Tag: scholastic

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2025 TCA North Texas Scholastic Championship – Final Results

The 2025 Texas State (North) Scholastic Chess Championships held at The Vista in Lewisville, Texas on February 28 – March 2, 2025.

Final Results are below. 

Special congratulations to our new State Champions.
K-1: Lakshan Ganesh (individual), Basis Cedar Park (team)
Primary:  Praneel Akula (individual), Talley Elementary (team)
Elementary:  Oscar Yihang Zhang  (individual), McCoy Elementary (team)
Middle School:  Vijay Srinivas Anand  (individual), Uplift Education – North (team)
High School:  Aryan Gutla (individual), Coppell High School (team)

The event  has been rated by the USCF:  https://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?202503022542.0-15570195.

Thank you for playing!!!

Return to the  State Scholastic tournament page .

K-1 Championship

Final Results (Individual)    (Team)

Primary JV (K-3 U500)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Primary Championship

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Elementary Novice (K-5/6 U500)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Elementary JV (K-5/6 U900)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Elementary Championship

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Middle School Novice (6-8 U500)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Middle School JV (6-8 U900)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Middle School Championship

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

High School JV(9-12 U1000)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

High School Championship

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

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AGCA Summer Camp 2 – 2025

Description: A full day, week long chess camp, hosted by the Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy from June 16-20, 2025.  All scholastic players are invited to register. Day passes available!

Location:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
12466 Los Indios Trail, Ste 100
Austin, TX 78729

Coaches: GM Kamil Dragun, CM Jeffrey Serna, Shahin Masoumi

Groups:
Each camp features five  days of instruction. Students will be separated into 5 groups:
Beginner Group: Under 400 USCF (including unrated)
Novice Group: 400-800 USCF
Intermediate Group: 800-1200 USCF
Advanced Group: 1200-1600 USCF
Expert Group: 1500+ USCF
**NOTE: It is, however, required for the kids to know all the rules of chess and how each pieces move!
For more information, link to the the camp website.

Date and Time: 2nd camp session: June `16-20, 2025, 9am – 4pm

Daily Schedule
Drop-off: 8:30 – 9:00 am
Camp start: 9:00 am
Lunch break: 12:00 -1:00 pm
Camp resumes: 1:00 pm
Pick up: 4:00 – 4:30 pm

Food:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy staff will provide light snacks and beverages during scheduled snack times. Students are encouraged to bring their own lunch. 

**NOTE: Please email us at info@austin-chess.com with any food allergies and/or restrictions your child may have! 

Registration:
Please register and pay online. 
Full week attendance is preferred; however, Day Passes are available – just send us an email (info@austin-chess.com).
Weekly Fee is $500.
Day Pass Fee is $115

Cancellation Policy
A full refund, minus a $50 service fee, will be provided for all cancellation requests received 7 days prior to camp start date. No refunds are provided if the cancellation is not received a week prior to camp start date.

Questions:
Contact  the Austin Grandmaster staff (info@austin-chess.com) if you have questions about registering for this event. 

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AGCA Summer Camp 1 – 2025

Description: A full day, week long chess camp, hosted by the Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy from June 2-6, 2025.  All scholastic players are invited to register. Day passes available!

Location:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
12466 Los Indios Trail, Ste 100
Austin, TX 78729

Coaches: GM Kamil Dragun, CM Jeffrey Serna, Shahin Masoumi

Groups:
Each camp features five  days of instruction. Students will be separated into 5 groups:
Beginner Group: Under 400 USCF (including unrated)
Novice Group: 400-800 USCF
Intermediate Group: 800-1200 USCF
Advanced Group: 1200 – 1600 USCF
Expert Group: 1500+ USCF
**NOTE: It is, however, required for the kids to know all the rules of chess and how each pieces move!
For more information, link to the the camp website.

Date and Time: 1st camp session: June 2-6, 2025, 9am – 4pm

Daily Schedule
Drop-off: 8:30 – 9:00 am
Camp start: 9:00 am
Lunch break: 12:00 -1:00 pm
Camp resumes: 1:00 pm
Pick up: 4:00 – 4:30 pm

Food:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy staff will provide light snacks and beverages during scheduled snack times. Students are encouraged to bring their own lunch. 

**NOTE: Please email us at info@austin-chess.com with any food allergies and/or restrictions your child may have! 

Registration:
Please register and pay online. 
Full week attendance is preferred; however, Day Passes are available – just send us an email (info@austin-chess.com).
Weekly Fee is $500.
Day Pass Fee is $115

Cancellation Policy
A full refund, minus a $50 service fee, will be provided for all cancellation requests received 7 days prior to camp start date. No refunds are provided if the cancellation is not received a week prior to camp start date.

Questions:
Contact  the Austin Grandmaster staff (info@austin-chess.com) if you have questions about registering for this event. 

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2025 Paragon Summer Camp: Chess for Enjoyment and Improvement

Description: Save the date!!! A full-day, week-long chess camp, hosted by Paragon Prep on June 9-13, 2025.  Featuring Gary Gaiffe and local area instructors. All scholastic players are invited to register!

Grades K – 8th.  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.

Date and Time: 3rd camp session: June 9-13, 2024, 9am –4pm

Registration: To register, please register on Paragon Prep’s Summer Camp website (more details and registration coming soon). 

Location:
Paragon Prep Elementary
7938 Great Northern Blvd
Austin, TX 78757

Questions:
Contact Paragon Prep Summer Programs (summer@paragonprep.com, 512-459-5040) if you have questions about registering for this event. Contact Gary gaiffe (ggaiffe@att.net) if you have questions about chess content.

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2025 NYOS Summer Chess Camp

Registration is open!

Description: A full day, week-long chess camp hosted by NYOS Charter School.  Located on the north side of Austin, the camp is open to all scholastic chess players, and is run by Mr. Gary Gaiffe. Great price for a full week of learning and fun!

Campers will be broken into skill level groups.  Different topics will be covered depending on which group the camper is in.  From tactics to positional play, game analysis to variant play, the camp will be both instructional and entertaining.  The final day will include a camp-wide tournament.

Dates and Times:  July 14-18; 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Location:           
NYOS Charter School
12301 N. Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78753

Registration and Payment information:  View or download the  camp registration (pdf) or (docx) form!

Questions:  Contact Gary Gaiffe at ggaiffe@att.net or 512-426-7841

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Paragon Prep April 2025 Scholastic Tournament

The last Rocks & Rooks scholastic chess tournament of the school year, held on April 12, 2025  All sections are G/25, +5.  Trophies and medals awarded top individuals AND teams! A tournament for adults and youth rated 1000+ offered as well! 
A (timed) chess puzzle contest will be held from 10am – 4pm (come when you have free time). $5 entry onsite (venmo or cash). Trophies to top winner(s) in each age bracket.

Registration is open!

Verify your entry on the Advance Entry (Pre-registration) list. 

Basics

USCF rated chess tournament on April 12th in multiple RATED scholastic sections: K-3 U400, K-5 U600, K-5 U1000, 6-12 U600, and 6-12 U1000. Please note: all scholastic players rated 1000 and over must play in the Open or K-12 Elite sections. View the Advance Entry List online. Please note, at the event pairings will be posted only online.  

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 U400 section is excused from taking notation. Please review the Parent/Coach Responsibilities before registering

Location

Paragon Prep
7944 Great Northern Boulevard
Austin, TX 78757

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, 2025. USCF memberships can be renewed/purchased at check-out. (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. JTPs ok in K-3 U400 only.)

“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 so we can offer more prizes. Sections with fewer than 20 entries may be merged into a similar section to provide optimal pairings and competition.

Please note: April 2024 ‘Regular’ OTB ratings will be used for pairing 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. FYI: Any event that is rated after March 19th will not affect your April supplement rating, as those events takes place after April ratings are calculated.

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!
8:00 a.m. Chess Control opens for onsite registration.  Onsite registrations before 9:30am accepted, but must start play in round 2.
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/25, +5.
9:00 a.m. Open section (different event allowing adults) begins. Open has 4 rounds, all rounds are are G/45, +5.
9:15 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Chess control open for event issues. 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.

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!

Food will be offered for purchase.  You may also bring lunch and snacks.  Only water bottles allowed at the chess board.

Proper handwashing and adherence to COVID 19 exposure guidelines mandatory!

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 Family & Child teams (Uncles, Aunts, Siblings, Parents, Grandparents, or coach paired with at least one scholastic aged player.)

Registration Information

Registration is now open!

*$40 thru Saturday, 3/1/2025
*$50 thru Saturday, 3/22/2025
*$55 as of Sunday, 3/23/2025 and ENDS at 5pm on Thursday 04/10/25, at which time online entry closes.
*$65 Onsite entry, if space is available . Receives 1/2pt bye in round 1, and begins play in round 2.

Withdrawals requested via email before midnight on Wednesday, 4/09/2025 are eligible for a refund (minus a $10 service fee). No exceptions. 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 04/11/2025. All 1/2-point byes must be requested/removed before the end of round 2. After 9am Friday, please make all changes and requests onsite at Chess Control.

Email Lori Balkum, registrar (registrar@AustinChessTournaments.com) with other questions. No phone calls, please. Emails will be returned promptly.

Organized by Rocks & Rooks. Gary Gaiffe, tournament organizer (ggaiffe@att.net).

View the ONLINE TLA!

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2025 TCA South Texas Scholastic Championship

An in person, 7 round USCF USCF rated chess tournament on the weekend of March 15-16, 2025 for scholastic players in grades K thru 12 who live in Texas. Visit the EVENT WESBITE!

Where
Stillman Middle School
3450 W. Alton Gloor Blvd
Brownsville, TX 78520

Playing Hall: Spacious and comfortable classrooms designated as playing areas for each section.

Skittles Area: A designated space for players to relax, review games, and socialize between rounds.

Concessions: Food and beverages will be available for purchase throughout the event.

Important note:  Players, coaches, and parents should arrive early to allow time for parking and finding the designated areas.

Who is eligible to play:
This event is open ONLY to students attending Texas Schools, including home schoolers residing in Texas. 
All players in this event must be in 12th grade (or lower).
Eligibility description

All players must have a current USCF ID and your membership (can be purchased/renewed at check out or online with the USCF in advance of registration). Your membership may not expire before March 31, 2025. 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.

Sections
This event offers 9 rated sections: (March 2025 ratings used)
Choose your section based upon your grade level. There is no ‘playing up’. Review the TCA rules for section placement.

  • “Championship” sections are open to all players, including Unrated, with the grades specified.  JV sections are only open to those with established or provisional US Chess ratings below that threshold, including Unrated.
  • Ratings for pairings and section purposes are according to US Chess  Regular over the board ratings, using the US Chess March 2025 Rating Supplement. This event will be US Chess regular rated after it concludes.
  • Students may play only in a Championship or JV section allowed by their grade and rating.
  • If a player does not have an established US Chess rating in the March 2025 Rating Supplement (and is therefore “unrated”), then he/she may play in any section allowed for his/her grade.
  • The tournament staff will have discretion over section placement.

Schedule – 7 rounds
The schedule page can be found online!
All Championship except for K-1 play G/45, d5, All JV sections AND K-1 Championship play G/30, d5

Awards
Awards to the top 15 individuals and the top 10 teams in each of the 9 sections.

The top finisher in each Championship section will be named 2025 State Champion for that section!

The top player(s) in all Championships vie for the opportunity to represent Texas in National tournaments!

Registration and information
Register, request or renew a USCF membership (optional if not expired!) and pay online. The entry fees are:
Early Bird:  $53 until March 1st
Standard:  $83 from March 2nd to March 8th
Last Call:  $103 after March 8th, including onsite.

Register via email! (download the official batch registration form and email it in to stillmanchess@bisd.us

Visit the event website for full details. Contact the organizer ( Mr. Louis Leal, 956-698-1000, stillmanchess@bisd.us) for with general inquiries.

For general inquiries about the tournament, team rooms, registration, or any other details, please contact us at the information provided above.

We’re here to assist you and ensure you have a smooth and successful experience at this year’s championship. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions!

2025 TCA South Texas State Scholastic Championship Online TLA!

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Mathnasium Summer Chess Camp #5 – Fantastic Finales!

Summer Chess Camps at Mathnasium feature five exciting days of an immersive, interactive chess environment.  Each camp includes a unique fun-filled theme and is taught by National Master Paul Chaplin. Chess Camps hosted by Mathnasium are engaging and fun! Sign up early for lowest fees! Limited attendance… first come first served! For more information visit https://www.summerchess.com

Description:
Camp 5:  Fantastic Finales! – Game ending crescendos and on-point techniques are investigated.  Middlegames and endgames are served up with clarity. To recall a famous Lasker quote, “The hardest game to win is a won game.”

Date and Time: 5th camp session: August 4-8,  2025, 8am – 3pm
+Drop-off: 7:30 – 8am
+Camp begins: 8am.
+Lunchtime: approx 11:30am
+Pick-up: 3pm

Registration: To register, please fill out the registration form and submit online.

Location:
Cedar Park Mathnasium
13010 W. Parmer Lane, Ste #100
Cedar Park, TX 78613

Questions:
Answers to many questions (rules, refunds, policies) are available online.
Contact Cedar Park Mathnasium (greg.pratt@mathnasium.com, 512-869-6284) if you have questions about registering for this event. Contact Paul Chaplin (pschaplin@sbcglobal.net) if you have questions about chess content.

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Mathnasium Summer Chess Camp #4 – Turbochess!

Summer Chess Camps at Mathnasium feature five exciting days of an immersive, interactive chess environment.  Each camp includes a unique fun-filled theme and is taught by National Master Paul Chaplin. Chess Camps hosted by Mathnasium are engaging and fun! Sign up early for lowest fees! Limited attendance… first come first served! For more information visit https://www.summerchess.com

Description:
Camp 4 : Turbochess! – Phenomenal games of historic titans and current digital-era maestros will be hi-lighted to enlighten and inspire the student. Game selections from 150+ years of world class players like Anderssen, Morphy (1800s), Lasker, Alekhine, Tal, Fischer , Kasparov (1900s) to current-century players like Anand, Carlsen, Ding and Gukesh.

Date and Time: 4th camp session: July 21-25,  2025, 8am – 3pm
+Drop-off: 7:30 – 8am
+Camp begins: 8am.
+Lunchtime: approx 11:30am
+Pick-up: 3pm

Registration: To register, please fill out the registration form and submit online.

Location:
Cedar Park Mathnasium
13010 W. Parmer Lane, Ste #100
Cedar Park, TX 78613

Questions:
Answers to many questions (rules, refunds, policies) are available online.
Contact Cedar Park Mathnasium (greg.pratt@mathnasium.com, 512-869-6284) if you have questions about registering for this event. Contact Paul Chaplin (pschaplin@sbcglobal.net) if you have questions about chess content.

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Mathnasium Summer Chess Camp #3 – Brilliancies & Howlers!

Summer Chess Camps at Mathnasium feature five exciting days of an immersive, interactive chess environment.  Each camp includes a unique fun-filled theme and is taught by National Master Paul Chaplin. Chess Camps hosted by Mathnasium are engaging and fun! Sign up early for lowest fees! Limited attendance… first come first served! For more information visit https://www.summerchess.com

Description:
Camp 3:  Brilliancies and Howlers! – Chess to excite! This digital era dazzles and entertains us… as well as leaves us confounded and shaking our heads! Students experience the best and worst from today’s speed-demon favorites like Carlsen, Nakamura, Firouza, Nepo, Pragg — and the list goes on…!

Date and Time: 3rd camp session: July 7-11,  2025, 8am – 3pm
+Drop-off: 7:30 – 8am
+Camp begins: 8am.
+Lunchtime: approx 11:30am
+Pick-up: 3pm

Registration: To register, please fill out the registration form and submit online.

Location:
Cedar Park Mathnasium
13010 W. Parmer Lane, Ste #100
Cedar Park, TX 78613

Questions:
Answers to many questions (rules, refunds, policies) are available online.
Contact Cedar Park Mathnasium (greg.pratt@mathnasium.com, 512-869-6284) if you have questions about registering for this event. Contact Paul Chaplin (pschaplin@sbcglobal.net) if you have questions about chess content.