Author: Lori Balkum

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Austin January K-3 Championship

Rated 5SS in 1 single section playing G/30, d5, offered by the Atlantic Chess Association on 1/13/2024. This event is limited to scholastic players only (K-3) – maximum of 30 players.

Location
Bethany United Methodist Church
10010 Anderson Mill Rd
Austin, TX 78750

Sections

  • K-3 Championship

Note: The Austin K-3 Championship Tournament is only open to players up to 3rd grade. Older players and younger players wanting a longer time control are welcome to play in the Monthly Austin Scholastic Tournament is open to all players in elementary, middle, and high school: https://www.austinchesstournaments.com/aca-austin-monthly-scholastic-tournament-january-2024/

Schedule
FIVE Rounds at a time control of G/30, d5

  • Onsite registration : BEFORE 9:30 AM
    No check-in necessary if you have pre-registered.
  • Round One: 10:00 AM
  • Round Two: 11:30 AM
  • lunch break 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
  • Round Three: 1:30 PM 
  • Round Four: 3:00 PM 
  • Round Five: 4:30 PM 

An awards ceremony will be held immediately after all games in a section finish. Trophies and medals to top finishing individuals in each scholastic section; ribbons to all participants.

Limit two half-point byes. Byes must be committed 1 hr before Round 2.

Entry Fee
$40 by 1/10
$45 by 1/12
$50 on or after 1/13 (on-site registration closes 30 minutes before Round 1).

Withdrawals requested via email before NOON on Friday 1/12/24 are eligible for a refund (minus a $10 processing fee). Full credit can be applied to any future tournament. No refunds for USCF memberships after purchased from USCF.

Registration
Registration Link:  https://www.caissachess.net/online-registration/index/3733

Other Notes
This tournament is USCF-rated. Your USCF membership should not expire before 1/31/2024.

Boards and pieces will be provided, but please bring your chess clock. Each player should have a chess clock to play. If you do not have one, chess clocks will be available for purchase onsite.

If both players do not have a clock AND the game does not finish within one hour, TDs will put a clock with 5 mins time for each player.

Questions
Please contact director@atlanticchessassociation.com if you have any questions.

View our ONLINE TLA!

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Austin Monthly Scholastic Tournament

Rated 4SS in 4 sections; G/60, d5. This event takes place on Saturday, January 13, 2024 and is limited to the first 120 scholastic players only (K-12).

Location
Bethany United Methodist Church
10010 Anderson Mill Rd
Austin, TX 78750

Sections

  • K-12 Elite
  • K-12 U1000
  • K-5 Championship 
  • K-5 U800

Note: The Monthly Austin Scholastic Tournament is open to all players in elementary, middle, and high school. There is a separate tournament for up to K-3 participants with a faster time control (G/30; d5). Registration for that tournament is available at https://caissachess.net/online-registration/index/3733.

Schedule
FOUR Rounds at a time control of G/60, d5

  • Onsite registration : BEFORE 8 AM
    No check-in necessary if you have pre-registered.
  • Round One: 8:30 AM
  • Round Two: 11:00 AM
  • lunch break 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
  • Round Three: 1:30 PM 
  • Round Four: 4:00 PM

     

An awards ceremony will be held immediately after all games in a section finish. Trophies and medals to top finishing individuals in each scholastic section; ribbons to all participants.

Limit two half-point byes. Byes must be committed 1 hr before Round 2.

Entry Fee
$40 by 1/10
$45 by 1/12
$50 on or after 1/13 (on-site registration closes 30 minutes before Round 1).

Withdrawals requested via email before NOON on Friday 1/12/24 are eligible for a refund (minus a $10 processing fee). Full credit can be applied to any future tournament. No refunds for USCF memberships after purchased from USCF.

Registration
Registration Link: https://www.caissachess.net/online-registration/index/3732

Other Notes
This tournament is USCF-rated. Your USCF membership should not expire before 1/31/2024.

Boards and pieces will be provided, but please bring your chess clock. Each player should have a chess clock to play. If you do not have one, chess clocks will be available for purchase onsite.

If both players do not have a clock AND the game does not finish within one hour, TDs will put a clock with 5 mins time for each player.

Questions
Please contact director@atlanticchessassociation.com if you have any questions.

View our ONLINE TLA!

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Waco January Swiss

Rated 4SS in 3 sections; G/45, d5. This event takes place on January 13, 2024. Limited space!

Location
Holy Spirit Episcopal Church
1624 Wooded Acres Dr
Waco, TX 76710
(free parking on site!)

The church is behind the Target shopping center. Enter through main doors and turn right. The tournament room is at the end the of hallway.

Sections

  • Open
  • U1600
  • U1000

Rounds and Times
Four Rounds at a time control of G/45;d5

  • Registration & Check-in: 9:00 to 9:20 AM
  • Round One: 9:30 AM
  • Round Two: 11:15 AM
  • Round Three: 1:30 PM (after lunch)
  • Round Four: 3:15 PM
  • $20 – Cash only (exact change appreciated). Paid when you arrive to tournament. 
  • Cash Prizes– Based on the number of entries

Registration Link and tournament info

  • Onsite Registration is 9:00 – 9:20 AM.  If you show up onsite without preregistering, there’s a chance the tournament will already be full.
  • Pre-registered not checked in by 9:20am will not be paired in round 1, unless you notify us (via email or text) that you are on the way.
  • (For parents registering children, you may enter the parent email and phone number, but please enter the player’s name.)

Details

  • Please bring a clock if you have one! We will provide chess sets.
  • US Chess Membership is required. Please be responsible for your membership prior to the event to help the organizers and prevent delays.
  • Notation is required.  Notation sheets will be available if needed, but please bring a pencil or pen.

Questions

For questions or problems registering, please email or text:
Dan Shafer (daniel_m_shafer@baylor.edu)
Deborah Shafer (dshaferchess@yahoo.com)
Or visit our site (wacochess.org)

Read our ONLINE TLA!

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Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy January Scholastic

We are hosting an In-Person USCF Rated Scholastic Tournament on January 20, 2024 from 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM.  USCF Membership required.   Capacity: 48 players! 

LOCATION:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
7801 North Lamar Blvd
Suite A123
Austin, TX 78752
Free parking provided!

TOURNAMENT STYLE:
SECTION A: 1000 – 1400 USCF rating
SECTION B: 600 – 1000 USCF rating
SECTION C: Under 600 USCF rating and/or unrated.
*Note that no player will be allowed to play up or down*
*USCF MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED*

RATING INFORMATION:
● January 2024 official USCF ratings will be used.

4-Round Swiss System Schedule (G/30,d5)
●  1st round: 10:00 AM
●  2nd round: 11:00 AM
●  Lunch break: 12:00 PM
●  3rd round: 12:30 PM.
●  4th round: 1:30 PM.
●  Closing ceremony: After the last game finishes.
NOTE: Half-point byes are acceptable for all rounds, limit 1. Must commit before the 1st round.

PLAYERS MAY NOT POSSESS CELL PHONES DURING THE TOURNAMENT. Please leave your phone at home, in your car, or turned off (vibrate/silent not acceptable) on top of your table. 

ENTRY FEES:
●  Online: $35 at https://austin-chess.com/tournaments/school_tournament/ by January 14, 2024 at 11:59 pm.
●  Late Online: $50  via PayPal or cash (if space is available) by January 19, 2024 at 11:59pm
●  On-site: $50  via PayPal or cash (if space is available)
For additional questions, please contact us at info@austin-chess.com

PRIZES:
●  Trophies for 1st place (in each section)
● Medals for 2nd and 3rd place (in each section)

CANCELLATION POLICY: If you do not wish to participate in our tournament after paying the entry fee, please email us at info@austin-chess.com no later than 24 hours in advance for a refund. We reserve the right to charge a $15 service fee for cancellations. 

WITHDRAWAL POLICY: If you would like to withdraw from the tournament after it begins, please alert the tournament director and sign a withdrawal form in the lobby prior to leaving the premises. 
NO refunds will be issued after the tournament begins. 

NO-SHOW POLICY: There are NO refunds or credit for players who do not show up for their scheduled tournament matches.

Please contact us at info@austin-chess.com for any additional questions or concerns. 

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Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy Open USCF Rated Tournament

The Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy is hosting an Open USCF Rated Tournament on January 6, 2024 from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.  USCF Membership required.   Capacity: 48 players!

LOCATION:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
7801 North Lamar Blvd
Suite A123
Austin, TX 78752
Free parking provided!

TOURNAMENT STYLE:
G/40, d5 SS
SECTION A: 1,400+ USCF rated
SECTION B: Under 1,400 USCF rated and/or unrated.
*Note that no player will be allowed to play up or down*
*USCF MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED*

RATING INFORMATION:
● January 2024 official USCF ratings will be used.
● Unofficial USCF ratings will be used if unrated or to play in a
higher section.
● Players must reveal foreign, FIDE, and other over-the-board
ratings. These ratings will be adjusted, if necessary, and may be
used if they are higher than USCF ratings.

4-Round Swiss System Schedule (G/40, d5)
●  1st round: 10:00 AM
●  2nd round: 11:30 AM
●  Lunch break: 1:00 PM
●  3rd round: 2:00 PM.
●  4th round: 3:30 PM.
●  Closing ceremony: After the last game finishes.
NOTE: Half-point byes are acceptable for all rounds, limit 1. Must commit before the 1st round.

PLAYERS MAY NOT POSSESS CELL PHONES DURING THE TOURNAMENT. Any violators may be subject to disqualification and forfeiture.

ENTRY FEES:
●  Online: $50 at https://austin-chess.com by January 5th at 11:59 pm.
●  On-site: $60 on January 6th via PayPal or cash (if space is available)
For additional questions, please contact us at info@austin-chess.com
Link for registration: https://austin-chess.com/tournaments/uscf-rated/

PRIZES:
●  1400+ section : $400, $150, $100 + medals
●  U1400: $150, $100, $50 + medals
First 5 players above 1900 USCF to register get a minimum guaranteed prize of $50 if they finish all their games.

CANCELLATION POLICY: If you do not wish to participate in our tournament after paying the entry fee, please email us at info@austin-chess.com no later than 24 hours in advance for a $35 refund. We reserve the right to charge a $15 service fee for cancellations. 

WITHDRAWAL POLICY: If you would like to withdraw from the tournament after it begins, please alert the tournament director and sign a withdrawal form in the lobby prior to leaving the premises. 
NO refunds will be issued after the tournament begins. 

NO-SHOW POLICY: There are NO refunds or credit for players who do not show up for their scheduled tournament matches.

Please contact us at info@austin-chess.com for any additional questions or concerns. 

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ACC USCF rated G/90 Standard Swiss

This slow swiss takes place over 3 weeks, with games on January 6th, 13th, and 20th. G/90 with 30 sec. increment per move. 3 round Swiss. Sections dependent on turnout. $15 entry. Online registration/payment  requested, but onsite entry is ok. 

USCF membership must not expire before January 31, 2024. Please renew with the USCF (https://new.uschess.org/form/membership) before coming to the event.

Austin Chess Club is a wonderful atmosphere for the mature, experienced chess player. The event has the potential to run late. Scholastic players are welcome, but expected to play quiet, serious chess. One round may last upwards of 4 hours.

Last chance registration happens onsite 3:00-3:45pm on January 6th. No pre-registration for round 1 is necessary. Email pre-registration is accepted; however, online payment  is preferred)! If you email to register, you must show up and pay no later than 3:45pm! First round begins at 4pm. Please be on time! Participants who wish to enter the tournament late may email Austin Chess Club. Late entry must be made (emailed) before 10am on Saturday,  January 13th  to secure a round 2 pairing.

Location:
The Upbring School of Arts and Sciences
3407 Red River St
Austin TX 78705

Finding the club Click for picture of area.
FIND THE ENTRANCE: Enter the front parking lot of the school via Luther Lane (green line on photo). Find the elevator outside the building (marked on photo by green dot);
go up the stairs to enter via the door, follow the hallway until you find lit classrooms.
PARKING: Additional parking may be found at:

  • St. Paul Lutheran Church parking lot (marked by a blue blotch)
  • Sabina Apartments (underground?) parking, open to the public

For more information about the Austin Chess Club, click here.
Please read the website before contacting us. Contact information is available at http://austinchessclub.com/. (Please read the website before emailing with questions.)

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2024 AGCA Invitational – Winter Edition

The Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy is hosting an in-person 2024 AGCA Invitational Norm Tournament on January 11-15, 2024.

Organized by GM Alex Mista (Chief) and GM Andrey Stukopin (Deputy).  Chief Arbiter is FA Louis Reed.

Game Results:
IM Norm tournament
GM Norm tournament

LOCATION:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
7801 North Lamar Blvd
Suite A123
Austin, TX 78752

SCHEDULE (G/90,+30)
two 10 player round robin sections (1 for IM norm seekers, 1 for GM norm seekers)
●  1st round: Thursday, January 11, 2024, 6:00 PM
●  2nd round: Friday, January 12, 2024, 10:00 AM
●  3rd round: Friday, January 12, 2024, 4:00 PM
●  4th round: Saturday, January 13, 2024, 10:00 AM
●  5th round: Saturday, January 13, 2024, 4:00 PM
●  6th round: Sunday, January 14, 2024, 10:00 AM
●  7th round: Sunday, January 14, 2024, 4:00 PM
●  8th round: Monday, January 15, 2024, 10:00 AM
●  9th round: Monday, January 15, 2024, 4:00 PM
NOTE: All players are expected to play all 9 rounds.  NO EXCEPTIONS.

REGULATIONS
–Current FIDE Laws of Chess apply. This tournament is FIDE and US Chess rated.
-All games will use the equipment provided. –Players shall sign scoresheets after each game.
–Electronic Device Policy: players are strictly forbidden from having electronic devices with them during the game, even if they are turned off. Players found with any device during the game may lose the current game. Turn in cell phones at the arbiters’ desk before each round. No electronics are allowed in the playing hall unless they are checked in with the arbiter.
–Default/forfeit time: 60 minutes unless the arbiter decides otherwise. White’s clock will be started at the start of the round even if the players are not present.
-The organizers request that all players arrive on time for each round.

ENTRY FEES:
● $800 (norm seekers)
●  $650 (foreign federation norm seekers)
For additional questions, please contact us at info@austin-chess.com

REGISTRATION
To see a list of pre-registered players and to register, please visit : https://austin-chess.com/tournaments/norm_tournament/

QUESTIONS
Please contact us at info@austin-chess.com for any additional questions or concerns. 

View our ONLINE TLA.

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Chess For Trees 2023 Championship

The tournament will consist of a K-5 section and a K-12 section. There will be trophy prizes for both sections. The format of the tournament will be 5 Round Swiss – 15 minutes with 2 second increment. The tournament will be hosted on chess.com. You will need a chess.com account to play the tournament.  This tournament is NOT USCF rated.

Registration Fee: $15
Registration closes on December 7th at midnight.
Register online today!

Prizes
Top 3 in each section will receive trophies.  Number of trophies given out may increase based on the number of participants.

Fair Play
Tournament results will be finalized after 1-2 weeks in order to give chess.com time to do a fair play analysis. If chess.com determines you have cheated then you will not be eligible for any prizes and your chess.com account might be closed. Chess.com’s decision is final.

Technical Difficulties
Unfortunately due to the nature of virtual tournaments nothing can be done if you lose a match or face any other difficulties due to internet issues and other technical difficulties. Note: You will not be refunded for any loss due to technical difficulties.

More Instructions
Once you have registered and paid the registration fee of $15 please join the “Chess For Trees” club on chess.com. The club is private.

Note: Only people who have paid the registration fee will be admitted to the club.

On the day of the tournament sign into your chess.com account and go to https://www.chess.com/live and then on the tournaments tab you should see our tournament. Please join the tournament and wait for the rounds to start. The next round will start after all games are finished. The whole tournament will last for no more than 3-4 hours.

Please only join the tournament for your section, as if you fail to do this then you will end up playing the wrong section, and will not be counted for prizes

If you’re playing the K-12 section then join the 2023 Championship – K-12 tournament, and if you’re playing in the K-5 section join the 2023 Championship – K-5 tournament.

Please note:
Both sections will start at 11 AM CST on 12/09/2023.

Payment Information and Refund Policy
To pay for your tournament entry, please visit the event page. A payment link is located at the bottom. If the tournament is cancelled for any reason, all entries be refunded 100% . If you decide to withdraw your entry fee will be refunded as long as you contact the organizer by email no later than 12/07/23.

Contact Us:
If you have any questions please email us at chessfortrees@gmail.com

View our ONLINE  TLA!

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2023 NYOS Winter Tournament Results

This event was held on Saturday, December 02, 2023 at NYOS Charter School in North Austin.

Jump to: K-3 U300, K-3 U500, K-3 U800, K-5 U300, K-5 U500, K-5 U800,  K-5 U1000, 6-12 U600, 6-12 U1000, K-12 Elite, Open Section, Family Child

Back to the scholastic tournament description
https://www.austinchesstournaments.com/2023-winter-nyos-scholastic-chess-tournament/

Puzzle Contest

Final Award Winners

In order to protect the integrity of this (and potential future) contests, the decision was made not to directly reveal the puzzle answers.  We might, for instance, provide another chance at any unsolved puzzles in the future.
For anyone who would like to find more puzzles in the meantime, however, here are a few suggestions:
 
  • Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations, and Games, by Laszlo Polgar.  This large puzzle collection sometimes shows up at Half Price Books, is available through Amazon, and has a kindle version.
  • Chesskid.com   This website has a lot of resources for children learning chess, including puzzles.
  • Chess.com   This site has not just standard but also some ‘Retrograde Analysis’ puzzles, which are of the same type as what made up our tricky April Fools problems.
  • Pointing your favorite search engine to “Chess Retrograde Analysis Puzzles” should give a number of hits, but one good resource for specifically this sort of problem is The Retrograde Analysis Corner (www.janko.at/Retros/Index.htm).  This site includes explanation of what Retro Analysis is and how to approach the problems, as well as more than 3500 such problems.

K-3 U300

Final Results – revised
Round 5:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 4:  Pairings Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 3:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 2:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 1:  Pairings (by board)   Pairings (alphabetical)   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Advance Entries 

K-3 U500

Final Results
Round 5:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 4:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 3:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 2:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 1:  Pairings (by board)   Pairings (alphabetical)   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Advance Entries

K-3 U800

Final Results
Round 5:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 4:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 3:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 2:  Pairings  Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 1:  Pairings (by board)   Pairings (alphabetical)   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Advance Entries

K-5 U500 (merged with K-5 U300)

Final Results
Round 5:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 4:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 3:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 2:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 1:  Pairings (by board)   Pairings (alphabetical)   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Advance Entries

K-5 U800

Final Results
Round 5:  Pairings-revised Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 4:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 3:  Pairings   Wall Charts revised  Team Standings
Round 2:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 1:  Pairings (by board)   Pairings (alphabetical)   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Advance Entries

K-5 U1000

Final Results
Round 5:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 4:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 3:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 2:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 1:  Pairings (by board)   Pairings (alphabetical)   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Advance Entries

6-12 U600

Final Results
Round 5:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 4:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 3:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 2:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 1:  Pairings (by board)   Pairings (alphabetical)   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Advance Entries

6-12 U1000

Final Results
Round 5:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 4:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 3:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 2:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 1:  Pairings (by board)   Pairings (alphabetical)   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Advance Entries

K-12 Elite

Final results
Round 5:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 4:  Pairings  Wall Charts  Team Standings
Round 3:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 2:  Pairings   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Round 1:  Pairings (by board)   Pairings (alphabetical)   Wall Charts   Team Standings
Advance Entries

Open

Final Results-revised
Round 4: Pairings  Wall Charts
Round 3:  Pairings  Wall Charts
Round 2:  Pairings   Wall Charts
Round 1:  Pairings   Wall Charts
Advance Entries

Family-Child

Final Results
Advance Entries

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ACC USCF Dual-Rated G/45 Swiss

This slow swiss takes place over 2 weeks, with 2 games on December 9th and 2 games on December 16th. G/45 with 5 second delay.  4 round Swiss. Sections dependent on turnout. EF: $20.00 all. Online registration/payment  requested (coming soon).

USCF membership must not expire before December 31, 2023. Please renew with the USCF (https://new.uschess.org/) before coming to the event.

Austin Chess Club is a wonderful atmosphere for the mature, experienced chess player.  Scholastic players are welcome, but expected to play quiet, serious chess. Each round could go down to the wire!

Last chance registration happens onsite 3:00-3:45pm on December 9th. No pre-registration for round 1 is necessary. Email pre-registration is accepted; however, online payment  is preferred)! If you email to register, you must show up and pay no later than 3:45pm! First round begins at 4pm. Please be on time! Participants who wish to enter the tournament late may email Austin Chess Club. Late entry must be made (emailed) before 10am on Saturday, December 16th to secure a round 3 pairing.

Location:
The Upbring School of Arts and Sciences
3407 Red River St
Austin TX 78705

Finding the club Click for picture of area.
FIND THE ENTRANCE: Enter the front parking lot of the school via Luther Lane (green line on photo). Find the elevator outside the building (marked on photo by green dot);
go up the stairs to enter via the door, follow the hallway until you find lit classrooms.
PARKING: Additional parking may be found at:

  • St. Paul Lutheran Church parking lot (marked by a blue blotch)
  • Sabina Apartments (underground?) parking, open to the public

For more information about the Austin Chess Club, click here.
Please read the website before contacting us. Contact information is available at http://austinchessclub.com/. (Please read the website before emailing with questions.)