West of England Chess Union (WECU) Champion & Qualifying Place for the 2025 British Chess Championship

The highest placed player in the Open section who meets at least one of the following criteria will be the West of England Chess Union (WECU) Champion:

• Birth in that county (a WECU County).
• Five years residence in that county at any time (a WECU County).
• Two months immediate previous and present membership of a club either in or affiliated to that county (a WECU County).
• One month immediately previous and present residence in that county (a WECU County).
• Present attendance as a teacher or a student at a school, college or university in that county (a WECU County).

In addition, by meeting the above criteria, the highest placed player in the Open section will be offered the WECU qualifying place for the 2025 British Chess Championship and will have their entry fee to that tournament paid up to a maximum value of £310 by the WECU providing:

• They are not an GM, IM, WGM or WIM (and therefore automatically qualified with a free place).
• They meet the British Chess Championships qualifying entitlement as contained within its Qualification Regulations 2025 .

If they do not meet the above criteria or the place is declined, then the WECU qualifying place will be offered to the next eligible player.

If two or more WECU players have the same highest score, then the following tiebreak rules will be applied to determine the British Chess Championship Qualifying Place in this order:

• The results between the individual players will be considered but only if they have all played each other with wins counting in favour and losses against a player.
• The player or players with the higher ‘sum of progressive score’.
• If two or more players are still tied then the player with the higher “sum of opponents’ ratings” based upon their 4 highest rated opponents.
• If two or more players are still tied then the player with the higher ‘sum of opponents’ scores’.

Should the winner of the WECU qualifying place choose to defer their entry by one year (as permitted within the British Chess Championship Qualification Regulations 2025), the place will be funded by WECU at the winner’s 2025 entry fee rate.

The tournament organiser’s decision regarding the British Chess Championship Qualifying Place will be final.

 

Rating used for Pairings, Determining Section

Where a player has an Original March 2025 ECF Standard A or K rating this will be used for pairing, determining the eligibility to play in a given section, rating prize eligibility and British Championship Qualification tie-breaks.

In the absence of an ECF Standard A or K rating, a combination of the following will be used to determine a rating that will be used for pairings, section eligibility,  and British Championship Qualification tie-breaks: ECF Standard P rating, ECF Rapid Ratings, FIDE ratings, online ratings and any other relevant information that is available. Players without ECF Standard A or K ratings should provide evidence of their playing strength. The organisers’ decision on the appropriate rating will be final.

The right is reserved to assign players to specific tournaments.