Any change or addition to our policies within one week of a TeachMeChess (TMC) event will not take effect until after that event.  If you have any questions about our policies, please e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

While you read our policies, keep in mind that we here at TMC are not easily offended, but do wish to provide a safe, friendly environment for all who wish to attend our events, and browse our website.  We will never exercise the action of removing or banning an individual from our events or site unless we have exhausted all other plausible resources of resolution.

TMC Policies

Note: Enforcement of set policies is discretionary; discretion is held by on site TMC Representative.

Disorderly/Disruptive Conduct

• If a player or spectator uses profane language, is warned by a TMC Representative to cease using such language, and then continues, he or she will be removed from the event.

• Abusive language is not tolerated. Continued use of such language after a warning from an TMC Representative leaves the player or spectator subject to removal from the event.

• Violent, disruptive, unruly, or cruel behavior/language will result in immediate removal from the event. An incident falling into this category can result in a permanent ban from TMC events.

• Comments or actions of racism, sexism, ageism or religious discrimination are strictly prohibited, and will often result in removal or permanent ban of the offender.

• Portable radios, cassette players, CD players, and mp3 players are discouraged, but allowed at a very moderate volume with headphones/earphones. If these items become a problem, the on-site TMC Representative maintains the right to restrict their use by one or all players.

• If a cellular phone rings inside the designated playing area during tournament play, the on-site TMC Representative maintains the right to remove the owner of the ringing phone from the playing area or even the event, with no refund. This applies to both players and spectators.

• If other games are still in progress players may not analyze their game inside the tournament area. Players doing so are subject to removal from the event.

• Use of computers at TMC events is restricted to materials appropriate for all ages. Failure to abide by this policy will typically result in removal from the event, and sometimes a ban from all future TMC events. The severity of TMC actions will vary according to each specific incident.

• Smoking is not allowed inside any playing facility.

• Weapons, lethal or non-lethal, are strictly prohibited from playing facilities. Violation of this policy leaves a person subject to permanent ban from TMC events.

Cheating

Cheating is taken very seriously, and the USCF will always be notified of incidents falling into this category:

• Anyone involved in cheating will be removed from the event and permanently banned from all future TMC events.

• We understand that a player may wish to make a phone call outside of the playing area with their game still in progress, and that the phone call may in no way amount to cheating. Consequently, the following policy will be enforced with great discretion.

Making telephone calls while involved in a tournament game can invite accusations of cheating. Consequently, without permission from a TD, players may not use cellular phones inside or outside of the playing area while they have a tournament game in progress.

• Leaving the playing area for extended periods of time while involved in a tournament game can invite accusations of cheating. Consequently, without permission from a TD, players may not be absent from a tournament game for more than fifteen minutes at a time.

• Players may not use a computer for any purpose while involved in a tournament game.

• Computers may not be operated in the playing area while tournament games are in progress except by the tournament director. A skittles area will always be available.

Byes

• Half-point byes are available upon request, but must be requested at least one hour before the round the bye is needed in.

• Half-point byes for the final round of a tournament are not allowed, except under some special circumstances approved by a TMC Representative.

• To request a bye for round one, you must be preregistered, and must contact the tournament director before the end of morning registration. Late entries into round two allow a player to be granted a half-point bye for round one at the tournament director’s discretion.

• A player may not request byes for more than half the rounds in the tournament. Only one half-point requested bye may be used in the player’s final score for awarding prizes. At the TD’s discretion, more than one requested bye may be scored as half-points for pairing purposes, but after the first requested bye all others are zero-point byes for prize purposes.

Withdrawals

• Withdrawing without properly informing the tournament director will result in a $15 fine. If a player refuses to pay the fine, he or she will be barred from TMC tournaments until the fine is paid.

  • To properly withdraw from a regular rated event without being penalized a player must notify the tournament director at least fifty minutes before the next round. To properly withdraw from a dual rated event without being penalized a player must notify the tournament director at least forty minutes before the next round. To properly withdraw from a quick rated event without being penalized a player must notify the tournament director at least twenty minutes before the next round.

  • Penalties will be waived at the discretion of the director.
    

• Individuals who withdraw from a tournament will forfeit their eligibility for prizes.