Electronic Device Policy for Chess Club Rated games 

1. Participants (upon starting their game) and spectators (where permitted) at tournaments directly organized by the Santa Barbara County Chess Club must not have on their person in the playing area any cell phone, smart watch, tablet, laptop, or other Internet-enabled device, except the following.

1.1. Electronic scoresheets approved by the organizers before the tournament.

2. If a player with a game in progress is found to possess such a device, the game will be declared lost for the violating player, and the game will be submitted for rating purposes. A second such violation during the tournament will result in the same penalties, as well as removal from the tournament.

3. If a spectator is found to have such a device on their person, the offender will not be permitted to enter the playing hall for the remainder of the tournament.

4. If a player wishes to bring such a device into the tournament hall, the device must be turned off (not placed into “silent” or “airplane” mode) and placed either face-up on the table where the player has a game in progress, or placed into a bag that the player does not carry or open during the game in progress.

5.1. The Chess Club understands that players may not want to risk losing their devices. The recommended solution is to not bring them into the hall at all.

5.2. The Chess Club is not responsible for devices left in the playing hall.