ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Oregon High School Chess Team Association (the “Association” or
OHSCTA.)
ARTICLE II. PURPOSES
The purpose of the Association shall be:
A) To provide an annual State Chess Team Tournament at which State Champions will
be determined from among the
participating high school chess teams.
B) To encourage new chess leagues to form and existing chess leagues to continue.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1.
Members of the OHSCTA shall be the chess teams of Oregon high schools affiliated with a chess league and/or district
recognized by the Executive Director and other schools recognized by the Executive Director.
ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS AND DUTIES
Section 1.
The Board of Officers shall consist of the Executive Director, the Executive Director-elect, the Treasurer, and the Secretary.
The Treasurer and Secretary shall be appointed by the Executive Director, but may be subject to recall by the membership under
ARTICLE X below. For legal purposes, the Board of Directors shall consist of the Executive Director, the Treasurer,
and the Secretary, but if one or more of those offices are vacant, the vacancies shall be filled first by the Executive Director-elect,
and then by League Directors, based on their seniority in the Association.
Section 2.
The Executive Director and Executive Director-elect shall be the duly authorized advisors of member chess teams.
Section 3.
The Executive Director-elect shall be elected to a one-year term in even numbered years, and upon completion of the term,
shall serve as Executive Director for two years.
Section 4.
The duties of the Executive Director shall be as follows:
a. To collect and distribute information to league directors (minutes, announcements, etc.)
b. To maintain a list of Association members.
c. To initiate the annual State Tournament by announcing the site, time, etc. to the Tournament Organizer and the
league directors.
d. To conduct any voting which does not occur at a meeting by e-mail and report the results.
e. To call and preside over the annual meeting at the State Tournament and any other special meetings deemed necessary.
f. To appoint committees and sub-committees appropriate to the business of the Association.
g. To appoint a Tournament Organizer.
h. To act as spokesperson for the Association in matters concerning school officials, the media, and other chess
organizations.
i. To interpret the meaning of this Constitution between tournaments.
j. To maintain the financial records of the Association and to make a financial report at the annual meeting.
k. To set the annual registration fee for the State Tournament in cooperation with the Tournament Organizer.
l. To appoint a successor for the remainder of the term should the Executive Director be unable to complete the
term of office, and the Executive Director-elect position be vacant. Otherwise the Executive Director-elect shall assume
the role of Executive Director.
m. To advise the Executive-Director elect in regard to the duties, organization, and information necessary to the
job of Executive Director. This training will occur in the second year of the current Executive Director’s term.
n. To pay all financial obligations of the tournament with available Association funds.
o. To appoint a Treasurer and a Secretary and to direct them as to their duties and responsibilities, which the
Executive Director shall define.
Section 5.
Each league shall designate a director who shall have the following responsibilities to the OHSCTA:
a. To maintain an annual list of member schools in the league and forward a copy to the Executive Director by November
30th of each year. The list should include the name of each participating school, and the name of the faculty advisor/coach
of each team, along with their contact information.
b. To report league standings to the Executive Director no later than one week prior to the State Tournament date.
c. To forward all information from the Tournament Organizer to the schools in the league.
Section 6.
The Tournament Organizer shall be selected by the Executive Director during the State Tournament and the duties of the
organizer are as follows:
a. To arrange for the tournament date and site and notify the Executive Director no later than October 31st.
b. To arrange for a Tournament Director.
c. To set registration fees for the tournament in cooperation with the Executive Director.
d. To send notices of the tournament by December 1 to all League Directors and the NW Chess magazine announcing
the place, date, time of tournament rounds, the Tournament Director, registration fees, and time of any meetings to be held
during the tournament.
e. To shop for trophies as directed by this constitution and the Executive Director.
f. By January 31st, to send names of motels/hotels, eating places, and directions to the tournament site to all
parties on the Executive Director's mailing list and post this list on the Association's website
g. Prior to the tournament, to arrange for name plates of teams participating and for materials to construct the
tournament scoreboard.
h. To set up a registration desk to accept all fees and names of all players by board position.
i. To introduce the Tournament Director and make announcements before the tournament begins, and as needed between
tournament rounds.
j. To award trophies at the conclusion of the tournament.
k. To invite media representatives to the tournament and forward tournament results to them.
l. To prepare recommendations for the following year's tournament and forward them to the Executive Director.
ARTICLE V. MEETINGS
Section 1.
The Association shall meet annually during the State Tournament.
Section 2.
The agenda for the annual meeting shall include:
a. Annual report of the Association given by the Executive Director
b. League reports
c. Tournament
issues
d. Committee reports
e. Tournament Organizer’s report
f. Elections
g. Amendments
to the Constitution
h. The date and potential sites for the following year’s tournament
i. Other items
of interest to the members
Section 3.
The advisor of any chess team affiliated with a league of the Association, or otherwise recognized by the Executive Director,
is allowed one vote and may participate as a voting member even though his/her team is not entered in the tournament.
Section 4.
The dates of the following year’s tournament will be set during the annual meeting.
ARTICLE VI. FEES
Section 1.
Each chess team participating in the annual tournament will pay a fee determined by the Executive Director and the tournament
organizer prior to the tournament.
Section 2.
Any school which has not paid its fee prior to the start of the tournament will be disqualified.
Section 3.
All money is to be expended for the purchase of trophies, the Tournament Director’s fee and mileage, phone and
mailing costs of the Association and tournament organizer, and any other expenditures necessary to the tournament or approved
by a majority of the voting members at the tournament.
ARTICLE VII. TOURNAMENT ELIGIBILITY
Section 1.
a. Varsity Team Eligibility
a1. Players on a Varsity team must attend the high school they represent
or participate in an alternative program sponsored by that high school.
a2. Home-schooled players are eligible to compete on any Varsity team
within their public high school's attendance area.
a3. Players attending a private school without a team are eligible
to compete for their public high school.
a4. Players attending a public high school without a team are eligible
to compete for a private school within the attendance area of their public high school.
a5. A high school's Varsity team may have no more than two players
on it that are only eligible under a2, a3, or a4.
a6. All players on a Varsity team must be in grades 9-12.
b. Junior Varsity Team Eligibility
b1. Players on a Junior Varsity team must attend the high school they
represent, attend a feeder school to that high school or participate in an alternative program sponsored by that high school.
b2. Home-schooled players are eligible to compete on any Junior Varsity
team within their public high school's attendance area.
b3. Players attending a private school without a team are eligible
to compete for their public high school.
b4. Players attending a public high school without a team or attending
a feeder school to that public high school without a team are eligible to compete for a private school within the attendance
area of their public high school
b5. A high school's Junior Varsity team may have no more than two
players on it that are only eligible under b2, b3, or b4.
b6. All players on a Junior Varsity team must be in grades 6-12.
c. Special Eligibility Situations Petition
A primary purpose of OHSCTA is to promote and increase high school
chess team participation. Individual eligibility situations may occasionally arise that should logically be allowed but which
the above rules prohibit or did not envision or adequately cover. Where such a special eligibility situation exists, a coach
may petition the OHSCTA Executive Director for the player's eligibility. The Executive Director may then send on the petition
to the OHSCTA membership for consideration. If no objections are raised by any coach in a week's time, the Executive Director
may declare the player eligible.
Section 2.
Each team must be properly sanctioned by the high school it represents. Upon registration, or at the very latest,
upon arrival at the tournament, each team’s advisor shall present a letter on the high school’s stationery, signed
by the principal or activities director, listing each player’s name and grade, and stating each player’s status--how
s/he is qualified to represent the school under Article VII, Section 1 above. These letters will be available for inspection
by all advisors, and the Board of Officers must resolve any questions or challenges before the team(s) under scrutiny can
continue in the competition. Players declared ineligible by the Board of Officers as the result of a challenge under
this section will forfeit any completed games. An officer whose team is directly impacted by debate under this section
may not vote in the decision about eligibility.
Section 3.
No school may enter more than one team in the “Varsity” division. Each high school is limited to one
team in the Junior Varsity division, and each Junior Varsity team must have at least one high-school player. The name
of the team shall be the same as the high school they represent. The Executive Director may set the same requirement for other
divisions as well.
Section 4.
Each school must be represented by an adult advisor, sanctioned by the school the team represents. A team’s
advisor is responsible for the conduct of each member of the team at all times during the tournament.
Section 5.
Each team will consist of not more than five (5) players and board positions must be established on ability to play with
board #1 representing the best player.
a. Each team will provide a list of its team members when registering for the tournament and the players must be
listed according to board positions they will play during the tournament. Any changes in board position during the tournament
must be approved by the Executive Director before a match begins. Failure to get approval could result in a forfeit
of the board or boards involved.
b. The Tournament Organizer or the Executive Director may demand certification of board alignment. The league
directors may certify the alignment from records kept during league competition.
Section 6.
Players are limited to four years of eligibility to play in the “Varsity” division.
Section 7.
In addition to the “Varsity” and “JV” divisions, the Executive Director may authorize other individual
or team divisions to be held concurrently within the OHSCTA annual tournament, or at other times as s/he deems appropriate
to encourage high school chess.
Section 8.
Advisors attending the tournament have the power to make such judgments as are necessary for conducting the tournament
on matters of eligibility and conduct of players, teams and advisors. A simple majority of the total number of advisors
in attendance shall constitute a quorum with only one vote being allowed for each school represented.
Section 9.
Any team disqualified on the grounds of ineligibility and which has participated in the tournament until ineligibility
was noted will not have its forfeited games counted in either team or tie breaker points.
ARTICLE VIII. TOURNAMENT COMPETITION
Section 1.
The State Tournament shall be held once each year, on a Friday and the following Saturday, no sooner
than February 20 and no later than March 8. The tournament shall, when feasible, follow the tradition of giving the first
opportunity to host to a school in northern Oregon during odd-numbered years, and outside that area during even-numbered
years.
For our organization's purposes, "northern Oregon" shall consist of Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Yamhill, and
Columbia counties.
If no suitable facility is available in the area designated for a given year by September 25th of the preceding year,
the site requirement shall be waived and any facility that wishes to offer itself as a possibility may notify the Executive
Director or his/her designee of a desire to host. By October 10th, the Board of Officers, consisting of the Executive Director,
the Treasurer, and the Secretary, shall consider the applications and designate a site for the tournament, attempting as closely
as possible to meet the requirements listed in this Constitution.
Some sites may find it necessary to charge for the use of their facilities. In that case, all foreseeable costs
must be disclosed when the facility makes its application to host the tournament. The Board of Officers shall examine
these disclosures and determine whether to:
a) Absorb the cost
b) Charge teams more to help defray expenses, or
c) Decline
the site's application based on the projected costs.
Changes in disclosed costs will also be discussed by the Board of Officers, which reserves the right to withdraw hosting
privileges if necessary.
Although the site requirement is flexible, the date requirement shall only be waived in the case of extreme emergency. The
Board of Officers, in cooperation with the Tournament Host, shall determine the degree of emergency and shall attempt to establish
new dates for the tournament as close to the original dates and site as is practicable under the circumstances.
Section 2.
The Association, in an effort to recognize and accommodate the needs of schools of various sizes, will
award a state championship trophy for each of the six OSAA classifications (that is, 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, and 1A.) in both
divisions (Varsity and Junior Varsity).
Additionally, the team winning their respective tournament will be declared the overall State Champion.
a. Five round tournaments will be held for each division using swiss pairings.
b. Rounds 1 and 2 will be paired according to standard
Swiss System protocol, using team average NWSRS ratings as the
basis. In rounds 3, 4, and 5, pairing of teams from schools within
the same (OSAA) classification(s) AND the same score group(s)
will receive highest priority, the lone exception being that if
2 schools from different classifications and from the highest score
group(s) would normally be paired (in the last round) for the OVERALL 1st
Place trophy when using standard Swiss protocol, then that pairing should
receive highest priority.
Section 3.
The Official International Rules of Chess (USCF version) shall be followed at all times unless otherwise stipulated. The
Tournament Director shall be the final arbiter on all matters of interpretation of these rules.
Section 4.
The recording of moves by both players, except in the last five minutes of either player's time, is mandatory unless
the Tournament Director makes an exception.
Section 5.
Chess clocks must be used on all games unless exempted by the Tournament Director.
Section 6.
Teams may compete with fewer than five members, but must fill board one first, then board two, and so on, forfeiting
any unoccupied boards. Boards uncontested by both teams carry no point value when determining the final score of the
match.
Section 7.
The winning player of a game is responsible for filling out the scorecard immediately after it the game is completed.
Failure to report could result in the Tournament Director declaring the game a draw. Drawn games shall be reported by
both players.
Section 8.
One player from each team shall be designated as team captain. The team captain is spokesperson for the team while
a match is in progress. The team captain is responsible for completing the scoresheet by
ensuring that teammates are playing on the correct board, that results of each game is recorded and that the scoresheet is
turned into the tournament director after the conclusion of all games in the match. The scoresheet is to remain visible
at the first board and may be consulted by any of the team members.
Section 9.
An advisor/coach may not communicate with any player whose game is in progress on matters pertaining to that game or
any other game of the team.
Section 10.
Any team found guilty of deliberately “stacking” its boards during the tournament will forfeit all won games
of the team during that match.
Section 11.
During competition the only conversation permitted between two players will be that which is allowed by the International
Rules of Chess. All violations will be reported to the Tournament Director immediately for consideration.
Section 12.
While any game is in progress during a tournament certain conduct by players as well as spectators is considered unacceptable.
All complaints shall be reported to the Tournament Director for his discretion. If any action should persist after one
warning from the Tournament Director to the offenders, the game or games may be forfeited and in the case of spectators, they
may be removed from the tournament room for the duration of the tournament.
a. Property Offenses by Players. Any player who is determined to have entered an area marked or described
as "closed" without permission from an official, or who litters or vandalizes the property of the host school may, upon the
first offense, be warned by the Executive Director or his/her representative. The offending player's coach will be notified
of the warning. If there is a second property offense during the tournament by the same player, the player shall be suspended
from participating in any remaining games or matches. If, in the opinion of the Executive Director, the first offense is of
a severe nature, s/he may move immediately to suspension. Any player who is determined to have stolen from other players or
coaches, or from the host facility, or from the Association or its officers, shall be suspended from competition for the remainder
of the tournament. The Association retains the right to press formal criminal charges if, in the consideration of the Executive
Director, the situation merits such action.
Section 13.
All games forfeited because of conduct problems shall not be counted in arriving at tie breaking points.
Section 14.
OHSCTA CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM
TIE-BREAK SYSTEM
Teams
that are tied in match points for a given place after the last round of the tournament will be subject to the
following tie-break system in order of priority:
1. Head-to-Head—Equal Board
2. Head-to-Head—Weighted Board
3. US Amateur Team System (USCF Rule 34g2)
4. Co-Place Winners
Explanation:
1. Head-to-Head—Equal Board
Where teams have played during the tournament, compare the results using
equal points for the boards: A win on any board equals 1 board point, a draw
on any board=1/2 board point.
2. Head-to-Head—Weighted Board
Where teams are still tied after comparing results of a head-to-head match,
compare the results using weighted points for the boards:
Board 1 win=20, draw=10
Board 2 win=18, draw =9
Board 3 win=16, draw=8
Board 4 win=14, draw=7
Board 5 win=12, draw=6
3. US Amateur Team System (US Am Team)
Where teams are still tied after comparing equal-board and weighted-board
results, or where the teams did not play head-to-head during the tournament,
use the US Am Team System as the tiebreaker.
Each team’s tie break score will be figured by multiplying their
game points (boards) for each round times the final team score of that opponent,
and then summing the results. For example, assume two teams in a given round
both won their matches by a score of 5-0, but one of the two beat a team finishing 4-1 for the tournament while
the other beat a team finishing 2-3 for the tournament. In this case, the first team would earn 20 tie break points (5 times 4) for the round, while the second team would get 10 (5 times 2). This means
that every board in every round counts.
4. Co-Place Winners
In the unlikely event that teams are still tied after step 3, they are proclaimed
co-place winners and receive identical awards.
Situations that can arise:
There are different situations that can arise to consider, based on how
many teams are tied.
Situation
A) Two teams are tied for a place at the end of
the tournament.
Situation
B) Three teams are tied for a place at the end of the
tournament.
Situation
C) Four or more teams are tied for a place at the end
of the tournament.
Details of each situation:
Situation
A) Two teams are tied for a place at the end of the
tournament.
Within this situation, there are two types of scenarios to consider:
A1) Where they didn’t play each other and
A2) Where they did play each other. Each of these scenarios requires a
different approach to apply the above tie-break system. These details follow.
Situation
A1) X didn’t play Y
Move to the third step of the tie-break system and compare results using
US Am Team.
Situation
A2) X played Y
Move to the first step of the tie-break system and compare results using
equal board points, etc.
Situation
B) Three teams are tied for a place at the end of the
tournament.
Within this situation, there are four types of scenarios to consider:
1) Where none played head-to-head during the match, 2) Where there was one head-to-head
match, 3) Where there were two head-to-head matches, 4) Where there were three
head-to-head matches. Each of these scenarios requires a different approach to apply the
tie-break system. These details follow.
Situation
B1) No head-to-head matches were played: X didn’t
play Y, Y didn’t play Z, Z didn’t play X.
Move to the third step of the tie-break system and compare results using
US Am Team.
Situation
B2) One head-to-head match was played: X played Y, Y
didn’t play Z, Z didn’t play X.
Move to step one, etc., to determine relative placement of X & Y,
then use step three to determine relative placement of Z to X & Y.
Situation
B3) Two head-to-head matches were played: X played Y,
Y played Z, Z didn’t play X.
There are six different combinations to consider here, given as a-f below:
Situation
B3a) X beat Y, Y beat Z, Z didn’t play X
Place order: X=1st, Y=2nd, Z=3rd.
Situation
B3b) X beat Y, Y drew Z, Z didn’t play X
Place order: X=1st, Y and Z are still tied and move to step two of the
tie-break system (Head-to-Head—Weighted Board) to determine 2nd and 3rd
place.
Situation
B3c) X beat Y, Y lost to Z, Z didn’t play X
Place order: Y=3rd place. X and Z are still tied and move to step three
of the tie-break system
(US Am Team) to determine 1st and 2nd place.
Situation
B3d) X lost to Y, Y beat Z, Z didn’t play X
Place order: Y=1st place. X and Z are still tied and move to step three
of the tie-break system (US Am Team) to determine 2nd and 3rd place.
Situation
B3e) X drew Y, Y drew Z, Z didn’t play X
Place order: X, Y and Z are still tied. Move to step two, etc., of the
tie-break system to determine 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.
Situation
B3f) X drew Y, Y beat Z, Z didn’t play X
Place order: Z=3rd. X and Y are still tied and move to step two, etc.,
of the tie-break system to determine 1st and 2nd place.
Situation
B4) Three head-to-head matches were played: X played
Y, Y played Z, Z played X.
There are three different combinations to consider here, given as a-c
below:
Situation
B4a) X beat Y, Y beat Z, Z beat X
Move straight to the second step of the tie-break system, this time using
total Head-to-Head
Weighted Board Points, that is the weighted points of all three games
in which the three teams played each other.
Situation
B4b) X drew Y, Y drew Z, Z drew X
Move straight to the second step of the tie-break system, again using
total Head-to-Head Weighted Board Points.
Situation
B4c) Any other Win/Loss/Draw combinations where X played,
Y, Y played Z and Z played X.
Move straight to step one of the tie-break system (Head-to-Head Equal
Board), and etc., moving to step two if two teams are still tied, then to step
3 if necessary.
Situation
C) Four or more teams are tied for a place at the end
of the tournament.
For this rare situation, the solution is to follow the same logic used in Situation
B for three-way ties.
Section 15.
The seeding system for the tournaments will be based on Northwest Scholastic Rating System or other available ratings.
The Executive Director will supply the Tournament Directors with full instructions as to the procedures to determine the appropriate
seeds. These instructions will also be made available to all interested parties at least two weeks before the tournament date.
Section 16.
Time controls for each division and classification will be determined by the Executive Director once it is clear how
many teams are participating in that division. The Executive Director shall establish time controls which, in his/her
opinion, give each player and team the best possible opportunity to conduct the games with the greatest degree of skill, but
which also meet the needs of the Association and its members and hosts. Unless, in the opinion of the Executive Director,
extraordinary circumstances arise, time controls, once established, should remain the same throughout all rounds of
competition.
ARTICLE IX. ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Section 1.
As a general matter of policy, NO electronic devices are to be used during games. All cell phones, handhelds, CD
players, MP-3 players, and the like are to be turned off.
Section 2.
If a player's cell phone rings during their game, that player's advisor/coach will assume custody of the phone until
the player is finished with their game, and the Tournament Director will note the violation.
Section 3.
If, during the remainder of the tournament, there is another violation, the player will forfeit the game being played
when the violation occurs, and will be suspended from the rest of the tournament.
Section 4.
If a player is discovered to be giving or receiving advice regarding a game, involving the use of a cell
phone, pocket computer or other electronic device, the player will forfeit the game played, and that player and any other
player(s) involved will be suspended from the rest of the tournament.
Section 5.
If, before the match begins, a player expresses to the Tournament Director that there is a reason s/he believes it is
necessary to have a cell phone turned on, and the player is willing to leave the phone in his/her advisor's possession (on
“vibrate”) in anticipation of the call, and if all agree that this is appropriate given the circumstances, the
player will be permitted to receive a call during the match without penalty. While taking the call, the player must leave
the playing area, accompanied by the official in charge of the match (to be certain the call has nothing to do with the game)
and the player's clock will continue to run while s/he is dealing with the call. This exception should be employed in
only the most serious of circumstances.
ARTICLE X RECALL OF OFFICERS
Section 1.
Officers of the Association serve at the pleasure of the members. If at any time, a member wishes to begin the
process to recall an officer, s/he may do so by stating this at the annual meeting or by posting it on the general OHSCTA
e-mail site, along with any additional information the member believes supports his/her challenge. Such recall challenges
shall be made only during the school year (September through May, excluding holiday and vacation periods). Appropriate
reasons for recalling officers include, but are not limited to, mishandling or misappropriation of funds, dishonesty, favoritism,
or prejudice related to the exercise of the office, failure or refusal to execute the responsibilities of the office as stated
in this Constitution, or other similarly serious charges.
Section 2.
Persons making such challenges should do so only after consulting with the officer(s) in question, if possible, and with
other members, if appropriate, being certain that the things they allege are, to the best of their knowledge, true, and that
other remedies to solve the problem have been exhausted. A description of these efforts to communicate and address the
problem, and their results, should be part of the initial posting containing the recall proposal.
Section
3.
The officer so challenged has two weeks from the issuance of the challenge to respond to it by stating his/her side of
the issue, or by agreeing to relinquish the office.
Section 4.
After the two weeks of the challenge have expired, if the officer so challenged has not agreed to relinquish the office,
members, including the officer in question, have one week to vote publicly on the OHSCTA e-mail site. If at least half
of the active advisors vote, and if at least two-thirds of the votes cast are in favor of the recall, the officer is recalled.
Section 5.
An officer so challenged but not recalled shall not be subject to another challenge related to the same charge and the
same incident as the one that prompted the original challenge.
Section 6.
No member who unsuccessfully challenged an officer may initiate another challenge to recall that officer for a period
of at least six months, unless it is on a charge of reprisal resulting from the previous attempt at recall.
Section 7.
No officer whether successfully recalled or not, shall impose any penalty, official or not, nor effect any other type of reprisal, on anyone who initiates or supports a recall effort against him or her.
Section 8.
Officers recalled from office retain their rights as members of the Association provided they comply with the needs of
the organization, such as forwarding all materials related to their office on a timely basis to the person who succeeds them
in that office.
ARTICLE XI. AWARDS
Trophies will be awarded at the conclusion of the tournament to the champions of the six classifications in each of the
"Varsity" and "Junior Varsity" divisions. Other trophies may be awarded at the discretion of the Executive Director.
These trophies shall be retained permanently by the winners.
ARTICLE XII. AMENDMENTS
This constitution can be amended at any State Tournament meeting or special meeting called by the Executive Director,
or by mail or e-mail ballot, providing all members have an opportunity to vote, and at least twelve (12) member schools are
present or respond, and the vote is a two-thirds majority of those attending or responding.