Rules and Regulations

Regulations

Regulations for the World Mind Masters Xiangqi Online Tournament 2009

1. Organizers: World Mind Masters Ltd
2. Tournament Dates:
   　　　Spring Tournament: 02/03/09 to 31/03/09
   
   　　　Other monthly tournaments and prizes to be announced
3. Spring Tournament Prizes:
   1. US$1,000 Prize fund
   2. US$500 and an Argenti sports watch for the Gold Champion,
   3. S$300 and an Argenti sports watch for the Silver Champion,
   4. US$100 each for the two Bronze Champions.
   5. The next six ranked players will each be awarded a Distinction Champion certificate.
4. Registrations: Online registration at World Mind Masters Website
5. Others: All prize winners will be required to provide full personal information including real name and a photo

Board and Card Game Management Centre, General Administration of Sport of China

The Board of Card Game Management Centre, General Administration of Sport of China is the highest administration of board games in China; it is located on the south of Temple of Heaven and covers 9456 square meters. It was founded on March 15 1992.

There are many departments in the Board and Card Games Management Centre, such as the Weiqi department, Xiangqi department, Chess department, International Liaison department, multi-development department and the General Office and Supply department.

The Xiangqi department is mainly in charge of promoting and developing Xiangqi in China and also holding national and international Xiangqi tournaments and various Xiangqi activities among people.

Chinese Xiangqi Association is a collective member of All-China Sports Federation. It is the sole legal organization that represents China in World Xiangqi Federation and Asian Xiangqi Federation. It is also an administrative department that under the leadership of the Board and Card Game Management Centre is responsible for Xiangqi activities in China.

Under the guidance of the Board and Card Management Centre, Chinese players have won many World Championships in Weiqi, Chess and Xiangqi, promoting China to become a leading force in the development of Board Games in the world.

Ratings Explained

How to start:
You start on the basic level - in common with all other players. Each time you win you move up to the next level. Losses do not drive you down or eliminate you. After advancing to the next level you are only matched against other players on that level. As you progress from level to level you are matched against better and better opponents!!

It doesn’t matter if you lose:
When you lose a game, you are not eliminated and you never go down – you can still continue competing for a position on the level above you.

How you win
If the level above you is full then you cannot compete for a position on the next level until that level opens – either by players going up or by your level growing. At the end of the tournament the top four players on the highest level will win cash and prizes.

How you go up or -- down:

Each time you play your rating goes up or down based on the following:

• your current rating
• your opponent’s current rating
• your result (win, draw, lose)
• how many moves were played
• how quickly the moves were made

Your fast track to a higher rating:
If you beat a player with a lower rating, your rating may not improve. But if you beat a player with an equal or higher rating, yours must improve - possibly dramatically (and your opponents will fall). The faster you beat your opponent, the more dramatically your rating will change!

FAQ

1. How do I find a Xiangqi game?
   If you have already registered, simply login and press the ''Play'' button. This will open the Java game console and you will be assigned a suitable opponent. If you have not yet registered you may do so HERE

2. What are the rules of Xiangqi?
   Rules of chess are the legal moves and goals-ending in checkmate - which have determined the common framework of Xiangqi for over 1000 years. Click HERE find more.

3. How do I register?
   You may register by clicking HERE. Please do so only once and use your correct name and a valid email address or we will not be able to contact you or award you any prizes you may win.

4. Why do I get the '' Illegal name!'' message when I register?
   Usernames should be unique and may not contain any illegal characters. Please use only English letters, numbers, underscores or Chinese characters.

5. Why do I get the ''Illegal password'' message when I register?
   Passwords may not contain any illegal characters. Please use only English letters, numbers, underscores or Chinese characters.

6. I forgot my password.
   If you supplied your email address when you registered, you can have your password and username mailed to you.

7. What is annotation?
   Annotation is grandmaster commentary to any game explaining why certain moves were made in preference to alternatives.

   Notation is the way we record the moves in writing. You will see the notation displayed on the right hand side panel as you make your moves on the World Mind Masters website. Notation has for centuries allowed Xiangqi players to preserve their games, knowledge and wisdom in written form.

8. What do I do if I cannot connect to the server?
   Check to see if your Internet connection is OK (For example, browse some web sites). If you are trying to re-connect after being disconnected from the server, try some more times.

9. Help! I can't see the games! (Why can't I review games online?)
   The most likely reason for this is that you do not have a suitable version of Java installed. When you register to play, we attempt to install the latest version of Java for you, but sometimes your security settings prevent this. To install a suitable version manually, please go to the following link: http://java.com/en/download/manual.jsp and follow the instructions.

10. Why sometimes after I make a move, does it take so long for the piece to drop onto the board?
    This is called "lagging". This is because your Internet connection is slow so that it takes a longer time to complete the move for your client and the server.

11. Why do I lose my game by time when I still have time on my clock?
    This is also due to net lagging and can happen even if you still have time on your clock. When the internet is slow, this can occur. It is a good idea to make a few quick moves when it is your turn to move.

12. Why do I lose my game by time after I reconnect from disconnection?
    This is because the server did not know you were disconnected so that it treated you as if you were online all the time. Sometimes it takes minutes for the server to know if you are disconnected.

13. How can I learn to play stronger Xiangqi?
    There are many things you can do, but here are some of the best suggestions:

    1. Play often, and play against opponents who are good enough to beat you at least half of the time. You can do this at www.worldmindmasters.com.
    2. Review games of great players. When reviewing a game, before you look at the next move, try to guess what the GM played.
    3. Read books. The greatest Xiangqi players of all time have written clear and precise guides for playing strong chess.
    4. Study endings. "The endgame is to chess what putting is to golf."
    5. After every game you review or play, try to determine the specific move where the loser went wrong.
    6. Attend local Xiangqi tournaments. There is something about the atmosphere of a tournament, when prizes and glory are on the line that brings out the best in players of all levels.
    7. Try to practise against a computer program -you can experiment with new openings and strategies before trying them out in the World Xiangqi Masters championship against human opponents.

14. I have a question not on this page.
    We'd be happy to help you! Please send your question to webmaster@worldmindmasters.com.