Tag: scholastic chess

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Monthly Chess at the Lake Travis Community Library

Join us twice a month for some chess! All ages welcome, but you should already know the very basics.

Location
Lake Travis Community Library
1938 Lohmans Crossing
Austin, TX 78734

Open play for anyone who knows how to play and wants to practice and improve their skills.  Coaching during games to facilitate learning new skills while practicing and playing.

Every 2nd Thursday of each month – 5pm to 6:45pm
Every last Saturday of each month – 10:30am – 12:30pm.

No cost to participate.

For more information please contact Rico Moreno  (ezrico4chess@icloud.com), 512-949-8670.

Weekly Thursday afternoon chess lessons available.

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2023 Winter NYOS Scholastic Chess Tournament

View the results and awards for all sections!  The event has been rated by the USCF.

Thank you for playing!!!

December 2nd Scholastic chess tournament in multiple sections. G/25, +5 inc. Trophies and medals awarded.

The NYOS Chess Club will offer concessions (cash or Venmo) in Building A in the Cafeteria. Breakfast items and coffee will be available when you arrive. Snacks and drinks are available all day long. Cyclo will be offering Sesame chicken and veggie bowls for lunch, and Culvers will offer chicken tenders and grilled cheese for lunch as well as frozen treats  in the afternoon. The concession stand will be benefiting the NYOS chess club as well as the school itself.

We will once again offer a Chess Puzzle/Problem Solving Contest! Beginning round 2, whenever your player has some extra time, send them and $5 (cash or Venmo) to Building 2, room 364.  They will have 20 minutes to complete a puzzle sheet. Prizes will be awarded to the top finishers in the following grade categories: K-1, 2-3, 4-5, and 6-12.

Verify your entry on the Advance Entry (Pre-registration) list .  Review the player reminder email that was sent out on Thursday.

Basics

USCF rated chess tournament on December 2nd in multiple RATED scholastic sections: 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, and K-12 Elite (for players rated 950-1399). Please note: all scholastic players rated 1400 and over must play in the Open section. 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 and younger sections are excused from taking notation. Please review the Parent/Coach Responsibilities before registering

Location

NYOS Charter School
12333 N Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78753

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 December 31, 2023. 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 sections 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. Sections with fewer than 20 entries may be merged into a similar section.

Please note: NOVEMBER 2023 ‘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 takes place after October 18th will not affect your November supplement rating, as those events takes place after November 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!

Concessions detailed above  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, Adult siblings, Parents, Grandparents, or coach paired with at least one scholastic aged player.)

Registration Information

Online registration is now closed.  Please register onsite.

*$35 thru Saturday 10/21/2023.
*$40 thru Saturday 11/11/2023.
*$45 thru Saturday, 11/25/2023.
*Late entry $50 begins Sunday,11/26/2023 and ENDS at 5pm on Wednesday 11/29/2023, at which time online entry closes.
*$60 Onsite entry . Receives 1/2pt bye in round 1, and begins play in round 2.

Withdrawals requested via email before 5pm on Wednesday 11/29/23 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 12/1/2023. All 1/2-point byes must be requested/removed before the end of round 2.

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).

Read our ONLINE TLA!

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Tuesday Checkmate Chess Club at the Willie Mae Kirk Branch, APL

Willie Mae Kirk Branch
Austin Public Library
3101 Oak Springs Drive
Austin, TX 78702

Tuesdays, 5pm – 7pm.

Want to learn chess? or improve your chess game? Come play to test your best tactics and strategies against other chess players.

Learn to play chess! Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.

Recommended for ages 10 and up
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Monthly Chess Club for Kids at Twin Oaks Branch, APL

Twin Oaks Branch
Austin Public Library
1800 S. Fifth St
Austin, TX 78704

512-974-9980

Last Saturday of each month 1-4pm

On the last Saturday of each month, youth players in Austin have an open play opportunity at the Twin Oaks Branch of the Austin Public Library. Children of all ages and abilities and their accompanying adults are welcome. The group is intended for kids ages 5 and up.  Children under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an adult. Limited instruction is available to help beginners!

There is no fee for participation in the group.

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Summer Chess Camp 3 at the Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy

Description: A full-day, week-long chess camp, hosted by the Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy from June 12-16, 2023.  Featuring coaches  Grandmaster Kamil Dragun & International Master Yannick Kambrath.

Location:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
12466 Los Indios Trail
Suite 100
Austin, TX 78729-7934

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

Price:
Weekly Fee (5 days): $325 (full day)
Day Pass Fee (1 day): $75 (one full day)

Send us an email at info@austin-chess.com if you choose to use this option.
You will then need to Paypal $75.00 (Day-Pass Fee) to info@austin-chess.com.

Groups:
Kids will be separated into two different groups.
Under 700 USCF (including unrated)
Above 700 USCF
**NOTE: It is, however, required for the kids to know all the rules of chess and how each pieces move!

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!

Cancellation/Refund 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.  

Registration link: https://austin-chess.com/camps/in-person/  
Website link: https://austin-chess.com/member/
For any questions, please email: info@austin-chess.com            

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Summer Chess Camp 1 at the Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy

Description: A full-day, week-long chess camp, hosted by the Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy from May 30-June 3, 2023.  Featuring coaches  Grandmaster Kamil Dragun & International Master Yannick Kambrath.

Location:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
12466 Los Indios Trail
Suite 100
Austin, TX 78729-7934

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

Price:
Weekly Fee (5 days): $325 (full day)
Day Pass Fee (1 day): $75 (one full day)

Send us an email at info@austin-chess.com if you choose to use this option.
You will then need to Paypal $75.00 (Day-Pass Fee) to info@austin-chess.com.

Groups:
Kids will be separated into two different groups.
Under 700 USCF (including unrated)
Above 700 USCF
**NOTE: It is, however, required for the kids to know all the rules of chess and how each pieces move!

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!

Cancellation/Refund 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.  

Registration link: https://austin-chess.com/camps/in-person/  
Website link: https://austin-chess.com/member/
For any questions, please email: info@austin-chess.com                             

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North Austin Summer Chess Camp with Gary Gaiffe

Description: A full day, week-long chess camp open to all scholastic chess players, organized and run by local expert Gary Gaiffe. (This camp replaces the NYOS chess camp scheduled for the same week.)

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 17-21; 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Location:           
Hampton Inn Cedar Park-Lakeline
meeting room
10811 Pecan Park Blvd.
Austin, TX 78750

Target audience:
2nd to 10th graders.
Younger players and adults per request.
Limit 20 participants!

What to bring:
Bring your lunch and snacks.  A refrigerator is available onsite.

Registration and Payment information:  Email Gary Gaiffe (ggaiffe@att.net) to request a registration form and an invoice for payment.

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

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2023 NYOS Summer Chess Camp

This camp has been relocated to the Hampton Inn Cedar Park-Leander: 
https://www.austinchesstournaments.com/2023-summer-chess-camp-with-gary-gaiffe/

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

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 17-21; 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

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

Registration and Payment information:  Coming soon!

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

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2023 Region VI Scholastic Chess Championships

USCF rated Scholastic chess tournament in 12 sections. Trophies, medals, and regional championships awarded. Online registration is now closed.  NO ONSITE entries.

Pairings, Wall Charts, and Standings will be posted online only.

Before you arrive:
View the Regents Campus Map
Scholastic Sections – Reminder Email – revised
(The original reminder email contained an error.  update: All JV, Varsity, and Novice sections play in THE EVENTS CENTER)

View the Pre-registration list

 

Basics

USCF rated chess tournament on February 25th in twelve RATED scholastic sections with fancy names:
 Primary Championship (any Pre-K-3, JTP Ok)
Primary JV (PreK-3, U600, JTP Ok)
Primary Novice (PreK-3, U300, JTP Ok)
K-1 Novice (PreK-1, U300, JTP Ok)
Elementary Championship (any Pre-K-5/6*)
Elementary Varsity (PreK – 5/6*, U900)
Elementary JV (PreK – 5/6*, U600)
Elementary Novice (PreK – 5/6*, U300)
Middle School Championship (any 5/6*-8/9*)
Middle School Varsity (5/6* – 8/9*, U1000)
High School Championship (all 9-12)
High School Varsity (9-12, U1000)

* Elementary sections are restricted to Elementary students. Middle School sections are restricted to Middle School students. Homeschoolers should follow traditional age guidelines, with 6th grade age players in Middle School.

This is a Swiss-system tournament, so everyone plays all day—there is no “elimination.” Players must reside and attend school in Region VI. Players must know how to play the game of chess! We follow USCF rules including: touch-move, mandatory clocks if available, and notation. Primary and K-1 sections are excused from taking notation. Please review the Parent/Coach Responsibilities before registering.  Please note, at the event pairings will be posted only online.

We also offer an ‘Open’ Chess Tournament for any adults as well as scholastic players who live out of the Region. Family/child trophies are available for open section participants with a family member playing in the scholastic event!

Location

 

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

Chess play will take place in classrooms and either the gym or the events center.
Review a map of campus.

Eligibility

This is a rated tournament. You must reside and attend school in Region VI in order to participate.

This tournament is an official Texas Chess Association sanctioned event. TCA has specific guidelines on section placement. If you are unsure of which section you should choose, please read a description of the TCA guidelines.

“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 ask your chess coach for placement information, or email the registrar (registrar@austinchesstournaments.com).
In an effort to produce a clear winner, any section that grows too large may be divided into two sections, or small similar sections may be combined. In the case of a split, sections will be combined for team trophy calculations.

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 February 28, 2023. 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)

Please note: February Supplement ‘Regular’ OTB ratings will be used for pairing purposes. If no regular rating is available, then other February 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. Please, verify your entry ONLINE!

8:00 a.m Announcements begin in championship playing rooms.
8:15a.m. Rd 1 begins in Championship sections. Rds 1-3, G/45, d5/ Rds 4-5, G/60, d5
8:30 a.m Announcements begin in Varsity, JV and Novice playing hall.
Players and coaches should be present.
9:00 a.m. Rd 1 begins in the Varsity, JV and Novice playing hall.  5 rounds of G/30, d5.
9:15 Open section (separate event allowing adults and non-R6 residents) begins. Open has 4 rounds, all rounds are are G/45, d5.

7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Chess Control 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.

Round Times

Championship Sections:
rd 1 – 8:15am, rd 2 – 10:15am, rd 3 – 12:15 pm, rd 4 – 2:15 pm
rd 5 – 4:30 pm

Varsity, JV, and Novice Sections:
rd 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 TBD.  Only water bottles allowed at the chess board. Proper handwashing and adherence to COVID 19 exposure guidelines mandatory!

Awards

Trophies to the top individuals in each scholastic section (4.0 and above).
Medals to positive scores (3.0 and 3.5), not receiving a trophy.
Ribbons to all participants!
Trophies to the top teams in all sections.
Special trophies will be awarded to the highest scoring Family & Child teams (Uncles, Aunts, Adult siblings, Parents, or Grandparents paired with at least one scholastic aged player.)

Registration Information

Entry fee pricing is staggered and based on date of entry/payment. Online registration closed at noon on 2/23/2023.  No onsite entries.

*Early entry $35 thru 12/31/2022
* Regular entry $40 thru 01/21/2023
* Late entry $45 thru 02/18/2023
*Week of entry $50 (ENDS at NOON on Thursday 02/23/2023, 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 02/23/2023 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 the close of online registration, noon on Thursday, 02/23/2023. All 1/2-point byes must be requested/removed before the end of round 2.

Questions

General chess tournament/registration answers, as well as information specific to the Region VI Championships, is available on our FAQ list. Please refer to this list before you contact Lori with questions.

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).