Rules of the main match
Each game of the over-the-board confrontation is worth 1 point for a win, 0.5 points for a draw and 0 points for a loss. The online tournament is worth 1.5 points. A team is hence declared winner if it gains 5 points or more.
What are the rules of the OTB tournament?
The Over-The-Board (OTB) tournament follows FIDE rules of chess and will be refereed by an official FIDE referee.
What is the time control?
The time control is 90 minutes for the whole game with an increment of 30 seconds per move.
Rules of the Online tournament
If you're a beginner, don't be intimidated by all of those rules. Once you join the tournament, everything should work out automatically when it's game time. Just enjoy the game!
Nonetheless, here are some details about the tournament:
How does the tournament work?
At the beginning of the tournament, players are paired based on their rating. The time control is 3 minutes for each player, with an increment of 2 seconds per move. As soon as you finish a game, return to the tournament lobby: you will then automatically be paired with a player close to your ranking. This ensures minimum wait time, however you may not face all other players in the tournament. Play fast and return to the lobby to play more games and win more points.
How are scores calculated?
A win has a base score of 2 points, a draw 1 point, and a loss is worth no points.
What is Arena Berserk?
When a player clicks the Berserk button at the beginning of the game, they lose half of their clock time, but the win is worth one extra tournament point. Going Berserk in time controls with an increment also cancels the increment (1+2 is an exception, it gives 1+0). Berserk is not available for games with zero initial time (0+1, 0+2). Berserk only grants an extra point if you play at least 7 moves in the game.
Other important rules
There is a countdown for your first move. Failing to make a move within this time will forfeit the game to your opponent. Drawing the game within the first 10 moves will earn neither player any points. Draw streaks: When a player has consecutive draws in an arena, only the first draw will result in a point, or draws lasting more than 30 moves. The draw streak can only be broken by a win, not a loss or a draw.
When does it end?
The tournament has a countdown clock of an hour and a half. When it reaches zero, the tournament rankings are frozen, and the winner is announced. Games in progress must be finished, however they don't count for the tournament.
How is the winner decided?
The best 20 players of each team add up their points for a team total. Whatever team has the most points will win the online game of the Polychamps. Furthermore, an individual ranking is provided. The best player(s) of each team at the conclusion of the tournament's set time limit will be awarded with a prize. If two or more players have the same number of points, the tournament performance is the tie break.