Frequently Asked Questions and Suggestions [DRAFT updated 1/27/08]

What is Richter Scale?
The numbers of games before the first loss. Named in honor of Paul Richter.

Where can I find the CalChess Membership list?
Please see http://www.bayareachess.com/entries/calchessmembers.php or http://www.stocktonchess.com/calchessmembership_web.html

Elite Section is an excellent idea. 5-round tournament would be better. Quads could be held on alternate weekends and the players can play in both twice a month without exhausting themselves playing a 4-round Swiss and a Quad on the same day.
Candidly, with my start-up and other community volunteer position, adding another tournament would result in chess equipment and trophies on the curbside I did like the 5-round Swiss but many chess players have full life and have requested evenings quads. Adding an extra round to Swiss would make the quads end around late (after 10 PM) for some players. This is a case where in my judgment the needs of a three rounds of some players outweighed the need for n extra round. We have added a new Elite section to improve the quality of the 4-round Swiss at extra trophy expense since we can't improve quantity without disenfrachising our quads players.

Add more sections for the higher ratings and go back to the 5-round Swiss. Maybe the Quads and the Swiss can be on different weeks.
I did like the 5-round Swiss but many chess players have full life and have requested evenings quads. Adding an extra round to Swiss would make the quads end around late (after 10 PM) for some players. This is a case where in my judgment the needs of a three rounds of some players outweighed the need for n extra round. We have added a new Elite section to improve the quality of the 4-round Swiss at extra trophy expense since we can't improve quantity without disenfrachising our quads players.

Elite section is a great idea for kids to advance themselves better.
Thank you for your feedback!

What is the difference between Swiss and Quads?
In Swiss, players usually play four or five rounds with other players in their section. Generally a player is paired with another player with equal or almost equal points in each round. In Bay Area Chess tournaments, I give trophies to all players with a winning record (more wins than losses) and all participants received a prize. However, most tournaments are not quite as liberal with trophies and prizes. :)
The first round pairings are determined by taking all the players in a section and dividing them in half by rating. This means that the top rated players play the lower ranked. For example, if there are 50 players in the section, player one meets number 26 in round one. It is expected that the top rated players will win, however there is no guarantee and lower rated players and unrated often pull of upsets and gain a lot of points.
In Quads players are placed at a table with three other players close to their rating (and/or age in some cases). I usually avoid placing players from the same school or club in the same Quad. Competitors only play each individual at the table one game--for a total of three games. The winner (including ties) of the four players will get a trophy. There can be even be four trophies at tables but two or three trophy winners are more common. In my Quads all those who do not win a trophy will obtain a chess medal or prize.
I recommend Swiss over Quads for beginners if they lose they will get easier opponents and vice versa. That way hopefully they will get a chance to play others at their level after a few games.