The Lockisseum: Rules and Etiquette

1. General Conduct

These are the rules for conduct of challenge play within the Lockisseum.

1.1 Challenges

1. The precise rules for challenges and/or participation in a championship are specific to the championship, however all challenges and/or participation is to be discussed in the Proving Ground (the Lockisseum chat game).

2. Unless otherwise specified, a Qualifying match is used for deciding who may participate in a match to determine the champion.

3. Unless otherwise specified, a Championship match is used to determine the champion of the championship being contested.

4. Friendlies and Unfriendlies are not used for any championship play and may not affect the standings in any competition.

5. Having issued a challenge, it must be accepted by your opponent and the ruleset agreed before a new game forum is created.

6. It is recommended that a referee by nominated also, but this is optional unless otherwise stated by the rules of the specific Championship.

7. A single player may only be involved in one Championship game at a time for each Championship which that player participates in, unless specifically allowed otherwise in the rules for that Championship.

1.2 Play

1. Timely reponses to moves are encouraged, but what counts as 'timely' obviously depends heavily on which ruleset is in use and the precise nature of the championship.

2. The minimum duration before a timeout can be claimed against your opponent is one full week.

3. If an opponent reports difficulties keeping up with a game, players may agree to suspend the game until a more auspicious date.

4. The procedure is that a player posts an appeal for a timeout.

5. When a referee sees the appeal, a timeout will be awarded shortly thereafter - giving the opponent a last chance to make a move before being penalised.

6. If a player is able to respond before a referee responds to the timeout request, then the timeout has been averted.

7. Two consecutive timeouts from the same player causes the game to be forfeited.

8. After a timeout has been awarded, it is the other player's turn to move; Passing is permissible if the advantaged player does not wish to disturb the game state.

9. A game is not considered won until the beaten opponent agrees; to accept a defeat, the move 'Concede' must be played by the losing side.

2. The Lock Cup Ladder

The Lock Cup Ladder is the ranking system for possession of the Lock Cup, a trophy donated by Dr Lock and named for the Camden Lock web server where the late lamented Delphi playing space existed.

2.1 Challenges

1. The standard rules for challenges as described above are in force for the Lock Cup.

2.2 Rankings

1. In order to achieve ranking on the Ladder a player must win a Qualifying game against someone else, not necessarily on the Ladder.

2. The current champion is not considered to be on the ladder. The top ranked player on the ladder has a rank of 1, the second playe has a rank of 2, and so on.

3. If neither Player in a Qualifying match is ranked on the Ladder, the winner will be added as the lowest of the Ranked players.

4. If a Player challenges someone of higher rank and loses, then there is no effect on the rankings.

5. If a Played challenges someone of higher rank and wins, then the rankings are changed as follows:

   1. if the losing player is above fifth rank and the winning player is unranked, then the losing player is moved to fifth rank and all players above fifth rank and the player's former position are moved up one place accordingly. There are no such adjustments if the winning player is already ranked or if the loser is already at fifth place or below.

   2. the winning player takes the losing player's position on the ladder, with all players between the old position and the new moved down one place accordingly.

   3. if the challenge was for the championship, and the losing player was the former champion, then that player is given a new rank of fifth.

6. You may only challenge for the Lock Cup if you are Ranked and in the top four positions.

2.3 Playing

1. The standard rules of play are in force as described above for the Lock Cup.