Information

General Information

Date, time and venue:

Division A
Date: 13 to 14 April 2019
Time: 9:30 – 20:00 (Registration starts at 9:00 on 13 April)
Venue: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Division B
Date: 13 April 2019
Time: 10:30 – 18:30 (Registration starts at 10:00)
Venue: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

An hour lunch break and a short tea break (for Division A only) will be arranged. The finishing time of the tournament may vary subject to the actual tournament schedule.

Eligibility: All HKSPA individual members (and non-members with free quotas) with Hong Kong representation statuses defined under the Hong Kong Player Statuses Regulation are eligible.

Format:
There are two divisions:

• Division A (for players with HKSPA Ratings 1500 or above)
• Division B (for players with HKSPA Ratings below 1500)

The peak rating, including provisional ratings, from 1 January 2019 to the deadline of application will be used to determine the division of the player.

Subject to the Association’s discretion, players with peak ratings below 1500 can choose to play in Division A provided that they can show, to the Association’s satisfaction, their competence in competing in the Division, best supported by previous local and/or overseas tournament experiences. A player who wants to play up a division should indicate his or her intention to do so and provide justification for the Association’s consideration in the online application form.

Division A:
18 games, first 16 games Swiss Draw (first 2 games random draw, lagged in game 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14 and 15, one repeat allowed), last 2 games King-of-the-Hill (KOTH)

5 points unsubstantiated challenge penalty, 25 minutes per player, WESPA rules version 3, Gibsonisation rules apply

This Division is both WESPA-rated (pending WESPA’s approval) and HKSPA-rated.

Division B:
6 games, first 5 games Swiss Draw (first 2 games random draw, lagged in game 3 and 5), last game KOTH

Free challenge, 25 minutes per player, WESPA rules version 3

This Division is HKSPA-rated.

Dictionary: Collins Official Scrabble Words 2015 (CSW15)

Prizes:
For Division A:
Champion – the title of “Hong Kong Scrabble Champion” + the Lion Rock Trophy + plaque
1st Runner-up – medal
2nd Runner-up – medal
3rd Runner-up – medal

Individual Youth Awards
Best Under-18 Player (born on or after 1/1/2001) – medal
Best Under-16 Player (born on or after 1/1/2003) – medal
Best Under-14 Player (born on or after 1/1/2005) – medal
Best Under-12 Player (born on or after 1/1/2007) – medal
(Players may receive more than one award, e.g. the Best Under-16 Player might as well be the Best Under-18 Player)

School Awards
Best Player from a School – medal
(Results will be collated for the top 3 finishers from each school; those with fewer than three players in Division A are not eligible)

For Division B:
Winner – medal
1st Runner-up – medal
2nd Runner-up – medal
3rd Runner-up – medal

Individual Youth Awards
Best Under-18 Player (born on or after 1/1/2001) – medal
Best Under-16 Player (born on or after 1/1/2003) – medal
Best Under-14 Player (born on or after 1/1/2005) – medal
Best Under-12 Player (born on or after 1/1/2007) – medal
(Players may receive more than one award, e.g. the Best Under-16 Player might as well be the Best Under-18 Player)

School Awards
Best Player from a School – medal
(Results will be collated for the top 3 finishers from each school; those with fewer than three players in Division B are not eligible)

Based on the results of both divisions:
High Word – medal
High Game – medal

School Awards
Most Supportive School – trophy
(for schools sending 10 or more players to the tournament)

Best Player from a School will be awarded in Division A and B separately. A school must have at least 3 players in a division to be eligible for the award of “Best Player from a School” in that division.

Certificates of participation will be given to participants on request.

Entry fee:
To play in the tournament, one must be an HKSPA member (except for a non-member with free quota). Players can join HKSPA Individual Membership before the tournament by filling in the online application form in advance and paying the membership fee (HK$60 for full-time students; HK$150 for others) on or before 13 April 2019.

Entry fee (not including membership fee):

Free quota:
The best player from each HKSPA school member in the Inter-School Scrabble Championship 2019 can join the National for free. (It is free to join HKSPA School Membership)

How to enter:
Please fill in an online application form to enter the Championship. The deadline of application is 29 March 2019.

There will be an overall quota of around 60 participants in total. The organiser reserves the right to refuse entries. Generally, players who are playing for Division A have a higher priority than those for Division B. For players in Division B, entries are accepted on a first-come-first-served basis.

Applications after the deadline will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances. A late charge of $20 should apply in addition to the original entry fee. Late entrants are not allowed to compete in any school award.

Remarks:

Players are required to bring their HKID Card (passport or birth certificate if they do not have a HKID Card) for verification purposes. For students, they should also bring their Student ID Card (student handbook if they do not have a Student ID Card). Players who fail to bring the required documents may not be allowed to play / being charged administrative fee.

Mattel boards, tiles and racks will be used throughout the whole Championship.