Category: Past Events

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Austin Chess Club USCF Quick-Rated Swiss

A one-day tournament on February 19th offering G/24 with 5 sec. delay per move. 4 Round Swiss. Sections dependent on turnout. EF: $10.00 all. USCF membership required. Online registration preferred.

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 may not expire before February 28, 2022.

We would like to start on-time. Please arrive early. Entries must be received and paid in full by 2:45pm. Online entry preferred.

Cost is $10/player. We would like the first round to begin at 3:00pm sharp. Doors open at 2:00pm, so please arrive early. Follow the signs to our meeting areas.

Please bring a set and a board and some patience as we get used to our new surroundings. We are looking forward to seeing everyone again and meeting new people!

For more information about the Austin Chess Club, click here.
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

Location:

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

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2022 Texas State Scholastic Chess Championships – Online

An online, 6 round USCF rated chess tournament in ELEVEN SECTIONS on Saturday, April 16, 2022 sponsored by the Texas Chess Association. This rated event is for all scholastic players in grades K thru 12, residing in Texas. Visit the EVENT WEBSITE for full details and online registration. View a list of pre-registered players here.

Basics:
Six (6) Rounds — G/20 + 5-second increment

Round Times (Central Time Zone):
9am — 10:30am — 12noon — 1:30pm — 3pm — 4:30pm

11 SECTIONS
High School (9 – 12) Championship
High School (9 – 12) JV (Under 1000)
Middle School (6 – 8) Championship
Middle School (6 – 8) JV (Under 900)
Middle School (6 – 8) Novice (Under 600)
Elementary School (K – 5) Championship
Elementary School (K – 5) JV (Under 800)
Elementary School (K – 5) Novice (Under 500)
Primary School (K – 3) Championship
Primary School (K – 3) JV (Under 600)
K – 1 Championship

Playing up is only allowed within the same grade range.

April 2022 US Rating Supplement will be used.  The tournament will be US Chess Online Quick-Chess Rated, but the highest US Chess Regular, Quick, Regular Online or Quick Online will be used to determine section eligibility.

 PRIZES
The top 10 finishers in each section, after tiebreaks, will receive a custom plaque via mail.
Team prizes for the top 3 school teams in each of the 11 sections will also be awarded. 

Winners of Championship Sections, including ties, will be declared 2022 Texas State Champions. 

This event will also qualify participants for a Round Robin playoff (date to be determined) for the following US Chess Invitational events:
Denker National Tournament of HS State Champions – Top 6 players in 9-12 Championship
Barber National Tournament of MS State Champions – Top 6 players in 6-8 Championship
Rockefeller National Tournament of Elementary School State Champions – Top 6 players in K-5 Championship
Haring National Tournament of Girls State Championship – Top 2 girls in each of the 9-12, 6-8 & K-5 Championship Sections

ENTRY FEE
$35 by midnight CST April 5th; $50 by midnight CST April 13th.

No entries accepted after April 13th.

The Event Website has answers to all of your questions. If you still have questions AFTER visiting the event website, please contact  flguadalupe@aol.com, (713) 530-7820, info@dallaschess.com (214) 632-9000, or renategarcia1@gmail.com, (915) 256-7783.

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Waco February Swiss

Location:
Holy Spirit Episcopal Church
1624 Wooded Acres Dr
Waco, TX 76710

2 sections: Open and Reserve (Under 1400)

Both sections: Four rounds, G/45, 5 second delay.

Limited Capacity of 48 players! – Please email or call/text one of the contacts below to pre-register and ensure you get a spot. If you show up onsite without pre-registering, there’s a chance the tournament will already be full.

Round times: Registration 8:00 to 8:50 AM. Round one 9:00 AM. Round two 10:30 AM. Round three 1:00 PM (after lunch). Round four 2:30 PM.

Entry fee: $15 – Cash only. Up to 90% returned in prizes.
Register online today!

A donation jar will be available for players who want to help the church out for providing us with a venue.

US Chess Membership is required. Please be responsible for your membership prior to the event to help the organizers and prevent delays.

For questions, please contact:

Jason Howell (korchboy@hotmail.com) 254-495-3445
Dan Shafer (daniel_m_shafer@baylor.edu) 254-652-8365
Matt Potts (shalitan@gmail.com) 512-739-8626
Forrest Marler (fzmarler@gmail.com) 254-231-7026

Or visit our site (wacochess.org)

Event TLA (USCF Online TLA)

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Knights of Columbus Council 8738 -Scholastic Chess Tournament

Knights of Columbus Council 8738
Scholastic Chess Tournament
Saturday, April 2, 2022

St. Anthony de Padua
102 Lorenz, San Antonio, TX 78227
UNRATED FIVE ROUND SWISS TOURNAMENT

Unrated 5SS in 5 sections. Download the event flyer!

Sections
Grades (K-1) (2-3) (4-5) (6-8) (9-12)

Check In
Please check in 8:45 – 9:45 am
At check-in, line up to verify names entered.

5 Rounds
Round one 10:30 am (Rounds are one hour each)
Round one subject to change to ensure correct pairings

Registration Guidelines
Names must be emailed by January 20, 2022 to: Lexfierros@yahoo.com
Entry Fee is $ $10
Cash or checks must be made out to: Knights of Columbus 8738
Pay by Credit Card will be available on site

Walk ins will get a 1st round bye unless registered by 9:00 a.m. at site.
Bring your chess sets in case of large turnout

Parents/Sponsors
This is an all day tournament.
Please bring folding or lawn chairs since seating is very limited.

There will be lots of food and drinks available from the concession stand..
No outside food except for dietary restrictions.
Entry fee includes lunch for all players!
Please note you may play “up” a level, but your score may not be used for the overall team for your actual grade level.

Mask required for Chess players while playing. No Mask No Play.

Prizes
Individual Trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in all sections.
Individual Medals for 4th, 5th and 6th places in all sections.
Team Trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in all sections.
*To be considered a team there must be at least 4 players from the same school all playing within the same section*

+++++++++++++++

Please submit the following information:

Send registration to: Lexfierros@yahoo.com

Student Name: _____________________________

School/Organization Name_____________________________

Grade Level (circle one)

Primer (Pk-1) Primary (2-3) Elementary (4-5) Middle (6-8) High (9-12)

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2022 Winter Simul with GM Vladimir Belous

Immediately following the awards ceremony at the Regents Winter Scholastic Chess Tournament, GM Vladimir Belous will offer a multi-board simultaneous exhibition. Each player who registers for the Simul plays black in his or her own separate game against GM Belous.

This Simul is meant for players rated under 1400. Rated players, unrated players, family and friends all welcome and is limited to the first 40 paid registrants. You may view the list of registered players here.

The registration fee is $10.

Online registration closes when the player limit has been reached OR on Saturday, January 29th at 4pm, whichever comes first. Cash is requested if registering onsite (if space permits).

Withdrawals will always be honored, and if you need to withdraw, we request you let us know as early as possible so that another player has the opportunity to participate. However, refund requests will only be granted until 8am on Saturday, January 29th. A $2 fee service fee will apply.

We do not often have GM’s visit Austin. We hope you take advantage of this wonderful opportunity! A commemorative notation sheet will be given to all participants and signed by GM Belous at the finish of their game. 

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St Andrews Chess Camp

Description: A full-day, week-long chess camp, hosted by St. Andrew’s Episcopal School at their Shoal Creek Campus from June 27- July 1, 2022.  The camp will be run by Gary Gaiffe and a team of local chess instructors. All scholastic players are invited to register!

Registration opens March 8th for St. Andrew’s families, and March 10th at 10am for non-St. Andrew’s families.
Camp website: https://www.sasaustin.org/student-life/summer-camp-at-st-andrews-2022
Registration will be available at the link above.

Camp information
Camp dates: Camp week #5, June 27 – July 1, 2022.
Time: 9:00am-4:00pm
Price: $500
Location: 31st St. Campus
Teacher: St. Andrew’s Summer Camp Specialist, Gary Gaiffe
Target audience: kids grades 2 – 8

Chess Camp includes formal instruction and play, plus a camp-wide tournament at the end of the week! Beginners learn basic chess theory, game objectives, piece movement, game and tournament rules.

Intermediates study chess analysis and decision-making, tactics, checkmate patterns and tournament strategies. Advanced students are taught more sophisticated chess techniques and decision-making, complex tactics, calculated and intuitive sacrifices, opening and endgame analysis.

Contact instructor Gary Gaiffe, ggaiffe@att.net, 512-426-7841 with questions as to camp content and appropriateness for your students.

For all other questions, including those regarding registration procedures, please contact the Summer Camp office, summercamp@sasaustin.org.

Please visit the camp website before making inquiries. The website covers the topics of early arrival and aftercare, drop-off and pick-up, lunch and supervision, student conduct, class sizes, cancellation policy, and covid guidelines.

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Open Sections at the 2022 Spring Scholastic Tournament at Regents School

Maps: Campus Map – – Grammar Building Floor Plan
Pairings, wall charts, and standings: all sections
Reminder Emails: open
**The open section is currently scheduled to play in the Rhetoric Building library (3rd floor)

USCF rated chess tournament for adults and more advanced scholastic players (rated 1200 and above) in two sections. View the preregistration list here. (Less experienced youth players should register for the scholastic event!) Online registration closes Thursday at noon!

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 (bring your own if at all possible), and mandatory notation.

Location

Regents School of Austin
3230 Travis Country Circle
Austin, Texas 78735

Parents may wait in the cafeteria. Open sections chess play will take place in the Rhetoric building library. No specators, please.

Eligibility

All adults
Any youth who have reached 1200 at some point in their ratings’ history.
Ineligible entries will be moved to the appropriate scholastic section of the 2022 Spring Scholastic at Regents School. 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.

Sections

We will offer TWO Open sections:
Open Upper: 1500+
This section is open to any youth or adult rated at least 1500.
Open Lower: U1600
This section is open to any youth or adult rated under 1600.

Note: players rated 1500 to 1599 get a choice of sections!

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!
9:00 a.m. Open sections begins. Open has 4 rounds, all rounds are are G/45, d5.
No changes for round 1 (bye or section) allowed after online registration closes. Requests for byes, withdrawals, player info edits and school information may be made onsite and go into effect as of round 2. Onsite registrations only at the discretion of the open section TD. Register online!.

Approximate Round Times

Open Sections:
rd 1 – 9:00am, rd2 – 11:00am, rd3 – 1:00pm, rd4 – 3:00pm

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.

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 Travis County Stage of COVID-19.  Currently, facemasks are required. Players are asked to wash hands frequently and use common sense. If you’re not feeling well or have been exposed to COVID-19 in the 14 days preceding the event, please do not attend. All pairings and wall charts will be posted online only to avoid crowding. If Austin-Travis County is reduced to Stage 3 by the time of the event, facemasks will become optional. Proper handwashing and adherence to exposure guidelines are always in force!

Awards

Cash prizes, based on number of entries to top finishers in each Open Section. Under prizes offered as well. Special trophies will be awarded to the highest scoring Family & Child teams. The ‘parent-child’ team category has been expanded to include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even siblings.  But one member of the family team MUST be of NON-scholastic age! Please email the registrar to declare your family team after you register.

Registration Information

Entry fee pricing is staggered and based on date of entry/payment. 

*Early entry (youth $25, adult $20) thru Saturday, 02/26/2022.
*Regular entry (youth $30, adult $25) thru Saturday, 03/20/2022.
*Late entry (youth $40, adult $35) begins Sunday, 03/21/2022 and ENDS at NOON on Thursday 03/31/2022, at which time online entry closes.
*If space permits, onsite registration will be permitted, $50 regardless of age. Cash preferred. First round play requires registration before 8:45am.

Withdrawals requested before Thursday, 03/31/2022 are eligible for a refund (minus a $5 service fee). No refunds for USCF memberships after purchased from the USCF. NO email/phone entries.

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.

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2022 Spring Scholastic at Regents School

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.

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Nathan’s Chess Tournament Fundraiser

Description: This is a fundraising tournament held on Sunday, March 20th with ALL proceeds going to a variety of non-profits such as American Cancer Society. Nathan has a passion for chess and looks forward to giving back to this Important cause, as his grandmother suffered through breast cancer and he lost a close relative to Leukemia. There will be both a rated and unrated section along with food, concessions, raffles, chess lessons with a National Master, and lots of fun for all ages!

Location:
Congregation Agudas Achim
16550 Huebner Rd
San Antonio, TX 78248

Round times:
• 5 Rounds
• Rounds 1 starts at 12 PM

Time controls:
• Unrated G/15
• Rated G/30;d5

Sections:
Unrated
Rated (requires a current USCF membership)

Prizes:
Trophies for the top 3 in each section
And lots of exciting prizes for others, too!

Entry fee:
Register online today: https://completechesseducation.com/product/nathans-tournament-fundraiser/
Super Early Register (Last day Jan 31) – $5 Unrated, $15 Rated
Early Register (Last day Feb 28) – $10 Unrated, $20 Rated
Regular Register (Until March 19) – $20 Unrated, $30 Rated
On Site Registration (Only Unrated- No RATED Registration On Site)- $30 Unrated

*Any refunds will be deducted a $7 fee for processing and transaction fees* Sorry no refunds after March 10.

Questions:
Contact Jesse James Lozano of Complete Chess (completechess@gmail.com), [210] 393-3056  if you have questions about this event.

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Waco January Swiss

Location:
Holy Spirit Episcopal Church
1624 Wooded Acres Dr
Waco, TX 76710

2 sections: Open and Reserve (Under 1400)

Both sections: Four rounds, G/45, 5 second delay.

Limited Capacity of 48 players! – Please email or call/text one of the contacts below to pre-register and ensure you get a spot. If you show up onsite without pre-registering, there’s a chance the tournament will already be full.

Round times: Registration 8:00 to 8:50 AM. Round one 9:00 AM. Round two 10:30 AM. Round three 1:00 PM (after lunch). Round four 2:30 PM.

Entry fee: $15 – Cash only. Up to 90% returned in prizes.

A donation jar will be available for players who want to help the church out for providing us with a venue.

US Chess Membership is required. Please be responsible for your membership prior to the event to help the organizers and prevent delays.

For questions, please contact:

Jason Howell (korchboy@hotmail.com) 254-495-3445
Dan Shafer (daniel_m_shafer@baylor.edu) 254-652-8365
Matt Potts (shalitan@gmail.com) 512-739-8626
Forrest Marler (fzmarler@gmail.com) 254-231-7026

Or visit our site (wacochess.org)