Official Announcement: Direct Entry 5th Webserver Anniversary Tournament (DE5A)

Wednesday, November 24, 2010: The ICCF World Tournament Director, the Non-Title Tournaments Commissioner and the Direct Entry Commissioner are very proud to announce that the 2010 ICCF Congress approved the organization of the Direct Entry 5th Webserver Anniversary Tournament (DE5A) in order to celebrate the first 5 years of the Direct Entry (DE) programme, which started on April 5th, 2006.

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - DE5A

    
     The ICCF World Tournament Director, Frank Geider, the Non-Title Tournaments Commissioner, Valer-Eugen Demian, and the Direct Entry Commissioner, Jean-Christophe Chazalette, are very proud to announce that the 2010 ICCF Congress approved the organization of the Direct Entry 5th Webserver Anniversary Tournament (DE5A) in order to celebrate the first 5 years of the Direct Entry (DE) programme, which started on April 5th, 2006.

     Originally, a direct entry facility via credit card was decided in the 1999 ICCF Congress in Thun (Switzerland) to support the Email Tournament Office. This facility went on throughout the years for Email Tournaments, on a limited basis (71 entries in 2001). The creation of an ICCF dedicated WebServer including a comprehensive direct entry process was decided at the 2004 ICCF Congress in Mumbai (India) as well as the fact that the Direct Entry facilities should not be mandatory for all National Federations, but be offered on a voluntary basis, from April 1st, 2005. The Executive Board nominated Dr. Michael Millstone to be the Direct Entry Coordinator at the 2005 ICCF Congress in Villa La Angostura (Argentina). The WebServer Direct Entry program then started to operate on April 5th, 2006.

     The main purpose of the DE5A is therefore to reward Member Federations and players for their support of this program. Tournament Organizer will be the current ICCF DE Commissioner, Jean-Christophe Chazalette, with the help of SM Dr. Michael Millstone, International Arbiter, ICCF Secretary General and former DE Commissioner.

     Organized in 3 stages, the tournament will be concluded by a final directed by Dr. Michael Millstone.

1.    Players:

Only players affiliated with a Member Federation accepting the Direct Entry programme are eligible to participate (Brazil, Germany, Iceland, Japan and Sweden are not currently participating in the DE programme but can do so at any moment ; their players are not eligible until then).

Players from countries without Member Federation (Wales, Moldova, etc) are naturally welcome, since the Direct Entry scheme was also created as an answer to their situation.

2.    Event Planning:

• The tournament is using DE exclusive, notably for payments and prizes.
• The start date for registration is December 15th, 2010 via the ICCF Webserver. The appropriate link will be shown on the New events page by then. It will be closed on March 1st, 2011.
• The Preliminary stage will start on April 5th, 2011 – the DE Anniversary date – and end on July 5th, 2012 (playing period 15 months)
• Arrangements for semifinal and final stages would be announced later on, depending on the total number of qualifiers.

3.    Time Control, Rating and Title Norms

The event will be rated, with title norms possible. Time control would be set at 10 moves/30 days with conditional moves available.

4.    Entries 

• The entry fee will be 8,10 € (ICCF Direct Entry lowest fee) per entry DIRECT ENTRY ONLY (no entry via NF) , payable in Euro only, as decided by the 2010 ICCF Congress.
• Newcomers to ICCF belonging to DE Member Federations, as well as ICCF and FIDE titled players belonging to DE Member Federations, will benefit of 1 free entry (other entries paying). Newcomers are players without an ICCF ID, or players with an ICCF ID but who never entered one single tournament, not even an unrated FM.
• Multiple entries would be possible for the Preliminary stage, without limitation.

5.    Qualifications 

• The Preliminary groups will have 7-11 players, depending on number of entries.
• The winners of each group will qualify for Semifinal stage.
• Any tie breaking will be done in accordance with ICCF rules and below provision.
• No player would be able to qualify for more than 2 semifinal groups or for more than 1 place in the final.
• Unfinished games by July 5th, 2012 are called in for adjudication. The adjudicator’s decision is final, without appeal.

6.    Prizes

Preliminary groups:
All 1st place winners will be awarded 1 free entry in any Direct Entry tournament of their choice (valid for 1 year) and a qualification to the Semifinals stage (limit 2 qualifications per player).

Semifinals:
All 1st place winners will be awarded 3 free entries in any Direct Entry tournament of their choice (valid for 2 years) and a qualification to the Final (limit 1 qualification per player).

Final: 

• The winner will be awarded the DE 5th Anniversary Tournament trophy, the equivalent of 7 % of the entry fees collected for the event and 200,00 € granted by the ICCF (payable through Paypal).
• The Second place will be paid 5 % of the fees collected for the event, plus 150,00 € granted by the ICCF (payable through Paypal).
• The Third place will paid 3 % of the fees collected for the event, plus 100,00 € granted by the ICCF (payable through Paypal).

AMICI SUMUS!