Posted on

Cedar Park January 2026 Scholastic Tournament

Cedar Park Public Library

Event Overview

Tournament Folder with the Entry List and where Pairings/Wall Charts will be Posted 
 
You won’t get a confirmation email upon registration or payment, so check the above entry list and your child should be listed within 24 hours. Parents will receive an email the week of the tournament.
 
Make sure to save the above link!


The tournament is held in the Event Space to the very left of the library upon entering. It’s where the Sunday Open Chess Play is held. 


Tournament capped at 100 students! My past tournaments have always filled up, so REGISTER ASAP! Will note here and/or potentially stop accepting registrations once it fills up, but will accept 10-20 kids onto the waitlist in case there are withdrawals. 
 

Sections (Subject to Change depending on registration)
K-12 Elite
K-12 U1000
K-5 U600
 
No playing down. For example, a player rated 700 at the time of the tournament cannot play in K-5U600.
*K-12 Elite is restricted to kids that are (or have been previously) 900+ USCF regular/quick rated.
 
Awards (Subject to Change depending on registration)
Trophy for top 5 places in each Section, medals for positive score, ribbon for everyone else.
Additional Trophy for Top U300 Student and Top Unrated Student in K-5 U600.
Additional Trophy for Top U800 Student and Top U600 Student in K-12 U1000.
Additional Trophy for Top U1200 Student and Top U1100 Student in K-12 Elite.
Awards will be handed out after the last round!
*Top 5 places determined by points and tiebreakers calculated by WinTD.
*One trophy max per student. 

No check in required. Be seated at 9:15AM for announcements.
The five rounds aim to be at 9:30AM, 10:45AM, 12PM, 1:15PM, and 2:30PM. 

 
Time Control: G25/d5; will be USCF regular/quick rated 

Registration Information
Early Entry $30 before noon December 10, 2025
Regular Entry $40 before noon December 24, 2025, if there are any spots available
Late Entry $50 before noon January 9, 2026 if there are any spots available
*$5 off registration for kids with Current USCF Regular Rating over 1,200
*$10 off registration for kids with Current USCF Regular Rating over 1,300
*$15 off registration for kids with Current USCF Regular Rating over 1,400
*$20 off registration for kids with Current USCF Regular Rating over 1,500
*$25 off registration for kids with Current USCF Regular Rating over 1,600

Payment methods: Prefer venmo (Daniel-Hung-3) or zelle (danielhung@utexas.edu or 956-639-5311) (legal name for both Daniel Flood). Payment must be made before the above deadlines to lock in your price and registration. 
Cash and check can be dropped off at my teaching locations: Leander Library Monday/Friday 5-7pm and Cedar Park Library Sunday 12-6pm. Contact me to coordinate drop off or to mail it to me. Cash/check will no longer be accepted on site!

What to Bring and Know
Please bring a clock if you have one. We will provide all the chess sets this time. 
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 for everyone 4th grade and up. Notation sheets will be available if needed, but please bring a pencil or pen. Strongly encouraged to bring your own notation book/sheets.
 
Additional Rules
Parents/guardians will not be allowed in the playing hall or hallway leading up to the playing hall while play is in process as this was too distracting at the last tournament. Additionally, to make room for up to 100 kids to compete, there will not be enough chairs for the parents in the playing hall. Each player must also leave the playing hall after each round as it was also too distracting for the remaining players when other players crowd their chess game. Parents and players that are done with their game should stay at the main library building. Only drinks allowed in the playing hall. Food must be consumed outside. See the library website for more information about where food may be consumed https://www.cedarparktexas.gov/198/Guidelines-Policies 
Address:

425 S Parkwest Dr
Cedar Park, TX 78613
United States

Sections:
Grand Prix Points:
Prize Fund:
FIDE Rated: No
Handicap Accessible: No
Residency Restriction: No
Online Event: No

Organizer Overview

Leander Chess Club
Email: danielhung@utexas.edu
Phone: 9566395311
Posted on

2026 Austin Winter Open – 1/9/25-1/11/25

USCF rated swiss chess tournament on January 9-11, 2026.   We offer 6 sections and a guaranteed prize fund of $7000 and 30 Grand Prix Points. There will be 5 rounds in total with two schedules. The top 3 sections are FIDE rated.

Player reminder email will be sent on Thursday 1/8/26.

Onsite notes:
No outside food in the restaurant, please. Food from home can be eaten in the skittles room, but please give seating priority to players reviewing games. The hotel plans to provide sandwich/snack options during the event.

LIMIT 80 players in any single section.

NEW Location

Courtyard by Marriott Austin Pflugerville and Pflugerville Conference Center
16100 Impact Way
Pflugerville, TX 78660

View the Advance Entry List.
Online registration is requested.

Discounted group room rate here: Hotel Booking Link Coming Soon

Please support the tournament by staying at the event hotel!

Round Times

3-DAY
Round 1: Friday, 7:15pm (G/90, +30)
2-DAY
Round 1: Saturday, 9:30am (G/60, +10) (*Games in this round will not be FIDE rated*)

ALL PLAYERS (G/90, +30):
Round 2: Saturday, 1pm
Round 3: Saturday, 6:30pm
Round 4: Sunday, 10:00am
Round 5: Sunday 3:15pm

*Reentry: from 3-day to 2-day round 1 is available for a $40 fee. For reentry into round 1, contact us no later than 8:30am, the Saturday of the event.

*Forfeit time for all rounds and sections is 60 minutes. Please contact us (Sarah Brauner austinchessclub@austinchesstournaments.com) if you are running late for any round or wish to withdraw. Phone number will be posted onsite and provided via email to players prior to round 1.

Byes

One 1/2 point bye allowed.
*Deadline to request/remove half-point byes: Saturday 6pm, or before round 2 ends (whichever comes first for your section)
*Deadline to request/remove zero-point byes/withdraw: before your section is paired for the affected round

Registration and Fees

All registration and payment happens online.
Entry fees:

  • $79 early bird pricing if received by Saturday, 12/6/2025, 11:59pm CST
  • $99 thru the Saturday before the tournament (01/03/2026), 11:59pm CST
  • $130 on Friday and onsite, IF space available. Any registrations for the 3-day schedule made after 5:45pm Friday 1/9/26 receive a 1st round bye. Any registrations for the 2-day schedule made after 8:30am, Saturday 1/10/2026 receive a 1st round bye.
  • ALL Novice (U1000 section) rates will be $20 lower at checkout.  If you register for the Novice (U1000 section) and have to be moved, you will owe the $20 balance before round 1play. All withdrawal deadlines and service fees apply if you do not make the additional payment.

Online registrations and online payment are requested. Please contact the registrar (austinchessclub@austinchesstournaments.com) to request help or accommodations.

Titled players (IM/GM/WIM/WGM) play for free if space allows. (No entry fee required and no entry fees deducted from winnings if registered by December 6th! Registrations on or after December 7th must pay entry fee – returned after completion of 5 rounds of play.)  All players should register online.  Contact registrar (austinchessclub@austinchesstournaments.com) for coupon code and to inquire about additional conditions.

Withdrawal with refund available if requested by 9pm on the Wednesday before the event (1/7/2026).  After that time, no refunds. Any refunds will incur a $10 processing and transaction fee.

Sections and Prizes

$7000 in prizes 100% guaranteed
Plus Mixed Doubles prizes, enter onsite before round 2

Six Sections
Players are only eligible for the prizes listed within their section. Limit 80 players in any one section (exceptions granted for ratings 2200+).

All sections are closed, meaning that there is no playing up unless you are rated within 100 points of the minimum of your chosen section by the event start date.

Mixed Doubles teams can be registered onsite prior to the start of round 2 with no extra fees.  NO changes to mixed doubles team after round 2 begins. A mixed doubles team is a male-female team. The team’s average rating cannot be above 2000.

Championship, Class A, and Class B sections will be FIDE rated and use FIDE rules. USCF ratings used for pairings.

Championship (2000+) 
*Players rated 1900-1999 may pay an extra $25 to compete in this section, but are only eligible for place prizes*
• 1st -$925 2nd-$525 3rd-$375
• Expert (2000-2199): 1st -$250 2nd-$150

Class A (1800-1999)
*Players rated 1700-1799 may pay an extra $40 to compete in this section.
• 1st -$540 2nd-$320 3rd-$210 4th-$140

Class B (1600-1799)
*Players rated 1500-1599 may pay an extra $40 to compete in this section.
• 1st -$540 2nd-$320 3rd-$210 4th-$140

Class C (1400-1599)
*Players rated 1300-1399 may pay an extra $40 to compete in this section.
• 1st -$480 2nd-$260 3rd-$160 4th-$100

Class D/E (1000-1399)
*Players rated 900-999 may pay an extra $40 to compete in this section.
• 1st -$430 2nd-$230 3rd-$140 4th-$85

Novice (U1000)
*Players rated 900-999 may pay an extra $40 to compete in this section.
• 1st -$300 2nd-$150 3rd-$100

**January 2026 Supplement (‘Regular’ OTB) ratings will be used for pairing and placement purposes.  If no regular rating is available, then other USCF ratings (quick, blitz, online) can and will be considered for section placement.
**Requests to play down will not be honored.
**Requests to play up will only be honored if the conditions mentioned above are met and the appropriate fee has been paid.
**Unrated players will be placed at TD’s discretion and are only eligible for place prizes
**Unrated players must disclose foreign and online ratings.

Device Policy

Internet or Bluetooth enabled devices must be turned off completely during play (not just on silent) and must remain in the player’s bag or face up on the playing table. Devices may not be removed from the playing hall during your game. Devices include phones, smartwatches, tablets, etc. These may NOT be on the player’s person or leave the board during the games.  Penalties up to or including loss of game and removal from the tournament for violations of this policy. Link to device policy. If you need a medical exception, contact us prior to your first game.

No notation devices will be approved for the FIDE sections. Any notation devices in other sections must be reviewed and logged at chess control no later than 30 minutes prior to player’s first round to receive an approval card. Please review the US Chess Notation Device policy

Spectators, if allowed, must have devices turned completely off.

More Details

Boards and sets provided. Bring an increment capable clock if possible. A limited number of clocks will be available for purchase onsite.
Only water (drinks) allowed at the chess board.  All food must remain outside the playing room.

See our USCF Online TLA!

Questions?

Contact Sarah Brauner (austinchessclub@austinchesstournaments.com) if you have questions about this event.

Posted on

ACC Quick-rated G/24 Swiss

A one-day tournament on November 22, 2025 offering G/24 with 5 sec. delay per move. 4 Round Swiss. Sections dependent on turnout. EF: $15.00 all. USCF membership required.  Online registration and payment requested.

Austin Chess Club is a wonderful atmosphere for the mature, experienced chess player. Scholastic players are welcome, but expected to play quiet, serious chess. We suggest that scholastic players have reached a rating of 400 before participating.  USCF membership must not expire before November 30, 2025. Please renew with the USCF (https://new.uschess.org/) before coming to the event.

We would like to start on-time. Please arrive early. Entries must be received and paid in full by 3:45pm.  Online entry preferred.

Entry fee is $15/player. We would like the first round to begin at 4:00pm sharp. Doors open at 3:00pm, so please arrive early. Follow the signs to our meeting areas.

Equipment provided. We look forward to seeing you!

Location: entrance is at the back of the parking lot, up the stairway with the Austin Chess Club sign
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, including contact information, click here.

Posted on

3rd Austin Chess Tour: Junior Qualifier #5

We are hosting an In-Person USCF Rated Scholastic Tournament on December 20, 2025 starting at 10:00 AM.  USCF Membership required.   Capacity: 100 players!

LOCATION:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
12466 Los Indios Trail, Suite 100
Austin, TX 78729
Free parking provided!

TOURNAMENT STYLE:
SECTION A: 1600+ USCF rating
SECTION B: 
1200 – 1599 USCF rating
SECTION C: 
800 – 1199 USCF rating
SECTION D: 400 – 799 USCF rating
SECTION E: Under 400 USCF rating and/or unrated.
*Note that no player will be allowed to play up or down*
*The higher of the official or most recent rating will determine section selection.**
*If two adjacent sections each have an odd number of players, and the highest-rated player in the lower section is within 50 rating points of the higher section, they may be moved up to balance the sections**
These rules are to avoid byes and better pairings for all.

*USCF MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED*

RATING INFORMATION:
● December 2025 official USCF ratings will be used.

Time Controls:

Section AG/60, d5 (60 minutes per player with a 5-second delay)
Section BG/60, d5 (60 minutes per player with a 5-second delay)
Section CG/45, d5 (45 minutes per player with a 5-second delay)
Section DG/30, d5 (30 minutes per player with a 5-second delay)
Section E: G/30, d5 (30 minutes per player with a 5-second delay)

4 or 5 Round Swiss System Schedule, depending on section
Number of rounds and round times vary by section. Please read the below carefully!

Sections A & B (all rounds G/60, d5)
●  1st round: 10:00 AM
●  2nd round: 12:15 AM
●  Lunch break: 2:30 PM
●  3rd round: 3:30 PM
●  4th round: 5:45 PM

Section C (all rounds G/45, d5)

●  1st round: 10:00 AM
●  2nd round: 11:45 AM
●  Lunch break: 1:30 PM
●  3rd round: 2:30 PM
●  4th round: 4:15 PM

Sections D & E (all rounds G/30, d5)
●  1st round: 10:00 AM
●  2nd round: 11:15 AM
●  3rd round: 12:30 PM
●  Lunch Break: 1:30 PM
●  4th round: 2:30 PM
●  5th round: 3:45 PM

Closing ceremony for any section takes place after the last game finishes for that section.
NOTE: Half-point byes are acceptable for all rounds, limit 1. Must commit before the 1st round.

Players may not posses cell phones during the tournament. Any violators may be subject to disqualification and forfeiture.

ENTRY FEES:
●  Online: $40 at https://austin-chess.com/tournaments/act-3-junior-qualifier-5/  by 11:59pm, December 14, 2025
●  $50  on or after December 15, 2025
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 an 80% refund. We reserve the right to charge a service fee for cancellations.  NO refunds will be issued if we are notified of cancellation within 24 hours of the start of the event.
WITHDRAWAL POLICY: If you would like to withdraw from the tournament after it begins, please alert the tournament director. 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. 
Posted on

3rd Austin Chess Tour: Open Qualifier #5

The Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy is hosting an Open USCF Rated Tournament on December 6, 2025 starting at 10:00 AM.  USCF Membership required.  Capacity: 100 players!

LOCATION:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
12466 Los Indios Trail, Ste 100
Austin, TX 78729
Free parking provided!

 

TOURNAMENT STYLE:
4SS, time controls determined by section
SECTION A:  1800 +  USCF rated
SECTION B:  1400 – 1799  USCF rated
SECTION C:  1000-1399 USCF rated
SECTION D:  U1000 USCF rated

*USCF MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED*
**Players are not allowed to play up or down**

RATING INFORMATION:
● December 2025 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.

Sections A & B (all rounds G/60, d5)
●  1st round: 10:00 AM
●  2nd round: 12:15 AM
●  Lunch break: 2:30 PM
●  3rd round: 3:30 PM
●  4th round: 5:45 PM

Sections C & D (all rounds G/45, d5)

●  1st round: 10:00 AM
●  2nd round: 11:45 AM
●  Lunch break: 1:30 PM
●  3rd round: 2:30 PM
●  4th round: 4:15 PM

●  Closing ceremony for any section takes place after the last game finishes for that section.
NOTE: Half-point byes are acceptable for all rounds, limit 1. Must commit before the 1st round.

Players may not posses cell phones during the tournament. Any violators may be subject to disqualification and forfeiture.

ENTRY FEES:
●  Early Bird: $50  by November 30th at 11:59 pm.
●  $60 on or after December 1st (if space is available)
For additional questions, please contact us at info@austin-chess.com
Link for registration: https://austin-chess.com/tournaments/act-3-open-qualifier-5/

PRIZES:
●  Section A : $400, $200, $100
●  Section B: $200, $100, $50
●  Section C: $100, $75, $50
●  Section D: Chess books
Medals will be awarded to the top 3 finishers in each section.

OPEN QUALIFIER POINTS:
The top 10 places in Section A will earn points according to the following table
1st Place: 25 OQ Points
2nd Place: 18 OQ Points
3rd Place: 15 OQ Points
4th Place: 12 OQ Points
5th Place: 10 OQ Points
6th Place: 8 OQ Points
7th Place: 6 OQ Points
8th Place: 4 OQ Points
9th Place: 2 OQ Points
10th Place: 1 OQ Points

For more information about the point system, visit https://austin-chess.com/tournaments/

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.  We reserve the right to charge a $15 service fee for cancellations.  NO refunds will be issued if we are notified of cancellation within 24 hours of the start of the event.

WITHDRAWAL POLICY: If you would like to withdraw from the tournament after it begins, please alert the tournament director. 
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.

Posted on

Wednesday Rapid Quads 11/19/25

The Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy is hosting USCF Rated 3 round Quads. Capacity: 60 players!

LOCATION:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
12466 Los Indios Trail
Austin, TX 78729
Free parking provided

*US Chess Membership Required*

SECTIONS: Players rated above 1100 USCF will be allowed into the tournament.

QUAD FORMAT: A Quad Tournament is a four-player round-robin event where each player faces the other three opponents. Players are grouped by rating (1–4, 5–8, etc.), and each section plays three rounds. If the total number of players isn’t divisible by four, the remaining players (e.g., last 5–6) are placed into a small Swiss section instead.

TIME CONTROL: G/30, d5

3-Round Round-Robin System Schedule
1st round: 6:00 PM
2nd round: ASAP after 1st round finishes
3rd round: ASAP after 2nd round finishes
No closing ceremony, prize will be sent by PayPal after the end of the tournament.

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

ENTRY FEES:
●  Online: $25 at https://austin-chess.com/tournaments/wednesday-rapid-quad-2025-nov-19/
For additional questions, please contact us at info@austin-chess.com

PRIZES:
●  $50 for 1st place in each quad

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. We reserve the right to charge a $10 service fee for cancellations. 

WITHDRAWAL POLICY: If you would like to withdraw from the tournament after it begins, please alert the tournament director. 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.