A team will consist of 4 players, but they do not need to be from the same club. You should choose a team name.

Ideally your team should aim for an average grade of between 140 and 144 but to introduce a level playing field there will be:

• Bonus points added to your team’s total score when it has an average grade below 140.
• Penalty points deducted to your team’s total score when it has an average grade above 144.

This is detailed in the following table…

This has in the past made the team event very exciting as the handicap system is a great leveller!

A few examples:

• If the team’s average grade is 144.5 then this is rounded up to 145 which means it is in the 145 to 149 category, and the team will receive a half point penalty from its combined score.
• If the team’s average grade is 109.25, then this is rounded down to 109 which means it is in the 105 to 109 category so it will receive a 3½ point bonus to its combined score!

What this could mean is that a team with an average grade of 102 which scores 10 points (from its 28 games) will receive a bonus of 4 points = 14 points and will come ahead of a team with an average grade of 165 which scores 16 points (from its 24 games) as it will receive a penalty of -2½ points = 13½ points! If two teams come equal first after the adjustments then the team with the average lower grade will be deemed the winners!

Please let Martin Simons (Non-Gambiteer) know your team of 4 either by email or via a message on Lichess by Saturday 5th 2.00 pm at the latest. There will be a prize of £20 for the best performing team made payable to the team captain.