(adopted by the ACA Board as of May 2007, revised January 2009, revised November 2012, revised February 2022)
1. No more than six players will contest the Alberta Closed Championship. They include the defending champion, the winners of the three qualifying tournaments (Alberta Open, Northern Alberta Open, Southern Alberta Open), and two from the rating list.
a) All players must satisfy the criteria specified in rules (5) and (7).
b) In case of a tie for first at a qualifying tournament, the qualifier will be determined by applying the Alberta tie-breaking system:
1) Head to head (if all those tied played each other).
2) Buchholz (Sum of all scores of opponents).
3) Buchholz cut 1 (Sum of all scores of opponents except the lowest point scorer).
4) Sonneborn-Berger (Sum of all scores of opponents you won against and half the scores of opponents you drew).
5) Most wins.
6) Most games with black.
c) In case of a tie for first between an Albertan and a non-Albertan, only the Albertan player(s) will be considered in the tiebreak.
2. The Alberta Closed Chess Championship shall be a single round robin tournament. The ACA shall determine the dates. The maximum number of rounds per day shall not exceed two. Round times will be determined by the organizer. If there is a tie for first, the Alberta tie-breaking system will be applied to determine the Alberta Champion and the recipient of travel funding with cash awards split equally:
1) Head to head (if all those tied played each other).
2) Sonneborn-Berger (Sum of all scores of opponents you won against and half the scores of opponents you drew.)
3) Koya system (Total points scored against opponents who scored at least 50%).
4) Most wins.
5) Most games with black
3. The Alberta Closed Chess Championship will alternate between Edmonton and Calgary on a yearly basis.
4. There is no entry fee unless the Organizer decides to charge one. Prize distribution is decided by the Organizer. The Alberta Champion earns the right to represent Alberta at the next Canadian Closed in the current year if held. The ACA will provide travel support if possible.
5. All players who intend to participate in the Alberta Closed Chess Championship (including those who may be selected by rating) must register in writing to the ACA, to be received by the date determined by the Organizer. Each candidate must produce, where necessary, proof that they meet all the eligibility criteria.
6. Vacant positions in the Closed will be filled by the highest rated players who have registered in accordance with rule 5. The rating used to determine the qualification to the AB Closed Championship will be the highest CFC rating in the calendar year (from January 1st) up to the date of choosing the recipient which is determined by the organizer.
7. All players must:
a) be residents of Alberta for six months preceding the Closed
b) have obtained 1.0 participation points in the twelve months preceding the Closed, as follows:
i) each player receives 1 point for playing in a qualifying tournament
ii) each player receives 0.5 points for playing in any other CFC rated tournament in Alberta
iii) The Alberta Closed does NOT count for participation points. Matches do not count. The Battle of Alberta counts for 0.5 participation points.