IHSA

IHSA Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - 2007-08

Chess Team Advisory Committee

March 19, 2008

The IHSA Chess Advisory meeting was held at the IHSA Office in Bloomington, Illinois, on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Committee members present were: Chairman Mike Zacate, Mike Neenan of Carol Stream (Glenbard North), Don Porzio of Aurora (Illinois Math and Science Academy), Bryan Devine of Peoria (Woodruff), Ted Cipicchio of Highland (H.S.), Mike Lootens of Stanford (Olympia), Steve Parsons of Chicago (Lane), and Dick Stewart of Quincy (Sr.). Scott Johnson, IHSA Assistant Executive Director, was also in attendance.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS RECOMMENDATIONS

The committee recommended the following changes to the Terms and Conditions:

1. Recommendation: Section V-B-6. Add a section stating that if only one team remains in the highest score group entering the final round, it will be paired with the highest-seeded team that it is in the next pair group and that it has not already played.

Rationale: When pairing the final match in the seventh round, the pairing program sometimes puts too much emphasis on color alternation when both teams have played black three times and white three times. This change assures that the final match will be between the highest scoring team and the highest-seeded team in the next score group.

approved

2. Recommendation: Section VIII-F. Change the number of team tie-break points subtracted for a minor violation to one and for a major violation to up to five.

Rationale: When changes were make to tie-break calculations, no adjustments were made to penalities involving tie-breaks. The current levels have been recognized as being too severe and in need of adjustment in step with the new method of calculating tie-breaks.

approved

3.         Recommendation: Section VIII-I-3. Clarify the penalties for a cell phone going off or being used in the playing area.
                        Players' cell phone in use: minor violation and possible forfeiture of game.
                        Players' cell phone vibrating or ringing: minor violation.
                        Coaches' cell phone ringing or in use: minor violation. (But no violation for a phone vibrating.)

Rationale: Defines specific penalties for coaches and adds a tie-break penalty in a addition to forfeiture for a player using a cell phone in the hall.

approved

4. Recommendation: Section VIII-F-5. Add a recommendation that team members wear apparel or patches that display the school name.

Rationale: Being able to indentify team members helps stewards determine which players are on which team and whether they belong in a particular area around the table.

approved

5. Recommendation: Section X-A. Award plaques to all teams with six wins (out of seven rounds) that do not receive one of the three trophies.

Rationale: In a typical tournament, one team finishes 7-0 and four to six other teams finish 6-1. This tie for second is broken by an elaborate tie-breaker system. Unfortunately, the system is imperfect, and the other teams that finish 6-1 often have a strong claim for recognition (and frequently have beaten one of the 6-1 teams that won a trophy). The recommendation would result in the addition of about three plaques per tournament.

Most sports award some sort of plaque to about 20% of the teams entered. Chess has no regional or sectional stage, so out of 120 or so teams entered, the three trophies are the only team recognition awarded by the IHSA. Even after adding three plaques per year, chess will still fall far short of the recognition available in other sports and activities.

approved

6. Recommendation: Section X-B-2. Change the criteria for individual awards on Boards 2 to 8 to any player who scores at least six points.

Rationale: The change would allow for limited additional recognition on Boards 2 to 8. If the rule had been in place in 2007, it would have resulted in 23 additional medals (59 instead of 36).

approved

RULE CHANGE RECOMMENDATIONS

The committee recommended the following changes to the Chess Rule Book (new language is underlined, deleted language is stricken):

None.

ADMINISTRATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS

The committee authorized the formation of a subcomittee to work with Chris Merli to determine the parameters to be used to make WinTD formulate better pairings. Chris has already written a proposal that would force WinTD to work harder to find a pairing within a score group and be less worried about matching colors.

The committee approved changes to the wording and layout of the Communications Card that were developed by Don Porzio. The committee also approved printing a sample of the card in the Chess Manual.

The committee recommended that rectangular tables be used in the skittles area. Scott pointed out that the use of circular tables was a necessity because of the limited space available for skittles in 2007, and that the skittles area would return to rectangular tables next year.

The committee recommended that a few power strips be available in the coaches area for those who wish to use their laptops while passing the time. The committee asked Scott to explore the possibility of setting up wireless access in the coaches' area.

The committee recommended that the stewards are informaed that they have power to penalize a spectator-player for improper decorum after a warning.

The committee recommended that the following information be placed on the outside of the packet hat each school receives at check-in:

the cell phone penalties
a reminder that someone from the team must be able to set any clock used by the team
a reminder that a school representative (player or coach) must sign the scoresheet when it is turned in at the end of each round

The committee recommended that when a team is assessed a penalty, the chief steward should attach a note to the next round's scoresheet informing the coach of the penalty and asking him or her to report to the Tournament Office.

The committee recommended that the Tournament Manager strictly enforce the rule that a team must use the same number of players in every round as it did in the first round (except in cases of sickness or emergency). A few instances have occurred where parents removed their children after the first day of competition in order to attend some other event, resulting in forfeits on a high board.

DISCUSSION ITEMS

The meeting adjourned after setting the next meeting date for March 25, 2009.