Refunding Entry Fees to Withdrawn Players

[Nick Burrows]

Yes that's right Lawrence. He quickly amended it in a second email.

[Michael Flatt]

I am pleased to see that the organisers of Northumbria Chess Masters are clarifying their position on Refunds as given in the Notice appearing above. I don't know whether this is a change of heart or simply better communication of their original offer to players who had withdrawn prior to the event. Nevertheless, it is very a generous offer.

I've tried to find a report of the event on the Forest Hall Chess Club website but can only find the Entry Form, Congress Announcement and first round photos, I had expected to find a link to the results which appear on the chess-results.com website, but didn't!

Results: http://chess-results.com/tnr330966.aspx?lan=1
Photos: http://foresthallchess.org.uk/northumbr ... rs-photos/

It is a considerable undertaking to set up and run such an event so I offer congratulations to the organisers for the success of their first event and wish them further success in their plans for next year.

[A.Kluckova]

-your assertion that English congresses in general don’t offer entry fee refunds as a matter of principle is complete nonsense-

It was not my assertion, it was an assertion of Newcastle Masters Congress Director. I have withdrawn my daughter only once for the last five years, in 2017 from the British Chess Championship - main tournament , but it was in Welsh. I got the refund the next day. I wanted to know only, if some special rules for withdraw policy are applied in England, so it was the reason I asked M.Flatt about information.

I also got an email today.

I would refer you to my email earlier today.
There was no provision on the entry form for refunds, and therefore you should expect that if you enter a tournament, you pay the entry fee and play, or lose the entry fee.
I am aware of your post on a chess forum, and have no intention of responding to it.
( so Newcastle's explanation what it means , if you have not no provision on the entry form for refunds)

My daughter was entered just 5 days , from the 23rd till the 28th of January, for me too less to spend immediatelly all her entry fees. If administrative costs are 10 pounds, so this organizer can not find no 50 pounds to cover this need. I think, this tournament is at the end. No another one the next year or with the bigger dept. Simple economic analysis. Organizer who can not have 50 pounds, can not be organizer of the Masters chess congress.

[Michael Flatt]

Conditions of Entry for the British Championship are published on its website and although the 2018 event appears not to mention Refunds, the 2016 conditions include:

4) Every effort is made to place entrants in the tournament of their choice but the right is reserved to transfer an entry to another appropriate section. The right is reserved to refuse any entry. The Federation may deduct an administration fee from any refund to players who withdraw.

5) A player withdrawing during any event without good cause will be liable to pay a full entry fee at any future event organised by the Federation and/or a bond returnable on satisfactory conduct during such events.

6) A player wishing to resume in a tournament after missing a round for any reason must inform the Principal Arbiter for his section of this intention BEFORE the pairings are published for that round. The Congress Manager and/or the Chief Arbiter reserve the right to ask the player to provide a bond which will be returned should the player compete in all subsequent rounds.

The ECF, the administrator of the British Championship, is listed as a major sponsor of the Northumbria Masters and it is, therefore, not unreasonable for competitors to rely its reputation and practice of making refunds when forced to withdraw.

It is, of course, entirely up to the organisers of a particular competition to specify their own refund policy, but where it deviates from that of its major sponsor it needs to be stated in their Entry Form.

The question then arises "should the ECF allow itself to be identified as a major sponsor of a competition for which it has no part in organising?"

The reputation of the ECF can be sullied by association with disputes of this kind.

Reference
2016 conditions: http://www.britishchesschampionships.co ... formation/