Pyramid Event

   Norbert Fogarasi (CAN), after nearly 1.5 years as pyramid leader, has 
      been defeated by Ivan Kul (BUL), who becomes the 5th person to hold top 
      place in the pyramid. Congratulations to Ivan, and farewell to Norbert, 
      who has resigned from the pyramid.

Your Pyramid TD's are:

• Senior TD Peter Richard
• Asst. TD Guðbrandur Jónsson

To request a match:

To participate in a Pyramid Challenge send an e-mail to
and include:

• Your full name
  
• Your e-mail address
  
• Your IECC rating, if known
  
• Pyramid level
  
• Pyramid position #
  
• Player to challenge
  

Please choose a 2nd and/or 3rd choice to challenge in case your first choice has already been challenged.

Check the Pyramid Standings to see your standing and to challenge fellow pyramid members.

Rules:

To participate in the Pyramid, players must be registered members of the IECC. Registration in the IECC, and participation in all of its events, is FREE! For registration information, please see the IECC Guidelines.

The Pyramid is a two-game-at-a-time event. All participants should be prepared to play two games at the same time.

When corresponding with the TD for any reason, please include your Pyramid position number if you have one.

Challenges are issued through the TD. Do not send your challenge directly to the player whom you are challenging as the TD must verify that the challenge conforms to the rules before it is issued. For this reason, players are requested to disregard any challenges that are not sent from the TD.

To issue a challenge, you need only provide the TD with the name and Pyramid position number of the player you wish to challenge.

1. Players may only challenge somebody who is above them on the same level, or who is on one of the nine levels immediately above them. For example, a player on Level 20 can challenge anybody above him on Level 20, or anybody on Levels 11 through 19 inclusive. Therefore, the #1 player may only be challenged by somebody on Level 10 or above.

2. Players may only challenge somebody who does NOT already have a lower-ranked opponent. Look in the "OPPONENTS" column in the player list to determine this. Anyone with a "Dxxx" may not be challenged.

3. The Pyramid changes frequently, so it is advisable to choose alternatives, as your first choice may no longer be available by the time the TD gets your challenge. If you wish, you may leave the choice of your challengee and/or alternates to the TD.

1. Players may play two games at a time, provided that one is as a challenger against a higher-ranked opponent and the other is as a defender against a lower-ranked opponent. Under NO circumstances may anybody play two games as a challenger or two games as a defender. Therefore, the #1 player and the bottom-most player are limited to one game at a time.

   Note: It is possible that your opponent may be moved in the Pyramid during your game as a result of his other game. If this occurs, your game will continue as though your opponent was in his new position when your game started. Rule 2 ensures that your opponent can never move past you in the Pyramid, in either direction, while your game is in progress. So if you win as a challenger you will always move up, but you may end up higher than where you thought you would be when your game began. If you lose as a defender you will always move down, but you may end up lower than where you thought you would be when your game began.

2. If a player wishes to be temporarily marked unavailable for challenge, please notify the TD. The maximum period of absence is limited to 3 months. No further extensions will be granted. If the player is still unavailable after the nominated period then that position will be freed to allow active players the opportunity to occupy a higher place on the Pyramid Ladder. The non-available player will be placed on the bottom of the Pyramid Ladder. The player will be removed from the Pyramid if he does not issue or accept a challenge within 12 months from that date.

3. The higher-ranked player loses his place in the Pyramid if he does not respond to a challenge within 10 calendar days. If no response is received by the 5th day after issuing the challenge, the TD will send a 'Reminder Notice' to the higher-ranked player. This allows for the situation where the challenge was never received because of technical problems, or in case the player did respond but the response was never received because of technical problems. The higher-ranked player will have 5 calendar days to respond to that notice. If there is still no response, the game will be awarded to the Challenger and the higher-ranked player will be marked as unavailable for a further 10 days in which time the TD will issue a 'Give Reasons' letter asking the player to explain his actions. The player will be removed from the Pyramid if no response to that final notice is received. A notice may be forwarded to the IECC executive for possible further disciplinary action.

4. Players are expected to accept any challenge they receive, otherwise they will switch positions with the challenger as though they had accepted the challenge and lost. However, for certain valid reasons a player may decline a challenge without penalty. Immediate rematch challenges may always be declined without penalty.

   The following are NOT valid reasons for declining:
   
   

   • you do not want to risk possibly being moved to a lower position

   • you feel the rating difference between yourself and the player challenging you is too great (you are expected to defend your position from ALL legitimate challengers, regardless of rating)

   • you are already playing a Pyramid game as a challenger, and you do not wish to play a second game (players are expected to be able to play two games at a time)

     The validity of a reason for declining will be considered on an individual basis. Any player who declines a challenge for a valid reason will automatically be marked unavailable for challenge.

5. The challenger plays white.

6. If the challenger wins, the players switch positions in the Pyramid.

7. If the game ends in a draw the players do not switch positions.

8. Any game (once accepted and declared to have commenced) where the challenger has made the initial move, or both players have made at least one move, and play then ceases, that match will be forfeited against the non-responding player, and rated accordingly.

9. In all cases, players may not play two consecutive Pyramid games against the same opponent. Before these "rematches" are allowed players must have completed at least one Pyramid game as a challenger against a different opponent.

10. The slowest permissible rate of play is the same as for the other IECC events - 10 moves in 30 days. Faster is better. Anyone who does not keep up to this rate of play risks forfeiting the game.

11. System troubles may cause delays. Reasonable, but infrequent, technical-failure delays are tolerated WITH explanation to the TD. If the IECC loses contact with a member, that player will be removed from the Pyramid.

12. Please report any problems or complaints with a Pyramid game to the TD.

13. When the game is completed, the winner, or the White in the event of a draw, must send a game report in PGN format to

14. All Pyramid games are rated by the IECC.

15. New players join the Pyramid at the lowest level, or, at the discretion of the TD, may fill a vacancy if one is available. The TD may also "promote" players to fill vacancies.