Entry Handout
Date and Time:
Division A: 1 to 2 April 2023 (Saturday and Sunday), 09:30 - 20:00 on both days.
Division B: 1 April 2023 (Saturday), 10:00 - 18:00.
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.
Venue:
1 April 2023: 5/F & 6/F, Spark City Cheung Sha Wan, 124-126 Castle Peak Road, Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon
2 April 2023: Hughes Room, 1/F, Foreign Correspondents’ Club, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, Hong Kong
Eligibility: HKSPA individual members with Hong Kong representation statuses defined under the Hong Kong Player Statuses Regulation (i.e. Hong Kong permanent residents) may play in the tournament.
Division arrangement: There are two divisions:
- Division A
- Division B (for players with HKSPA Ratings below 1500)
The peak rating, including provisional ratings, from 1 January 2021 to the deadline of application will be used to determine the division of the player.
Division A of the Championship will serve as the Qualifier for the WESPA Championship (WESPAC) 2023. Players will be invited to represent Hong Kong in the WESPAC 2023 after the tournament. Players with a higher standing will have priority over those with a lower one. For details, please refer to our web page on WESPAC 2023 Qualification Mechanism.
Players with peak ratings below 1500 can choose to play in Division A or B, but players with peak ratings above or equal to 1500 must play in Division A. 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. All applications will be carefully considered to ensure smooth running of the tournament. Please note that players playing in Division B are not eligible for the WESPAC 2023 Qualification Mechanism.
Both division of the tournament will be HKSPA-rated.
Format: Each players has 25 minutes to play each round. 5 points unsubstantiated challenge penalty for both divisions. Collins Official Scrabble Words 2019 (CSW19) and WESPA rules version 4 are applicable to all divisions. Gibsonisation rules apply where appropriate. The following format is subject to change at the discretion of the organiser.
Division A
18 games, 8 to 10 games per day.
- Game 1 to 3: Init Fontes Swiss - Players will be categorized into 4 groups by their HKSPA ratings immediately prior to the tournament. Sub-divisions will be formed by selecting one player from each group to form a sub-division of 4 players. These 4 players will play a single Round Robin. If the total number of players is not divisible by 4 (due to players’ absence), there will be a group containing all the remaining players. They will play partial round robin and opponents / bye will be arranged by random.
- Game 4 to 6: Australian Swiss Draw (sometimes lagged) without repeat
- Game 7 to 12: Australian Swiss Draw (sometimes lagged) with one repeat allowed
- Game 13 to 16: Australian Swiss Draw (sometimes lagged) with two repeats allowed
- Game 17 to 18: King-of-the-Hill (KOTH)
Division B
6 games, first 5 games Swiss Draw (first game random draw, sometimes lagged subsequently), last game KOTH
Prizes:
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 1/1/2005) – medal
Best Under-16 Player (born on or after 1/1/2007) – medal
Best Under-14 Player (born on or after 1/1/2009) – medal
(Players may receive more than one award, e.g. the Best Under-16 Player might as well be the Best Under-18 Player. The award will only be set up if there are more than one eligible player from the age group)
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 1/1/2005) – medal
Best Under-16 Player (born on or after 1/1/2007) – medal
Best Under-14 Player (born on or after 1/1/2009) – medal
Best Under-12 Player (born on or after 1/1/2011) – medal
Best Under-10 Player (born on or after 1/1/2013) – medal
(Players may receive more than one award, e.g. the Best Under-16 Player might as well be the Best Under-18 Player. The award will only be set up if there are more than one eligible player from the age group)
School Awards
Best Player from a School – medal
(Applicable for school with at least three players in Division B)
Based on the results of both divisions:
High Word – medal
High Game – medal
Certificate of Participation will be given to participants at the end of the tournament free of charge on request during the application.
Players may request to issue Certificate of Award if they are an award-winner. A certificate fee will be charged per certificate issued (one award title per certificate). Players may request for such certificates after the prize presentation ceremony and pay the certificate fee of HK$20 per certificate by cash on the spot. The certificate will be sent to the player by ordinary mail.
Entry Fee: To play in the tournament, one must be an HKSPA member. 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 the tournament day. The entry fee for the tournament is as follow:
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time primary and secondary students | HK$150 | HK$80 |
| Other Hong Kong residents | HK$200 | HK$100 |
Players in Division A are also required to pay a HK$50 deposit on the first tournament day. The deposit will be refunded to the players on the second tournament day in form of partial settlement of their meal fee.
Lunch is not included. Players are free to consume their lunch at nearby catering premises on Day 1, but they should have their lunch inside the club premises and should not bring outside food or drinks to the venue on Day 2. Players are expected to bring sufficient cash for their lunch on both days.
Enrollment: All HKSPA individual members with Hong Kong representation statuses defined under the Hong Kong Player Statuses Regulation may play in the tournament. To enroll in the tournament, click the link below:
Entries are normally accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. The deadline of enrollment is 17 March 2023. The organiser reserves the rights to refuse entry or make changes to the division arrangement. Enrollment is also subject to quota.
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.
Verification Policy: To confirm your eligibility to different age- or school-restricted prizes, we will verify your identity prior to the start of the tournament.
Please show us your Hong Kong Identity Card, Birth Certificate or Passport so that we can verify your age and name. Please also show us your Student Handbook (with school chop on your photo) or Student ID Card to show the school you are studying in.
You must present us the original of the above documents. We will check your documents in the registration counter. They will be returned to you immediately after inspection. If you cannot show us the document before the first game begins, you will NOT be allowed to play even if you know the committee members personally. Players who forget to bring the original could show us a photo of the required document(s) for verification with an administrative fee of HK$50.
Enquiry: Please direct all queries to info@hkscrabble.org.