Contents: [European and Worldwide Open Shogi Championships] [European Open Blitz Shogi Championship] [Shogi Elo Ratings]
	EUROPEAN SHOGI CHAMPIONSHIP/WORLDWIDE OPEN SHOGI CHAMPIONSHIP

• The Worldwide Open Championship (WOSC) is open to everyone and is contested over 9 rounds (3 on Friday 23 August, 4 on Saturday 24 August, 2 on Sunday 25 August; check out the complete programme for details).
• The European Shogi Championship (ESC) is an integral part of the WOSC and will be contested by the best 32 European nationals or residents (according to the official July 1, 2002 FESA Elo ratings list of players that have played at least one FESA-rated game in the preceding two years) that are present at the start of the ESC. It only involves a predetermined pairing of these best 32 Europeans for the first 5 rounds of the WOSC. As soon as an ESC participant loses one game during any of first 3 rounds, he will no longer be subject to the predetermined pairing, but will continue to participate in the WOSC (retaining points obtained in the ESC). During round 5, the winners of ESC round 4 play the ESC final, the losers play for third place. During rounds 6-9 all players participate in the WOSC.
• If there are less than 32 Europeans (nationals and residents) present at the beginning of round 1, that round is employed to reduce the number of ESC players to 16. In that case, during round 1 the highest rated players get an ESC bye and participate in round 1 of the WOSC.
• A fully predetermined knock-out pairings system (round 1: 1 vs 32, 2 vs 31, etc.) based on Elo ratings will be used for the ESC.
  An accelerated Swiss pairing system (round 1: 1 vs N/2+1, 2 vs N/2+2, etc.) based on Elo ratings will be used for the WOSC.
  Cases of force majeure excepted, players must play all rounds from the first round they participate in.
• In order to participate in the ESC/WOSC, a player must register for for participation no later than 16:30 on Thursday 22 August 2000.
• A player can enter the WOSC until the beginning of round 4 (Saturday 24 August 9:30), but he is still required to register by Thursday 22 August 16:30 and to indicate at that time from which round onwards he will participate. Late entries receive 0 or 1 McMahon-like points as follows:
  

  Strength Entry after round (Elo-based) 1 2 3 ------------ - - - Top group 0 1 1 Middle group 0 0 1 Bottom group 0 0 0

  
  To determine what strength group a latecomer belongs to all players that participate in round 1 of the ESC/WOSC are divided in three groups of equal size (ranked by Elo rating) and the latecomer is assigned a group (and receives the corresponding points) on the basis of his own Elo rating.

EUROPEAN OPEN BLITZ SHOGI CHAMPIONSHIP

• The European Open Blitz Shogi Championship is open to everyone and is contested over 7 rounds on Thursday 22 August 19:00 - 22:30 (see complete programme).
• An accelerated Swiss pairing system (round 1: 1 vs N/2+1, 2 vs N/2+2, etc.) based on Elo ratings will be employed. Time limits: 8 minutes per player, with a 4 minutes replay in case of a draw. There is no byoyomi!

SHOGI ELO RATINGS

• Elo ratings are important as they are used: 1) to select the ESC participants, 2) to assign points to WOSC latecomers, and 3) in carrying out the pairings of the ESC and WOSC.
• Elo ratings for ESC/WOSC 2002 purposes are determined in the following order:
  • Known Pan-Atlantic (USSF/FESA) Elo ratings are used when available.
  • If a player has a European or American club kyu/dan-grade, it will be converted to a Pan-Atlantic midpoint Elo rating.
  • If a player has a Shogi Dojo (SD) rating, this rating is converted to a Pan-Atlantic equivalence rating (PA) using the following formula: PA = 870 + 0.7 SD (possibly adjusted during the tournament at the arbiters' discretion).
  • Based on the player's own claim of his grade, converted to a Pan-Atlantic midpoint Elo rating (possibly adjusted during the tournament at the arbiters' discretion).
  • The tournament arbiters try to assess the player's strength in any other way they deem meaningful (possibly adjusted during the tournament at the arbiters' discretion).