Location: University of Warwick, Westwood Teaching Centre, Kirby Corner Rd, Coventry CV4 8EJ
The University of Warwick 7th Rapidplay is an official ECF and FIDE rated chess tournament located on Warwick University, taking place on Saturday 1st of March 2025. It is open to all - students and members of the public alike. The tournament follows the Swiss system and has a total of 7 rounds with a time control of 15+5 for each game, i.e. 15 minutes each with a 5 second bonus added to your clock every time you make a move. FIDE Rules of Chess apply. The 5th University of Warwick Rapiplay won the prestigious ECF Congress of the Year 2023.
This page contains information on Entry, Timetable, Prizes, Rules, Information for non-students, Getting to the venue and Tickets.
Entry
Entry fee is £12 for regular entrants and £8 for Warwick Chess Society members. GM, WGM, IM, and WIM will be exempt from paying the entry fee. Entries close on the 28th of February 2025.
Please contact us via email to warwickunichess@gmail.com if you have one of the titles listed above. If you are unable to buy a ticket due to capacity, please email us, and you will be added to a waiting list.
We have 3 sections: Minor (U1500), Major (U1850), and the Open.
You must be an English Chess Federation member GOLD or above to enter, otherwise you will have to pay a £15 surcharge BEFORE you may play. This can be obtained on the ECF website: Membership rates & joining details – English Chess Federation.
University students who were not members of the ECF prior can get free gold membership for one year.
You can find your membership status and FIDE ID number here: ECF Rating System
If you do not have a FIDE ID, submit the form without it. Your ID will be created when the tournament results are submitted to FIDE. Be aware that in this case you will be registered as English on your FIDE profile. This will likely require a fee if you wish to change it in the future.
To enter, please purchase a 'ticket' (entry fee) through this page and complete the entry form which you will see after clicking 'Proceed'. Instructions on how to do this for non-students can be found at the bottom of this page. If you have any technical issues with the ticketing system please email us at warwickunichess@gmail.com. Unfortunately we are unable to accept entries on the day. If you have purchased a ticket, AND cannot find your name on the entries list within 24 hours, please let us know by email.
Timetable
Round 1 - 10:40am
Round 2 - 12:00pm
Round 3 - 1:00pm
Round 4 - 2:00pm
Round 5 - 3:00pm
Round 6 - 4:00pm
Round 7 - 5:00pm
Prizegiving - 6:30pm
There will be an analysis room with chess sets provided. Food and drinks can be purchased from the nearby Cannon Park, which has a Tesco Superstore and an assortment of other retailers. Up to 2 half point byes may be requested before the tournament (except in the final round). Contact: David Cebolla Ruiz (Tournaments Director) warwickunichess@gmail.com.
Prizes
The Prizes are as follows.
Everyone born from 2007 onwards is eligible for the under 18 prize. To qualify for the Warwick prize, a player must be a current student at University of Warwick that will graduate in 2025 or later.
There will be no tiebreak system for cash prizes. Prize money from ties will be split equally. However, FIDE tiebreakers will be used in case of a tie for the U18 and Warwick prizes, in the order: Buchholz, Sonneborn-Berger, and Direct encounter.
Prizes are not cumulative, if a player wins multiple prizes, they will be awarded in the following order: ranking, U18, and Warwick.
Players receiving prize money will be invited to leave bank details with the arbiter at the end of the prizegiving.
Warwick Chess will be in touch to confirm prize money and bank transfer.
Rules
The usual rules of chess apply. Please keep all electronic devices switched off and either in a bag or on the table in front of you. In the event that a device makes a noise or is discovered upon a person during a round, the player will be forfeited their game. In all disputes, the arbiter's decision is final.
A player's grade for the tournament will be determined by using the first grade they have in the list below, and according to the February 2025 rating lists.
ECF rapdiplay grade, FIDE rapidplay grade, ECF standardplay grade, FIDE standardplay grade.
If a player has none of the above, they must provide a rough estimation of strength. The organiser and arbiters reserve the right to move players between sections as they see fit. The chief arbiter may expel any player who shows dissent by word or action to any other player, arbiter or person on the campus.
The organisers accept no responsibility for any loss, theft or accident during the tournament. Animals are not allowed in the playing rooms.
Tournament Director: David Cebolla Ruiz.
Chief Arbiter: Chun Chiu.
Arbiters: Jorel Ali, Sam Foster.
Instructions for non-students:
If you are from outside of the univeristy, here you can find how to register for the Warwick Rapidplay.
If you find any instructions unclear, please contact us at warwickunichess@gmail.com and we will be happy to answer questions for you.
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Creating a Warwick SU account:
Visit: https://www.warwicksu.com/account/register/guest/ and register a guest account. You must validate your account by clicking the link that was sent to you. Remember to check your Junk folder if you do not see the email.
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Log in to your new account:
Visit: https://www.warwicksu.com/login/ and log in as a guest at the bottom of the page.
3. Register for the Warwick Rapidplay:
Visit University of Warwick 7th Rapidplay (warwicksu.com) (This website) and add the appropriate ticket.
Then once at the basket, confirm that you have purchased the correct ticket and press "Proceed to Checkout"
Then fill out the form with your details and complete the checkout.
DOB is required to help with submitting FIDE ratings.
The ECF Rating Code is NOT the ECF Member ID that starts with 'ME'.
ECF Rating is your most recent rapidplay rating. If this is not available, use FIDE Rapdiplay.
Getting to the venue
Travel Directions to the University (warwick.ac.uk) is the official website with detailed instructions on all forms of transport.
A select summary is provided below.
Note that the venue is not in central campus, it is the Westwood teaching centre, in Westwood campus.
1. Car.
You can reach the venue using the address CV4 8EJ on your satnav, or following signs to the University of Warwick or Westwood Campus.
Directions to the cark park are shown by the red arrows. Then follow the dark green path to reach the playing venue, which has been circled.
Due to recent changes, parking at the university will now cost £2. Parking tickets have switched to the APOCA App car park system, but our parking stewards will be able to take change and setup the payment for you if you do not wish to download the app and do it yourself.
2. Bus.
To reach campus from Coventry, please take the 11 (To Leamington Spa), 12X or 14.
To reach campus from Leamington Spa, please take the 11 (To Coventry), U1A (To Warwick Uni) or U2 (To Warwick Uni).
These buses will stop at the 'Lynchgate road' or 'Westwood campus' bus stops - indicated with an L and a W in the map below - and from there follow the dark blue arrows to reach the playing venue, which is circled.
3. Train
Book trains to either Leamington Spa, Coventry Railway Station, or Canley Train Station.
From Coventry Railway station, take either the 11 (To Leamington Spa) or 12X (To Uni of Warwick or Canley) buses to reach the bus stops indicated above.
From Leamington Spa station, take the 11 to get to the bus stops indicated above. From Canley train station, the venue is a 25 minute walk away, or you can also take the 11 bus to the bus stops indicated in the map.
Then, follow the dark blue arrows.
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