arlen:
Sorry, Bob, but you landed on a corn of mine.
There’s no reason any tournament needs to be rated. We had a city club here where the venue was terrific, provided by the city at no cost. The city paid staff to organize events and instruction. But the club couldn’t hold rated events, because it was against city ordinances to require membership in a private organization in order to participate in an event subsidized in any way by the city. (Those aware of civil rights history will have no trouble understanding the origin and necessity of such a statute, BTW.) Hence, no way to require USCF membership. We got around it for years by simply not requiring memberships, and using club funds to pay for those who weren’t members, relying on peer pressure to get club members to join, etc. (If this is considered heretical, consider also that the person running this was a FIDE regional VP, an NTD, and even the author of the USCF rulebook lo, these many editions ago, and one of the club regulars invented the rating system.)
But we also ran unrated events. It may sound heretical, but you don’t need a rating system to have competitions, you don’t even need USCF members. Chess competitions existed before the USCF, they will exist after it fades from memory.
So Harry, don’t feel bad about the City Championship not being rated. Just feel good about playing chess and competing for the city title. I’m pulling for you.
Thank you Arlen, I lost the first game on time ( they lowered to G/60) and I do not think I could have found a win. But!!! the player I was playing said he had considered offering a draw( said he was sweating it somewhat) at one point. With his rating well over 1800, I must have played a fair game.