Southend 2023

Welcome

Thank you for your entry to the Southend Easter Chess Festival!

You have reached the landing page of the Festival website. This page is exclusively for entrants to the Festival. It is not linked to the main site navigation, so please bookmark this page so that you can return here when you wish.

You can find here details of the Festival schedule and other information that you might like to know.

Travel

Venue: Southend Adult Community College, Ambleside Drive, Southend SS1 2UN.

By road: Venue map below. There is a large free car park on site.

By rail: 200 yards from Southend East station, c2c line

Map link: Congress venue

Accommodation

Accommodation near Southend East station

Congress Schedule

Rapid

1 day, 6 rounds. G25+5
Thursday 6th April – Round 1 10.30 am, finish by 6.00 pm.

7-Round sections

Friday 7th April	Round 1 at 11am, Round 2 at 4pm
Saturday 8th April	Round 3 at 11am, Round 4 at 4pm
Sunday 9th April	Round 5 at 11am, Round 6 at 4pm
Monday 10th April	Final Round 7 at 11am

Time controls

Rapid G25+5
All moves in 25 minutes plus 5 seconds increment per move.

All 7-Round sections G90+30
All moves in 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move.

NB In accordance with the FIDE Laws of Chess, when an increment is 30 seconds or more, all moves must be recorded, even if your time remaining goes below 5 minutes.

Ratings

For all sections players’ ratings in lists at 1 April 2023 will be used. If you have entered a rating-limited section and, after publication of the April lists, are no longer eligible for the section you have entered, you may be moved. If this happens to you and you do not wish to play in the higher section, entry fees will be refunded in full should you then wish to withdraw.

The FIDE Open and the FIDE U1900 results will be submitted for FIDE rating. All sections, including the Open and U1900, will be submitted for ECF rating.

Prizes

The Prize Fund for the Congress is a guaranteed minimum of £3,000. This minimum Prize Fund may be increased depending on Finances.

Where ties occur, prize money will be shared. Ties for any trophies will be resolved by the Sum of Progressive Scores and, if necessary, the Sum of Opponents’ Scores.

SCCU Individual Championship 2022-23 will be awarded to the highest placed eligible competitor in the Southend FIDE Open. The winner(s) will receive the Trophy and £100 cash prize. In the event of a tie, there is no tie-break, the trophy and the cash prize will be shared.

Prizes per section

Rapid

FIDE Rapid, 3 sections
Open/U1700/U1400
Minimum prizes for each section: 1st £90, 2nd £45, 3rd £15.

7-Round sections

FIDE Open
Minimum: 1st £485, 2nd £325, 3rd £160, Rating £110.

FIDE Under 1900
Minimum: 1st £340, 2nd £225, 3rd £110, Rating £75.

ECF, 2 Sections
Minimum prizes U1600 and U1300:
1st £160, 2nd £110, 3rd £55, Rating £35

NB These minima may be increased as finances allow.

David Wood Junior Prize

In addition to other prizes the sum of £75 will be provided by the David Wood Memorial Trust, for the best performances by Essex Juniors (Under 18 on 31 Aug 2022). For the avoidance of doubt, this prize is NOT included in the Guaranteed Prize Fund.

Prize Giving

Prizes will be distributed by Bank transfer. There will be no Prize Giving ceremony. Players in the prize list will be asked to provide their bank details.

Giant Chess

Giant Chess is John Chapman, Ian Hunnable and Norman Went, a not-for-profit unincorporated association of individuals formed specifically for running the Southend Easter Chess Congress. All three have been involved with running the Congress since 2015 and John Chapman was involved as the Congress Scecretary with the previous organisers and founders, Southend Chess Club.

Giant Chess was formed in 2019 by Constitution.