Summer Rapid Tournament

Our Summer Rapid tournament was introduced for the 2023-24 season, perhaps a little behind the curve, as the first FIDE rapid chess championship (then called "active chess") was introduced in 1988, with time controls set at 30 minutes per player per game.

Our Rapid tournament follows more closely the format of the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship of 2013, where each player was allowed 25 minutes with an additional 10 seconds after each move. 

This newly favoured type of 'increment' time control is made possible with the introduction of digital clocks, and the 'Rapid chess' format as we now know it has gained in popularity over recent years.  This has led to a huge rise in 1-day tournaments, where it is possible to complete multiple rounds in a single day (typically 5-7 rounds). 

As an ECF rated tournament, all members of Stafford Chess Club are eligible to enter, so long as they meet the minimum ECF registration criteria.

Each section includes a Round Robin (all-play-all) 'qualifier' stage, where the outright winner of each section proceeds straight to the final, leaving the 2nd and 3rd placed players to battle it out in a semi-final. 

The shorter time controls make it possible to play more than one match on a single club night and also make for particularly exciting matches for spectators, as the odd time scramble is inevitable.