional rating.” These could be inaccurately high or low. Therefore they will not be considered. If you are provisionally-rated or unrated in these three categories, we will use your chess.com blitz rating. If you do not have an established chess.com blitz rating, the highest of the four will be used. If all four ratings are unrated, you will be considered unrated, placed in the Adepts section, and be eligible for the under 1000 prize.

Prizes:

1. If there is a tie between players, how will the prize fund be distributed? 
   1. The prize(s) that the tied players are eligible for will be shared among all tied. If two players are tied for first, then the first and second prize will be split evenly between these two. If three players or more are tied for first, they will split the first and second prizes.
2. What if someone who is in the “under” category wins 1st or 2nd?
   1. This is a tricky case. If 3+ players tie for 1st, including the “under,” the first, second, and under prize will be split between the four. The same will be true if three split the three prizes. However, two players are not eligible for these prizes. If an “under” and “over” player tie for first and second, they will share the first and second prize, and the next highest placing “under” will win the under prize.
3. When and how will I get my prize money?
   1. You will be eligible to receive your prize money after the results are posted between one and two weeks after the event. I will contact you to see how I can send you the money. You can use the prize to pay for the next events if you have not paid yet, you can request I send you the money immediately, or you can request that I hold it until the end of the tournament, where I will then give you the total of all that you received.

Grand Prix Points:

1. If there is a tie, how will points be determined?
   1. Like with the prize money, the points available for the positions the players finished in will be summed up and divided equally. If two players tie for first, both will receive 8.5 points (10 for 1st, 7 for 2nd – 17 total divided by 2). If three tie for first, each will receive 7.3 points (17 points for 1st-2nd and 5 more for 3rd – 22 points total divided by 3). If four players tie for 10th, they will get 1.5 points (3 for 10th, 1 for 11-13th – total 6 points divided by 4).
2. Did you say 5 out of 6 events count for the finals? Elaborate.
   1. Yes, only 5 out of 6 events count towards the finals if you play in all 6 events. This is to allow someone to miss an event and still have the chance to earn as many points as someone who has all six weekends free. If you play in 3, 4, or 5 tournaments, you will get all points from those 3-5 events. If you play in 6 tournaments, you will get points from your 5 best events.
3. What if there is a tie between multiple players in points after the six events? How will the ones who get invited to the playoffs be tie-broken?
   1. If there is a tie in points after all events are over, the first tiebreaker is head to head over all events. Whoever has the better score between the two players or whoever has the most points against the group of tied players moves on. If there is still a tie, the player whose opponents they beat (or drew) that scored better will move on. If there is still a tie, the player with more wins moves on.

Grand Prix Finals:

1. Is there a minimum number of tournaments I must participate in in the Grand Prix Series to possibly qualify for the finals?
   1. Yes, you must play in at least 3 tournaments to possibly qualify.
2. Will the top 2 seniors and top 2 scholastic players get automatically invited to the GP finals?
   1. If 4 seniors or scholastics play in at least three events, then yes. If 2-3 play in at least three events, then there will be one senior or scholastic spot, and if 0-1 senior’s or scholastics play in at least three tournaments, then there will be no automatic spots.
3. What’s a knockout event?
   1. The knockout style finals are where two players play against each other in a series of games. Whoever has the most points after the battle moves on to the next round, and the loser is out.
4. When will the date be for the finals?
   1. It is still to be determined but will likely be in late July. Look for a firm date around the end of March.
5. What if someone cannot make that event?
   1. If someone cannot make it to the event, the next person with the highest amount of points will be invited to play until someone accepts.

Other General:

1. Do I need a USCF/ACF membership to play?
   1. You do not need a USCF membership to play! But you do need an ACF membership. Renew yours here: https://alabamachess.org/sign-up/
2. Can I sign up for one event and not play in all events?
   1. Yes, you can! Sign up for 1-6 events as many as you can play in.
3. Can I get to the finals if I do not play in all series events?
   1. You must play in at least 3 to be eligible, but you do not have to play in all six.
4. I haven’t signed up yet; how do I sign up?
   1. The best question of all! Make sure you sign up ASAP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGL8TIqKE4EFnGVDyczPxW7OubVrW50s8Ahyk2dVrV0KWDAw/viewform?usp=sf_link
5. I heard there are streams of the event live; how do I watch them?
   1. Currently, two streamers in the Premiere section are planning to stream all of their tournament games. Watch Michael Porcelli here: https://www.twitch.tv/chessinblackandwhite Watch Miles Melvin here: https://www.twitch.tv/fakemews9

Jonathan Rasberry

Chief Tournament Director

Highlights