Friends Bowl Rules

Players are first put into numbered bands according to their grading with the highest graded players in band 1 and lower graded players in bands 2 and upwards. Then the handicap when two players meet is determined from the following table according to the difference between the players’ bands.

0 – no handicap, first named player in the draw has white
1 – colour, player in the higher band number has white
2 – 2 moves, player in the higher band number has white and makes two moves instead of one to start the game
3 – f pawn and move, player in the higher band number has white, remove f7 pawn
4 – f pawn and 2 moves, remove f7 pawn, player in the higher band number has white and makes two moves instead of one to start the game
5 – knight, remove b1 knight, player in the lower band number has white
6 – rook, remove a1 rook, player in the lower band number has white
7 – queen, remove d1 queen, player in the lower band number has white
8 – queen and knight, remove b1 knight, remove d1 queen, player in the lower band number has white
9 – queen and rook, remove a1 rook, remove d1 queen, player in the lower band number has white

Time control: all moves in 60 minutes with a 10 second increment.

Games are not gradeable. Recording is not required.

FIDE laws apply apart from handicap related (i.e. initial position and possible double first moves). In cases 6 and 9 white may castle queenside provided the king has not moved, none of c1, d1, e1 are under attack and a1 through d1 are vacant.

This is a knockout competition. Players not completing their matches before the deadline are eliminated. In the case of a draw a rematch with the same handicap is played with 30 minutes for the game with no increment. In the case of 0 handicap colour alternates.