Standardplay v Rapidplay

[Alex Holowczak]

For the purposes of ECF grading, where is the boundary between standardplay and rapidplay (and blitz for that matter)? I seem to remember 15 or 60 minutes being the cutoff, but I'm not sure whether 60 is 30 for both sides, or 60 for both sides. How do incremental time controls affect this?

[Peter Brace]

I think rapidplay games are now less than 60 minutes and that previously 60 minute games were allowed.

[Peter Brace]

I just checked the FIDE rules and found this...

'A ‘Rapidplay’ game is one where either all the moves must be made in a fixed time of at least 15 minutes but
less than 60 minutes for each player; or the time allotted + 60 times any increment is at least 15 minutes, but
less than 60 minutes for each player.'

'A ‘blitz’ game is one where all the moves must be made in a fixed time of less than 15 minutes for each player;
or the allotted time + 60 times any increment is less than 15 minutes for each player.'

Hope that helps you.

[Alex Holowczak]

Thanks.

[Ian Thompson]

For the purposes of ECF grading, where is the boundary between standardplay and rapidplay (and blitz for that matter)? I seem to remember 15 or 60 minutes being the cutoff, but I'm not sure whether 60 is 30 for both sides, or 60 for both sides. How do incremental time controls affect this?

You could have looked here http://www.englishchess.org.uk/index.ph ... &Itemid=12 (second paragraph), but its probably fortunate that you didn't because I was told last weekend that the information it gives is wrong. A game of exactly 60 minutes is now graded as standard play, not rapidplay, to bring the grading time limits into line with the FIDE playing rules time limits. Blitz games are not eligible for grading. For incremental games you work out how long a player would have for 60 moves.

[John Upham]

The Surrey Border League has G61 (rather than G60) as one of its time controls due to the ECF / FIDE disagreement!

[Ian Thompson]

For the purposes of ECF grading, where is the boundary between standardplay and rapidplay (and blitz for that matter)? I seem to remember 15 or 60 minutes being the cutoff, but I'm not sure whether 60 is 30 for both sides, or 60 for both sides. How do incremental time controls affect this?

You could have looked here http://www.englishchess.org.uk/index.ph ... &Itemid=12 (second paragraph), but its probably fortunate that you didn't because I was told last weekend that the information it gives is wrong. A game of exactly 60 minutes is now graded as standard play, not rapidplay, to bring the grading time limits into line with the FIDE playing rules time limits. Blitz games are not eligible for grading. For incremental games you work out how long a player would have for 60 moves.

The "I was told last weekend" (now 2 weeks ago) came from a senior ECF official who I assumed knew what he was talking about (particularly as he maintained his position when we showed him the statement on the ECF website). I was surprised to read Item 4 from an SCCU Executive Committee meeting report (http://www.sccu.ndo.co.uk/sccu.htm) which says that nothing has changed. Can someone from the Grading team give a definitive statement on what the grading rules are for a game with all moves in exactly 60 minutes?

[Kevin Thurlow]

("It's Rapidplay, but we'll grade it as Standard if you like.") is a wonderful comment from (http://www.sccu.ndo.co.uk/sccu.htm). Shouldn't grading rules apply to junior events? I have even heard of one junior league where the games are graded even when clocks aren't used!

[Richard Haddrell]

("It's Rapidplay, but we'll grade it as Standard if you like.") is a wonderful comment from (http://www.sccu.ndo.co.uk/sccu.htm). Shouldn't grading rules apply to junior events? I have even heard of one junior league where the games are graded even when clocks aren't used!

This isn’t about juniors. My version of the ECF rule - yes, I perpetrated it - was an admittedly lighthearted paraphrase, but it was close enough to the truth. The actual wording is: “If the rate of play is the maximum for Rapidplay then it may, by agreement with the Manager of Grading and Rating, be graded as Standardplay.” That is taken from the 2009 printed Grading List but it has been the rule, with minor changes of wording, for I don’t know how many years. It has always been quoted in the online list as well, though for some reason it’s omitted this year. Offhand I can only think of two events (both are serious and longstanding junior championships) that take advantage of it.

If people are submitting a league that is played without clocks, they are breaking the rules. The ECF does not sanction this.

Richard Haddrell
Grading Administrator, ECF