Are Players Obligated to Play All Rounds?

On chessmaine.net the discussion has arisen that addresses whether or not high rated players in particular are obligated to play all rounds especially if they happen to be upset early in the tournament. I understand that it would be nice if all players stayed throughout the duration of a tournament. If a TD believes that it could cause some difficulties, then the tournament flier should include penalties for those who withdraw that follow USCF rules.

I believe that players who pay an entry fee have the right to withdraw at anytime. As a TD I want to encourage high rated players to play. It is difficult for them to have to play in Opens that include all shapes and sizes of ratings; there is not much to gain by playing lower rated opposition all the time.

In Maine we need to encourage those with high ratings to play. We also need them to play our young guns who have lower ratings. The best way to encourage participation will be better purses, and this will only happen if we can find sponsors. It takes effort and will be difficult. I hope that we can find a way to tap into the increasing interest that is happening in Maine to find sponsors. It can happen.

Chessmaine.net has rekindled interest in the game with the constant publicity on the web. The next step is to tap into more mainstream media outlets. Newspaper contacts are important. The weekly posting of the chess club results in the Ellsworth American has drawn more people; more publicity in the Bangor Daily couldn't hurt.

In the end players should try to be respectful and make decisions that don't harm future tournaments, while tournament organizers should encourage players to participate by trying to raise purses, hold tournaments in player-friendly venues, and using and applying computers correctly in carrying out pairings.