What is the standard for class prizes? Let’s say you have an open
section with a class prize for best under 1800. If the best under
1800 wins second place, does he get second place PLUS the class prize?
This may never come up, but I’m just wondering what everyone
thinks. My opinion is that in the interest of fairness, the said under
1800 should get both prizes.
Standard is that a player can only win one prize. It should be the largest prize a player is eligible for.
If there are multiple players in a tie (say 2 experts, an A and 2 B players tying for third in a tournament with 3 overall prizes and 2 per class under 2000) then each player can bring one prize into the pool to be divided (3rd overall - maybe $120, 1st A - maybe $70, and both B prizes - maybe $70 and $30, in the preceding example). As long as no player would get a larger prize by not becoming part of the pool then the division is even. In the previous example, that would be $58 each, but since the sole A would make $70 with only the A prize he would be excluded. That would leave the other 4 players getting $55 each, and since the two B-players would only get $50 each by splitting the B prizes, they remain lumped in with the two experts.
If there are monetary and non-monetary prizes then the non-monetary prize may go to a play who earned a different monetary prize. For instance if 3rd is $100 and top B is $25 and a trophy then the B player could get the $100 3rd place and the trophy, assuming the organizer allows this split rather than requiring the trophy to follow the top B money.
You should take a look at the USCF rulebook section 32 on page 181. Each player is awarded the best (and only one) prize for which they are eligible.
Also there is a difference between a Class B prize and an U1800 prize. With a Class B prize the winner is limited to those rated 1600-1799, while the U1800 prize goes to the best score U1800 - even if that is by a 1500. I prefer Under prizes. With Class prizes you can get the anomaly of somebody higher rated than you with the same or worse score receiving a bigger prize than you! And that doesn’t seem fair. With Under prizes, it is also wise to make them a decreasing sequence so that it is trivially obvious which prize someone should receive. So maybe U2000 $100, U1800 $95, U1600 $90, etc.
I should also mention that some special non-placing prizes such as best game are generally not considered part of the one prize per person and can be awarded in addition to a place prize. Somebody could win the prize for clear first overall plus the best game prize plus the best sac prize plus the sportsmanship prize plus the farthest attendee prize plus a raffle prize plus the etcetera prize.