Tournament Day Links
Maps: Campus Map – – Grammar Building Floor Plan
Pairings, wall charts, and standings: all sections
Reminder Email: scholastic
**please note – because section counts are variable due to registrations and withdrawals, locations may change due to size constraints**
Registration is now closed. NO onsite registrations. NO EXCEPTIONS! USCF rated chess tournament, April 2nd, in multiple RATED scholastic sections: K-1 U300, K-3 U300, K-3 U600, K-5 U600, K-5 U1100, 6-12 U600, 6-12 U1100, and K-12 Any. View the preregistration list here. Pairings will be posted only online. Please note: all scholastic players rated 1600 and over must play in one of the Open sections.
Basics
This is a Swiss-system tournament, so everyone plays all day—there is no “elimination.” Players must know how to play the game of chess! We follow USCF rules including: touch-move, mandatory clocks if available, and notation. K-3 and younger sections are excused from taking notation. Please review the Parent/Coach Responsibilities before registering!
Location
Regents School of Austin
3230 Travis Country Circle
Austin, Texas 78735
Parents may wait in the Events Center or outside. Chess play will take place in classrooms.
Review a map of campus.
Eligibility
This is a rated tournament. You must have a USCF ID and your membership (can be purchased/renewed at check out or online with the USCF in advance of registration) . You can verify your USCF membership ID and expiration by visiting the USCF’s Member Services Area. Anyone can become a USCF member. Players new to tournament chess are welcome to play. Your USCF membership cannot expire before April 30, 2022. USCF memberships can be renewed/purchased at check-out. (JTPs ok in K-3 and K-1 sections only. New players in 3rd grade and below may request a non-member ID as a part of USCF’s Junior Tournament Player Program during registration)
“Under” sections are only for students meeting the rating criteria. All players who are new to tournaments are eligible for their age appropriate ‘under’ section. (Look up your player’s rating here. Please email the registrar or ask your chess coach for placement information.
If your 6th grader attends an Elementary School, please contact the registrar for options. With enough registrations, any section may be divided into two sections, or small similar sections may be combined.
Please note: April ‘Regular’ OTB ratings will be used for pairing purposes. If no regular rating is available, then other April USCF ratings (quick, blitz, online) can and will be considered for section placement.
All players in this event must be in 12th grade (or lower).
Schedule
No check-in necessary for preregistrations. We will make every attempt to contact you in advance if we see a problem with your registration. Verify your entry ONLINE!
8:30 a.m Announcements begin in all scholastic playing rooms.
Players and coaches should be present.
9:00 a.m. Rd 1 begins. Scholastic sections have 5 rds, G/30, d5.
9:00 a.m. Open sections begin. Open has 4 rounds, all rounds are are G/45, d5.
9:15 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Problem desk open. No changes for round 1 (bye or section) allowed after online registration closes. Requests for byes, withdrawals, and player or school information edits go in effect immediately if made via email before the close of online registration. Changes requested onsite go into effect as of round 2. NO Onsite registrations.
Approximate Round Times
Scholastic Sections:
round 1 – 9:00am, rd 2 – 11:00am, rd 3 – 12:45 pm, rd 4 – 2:30 pm
rd 5 – 4:00 pm
Notes
There will be some “down time” between rounds since many games will finish early. We will provide an area (outside the tournament room) for casual “skittles” chess and/or other indoor activities. Parents and/or coaches, please provide age-appropriate activities during the time between rounds. The organizers cannot baby-sit. No child should be left unattended!
Concessions will be provided by Regents School. Coolers welcome. Only water bottles allowed at the chess board.
COVID-19 protocols are set based on the Austin?Travis County Stage of COVID-19. Austin/Travis County is currently Stage 2. As long as the county is Stage 3 or below, facemasks are optional. (Facemasks become mandatory if the county reaches stage 4 or higher.) Proper handwashing and adherence to exposure guidelines are always requested.
Awards
Trophies & Medals to Top Contenders! Ribbons to all participants! Trophies to the top individuals in each scholastic section. Trophies to the top teams in all sections. Number of individual and team trophies will depend on number of entries. Chess medals will go to all players (excluding Open section) that finish the tournament with a positive score (3.0 & 3.5 points). Trophies to players scoring 4.0 and above. No teams in Open section, but special trophies will be awarded to the highest scoring Parent & Child teams.
Registration Information
Entry fee pricing is staggered and based on date of entry/payment.
*Early entry $25 thru Saturday 02/26/2022.
* Regular entry $30 thru Saturday, 03/20/2022
*Late entry $40 begins Sunday, 03/21/2022 and ENDS at NOON on Thursday 03/31/2022, at which time online entry closes.
*No onsite entries allowed. No entries accepted after online registration closes.
Withdrawals requested via email before noon on Thursday 3/31/2022 are eligible for a refund (minus a $5 service fee). No refunds for USCF memberships after purchased from the USCF. NO email/phone entries.
Please request byes when you register if possible. First bye receives 1/2-point. Further byes receive 0-points. Email the registrar to make changes to your requested byes. Deadline to add or remove a 1st round requested bye is 9am Friday 4/1/2022. All 1/2-point byes must be requested/removed before the end of round 2.
Email Lori Balkum, registrar with other questions. No phone calls, please. Emails will be returned promptly.
Organized by Rocks & Rooks. Gary Gaiffe, tournament organizer.
View the preregistration list here.