Four sections offered: K-3, K-6, K-12, & Open(restricted)

Eligibility:
Review carefully for section eligibility! Students who are enrolled in the 6th grade MUST play K-12 or Open if they attend a Middle School or are homeschooled. Exception: Sixth graders rated under 600 may request to play K-6.

The Open Section is open to all ages. All scholastic players entering the Open Section must have reached 1400 at some point in their rating history. Contact the registrar if you have questions about this restriction. Ineligible entries will be placed in appropriate section and $5 refunded.

This is a rated tournament. All sections require a current USCF membership. Your USCF membership must not expire before January 31, 2009. If you are unsure if you are a member or if your membership has expired, submit USCF dues and we will process your membership forms.

Schedule:
8:15 - 8:45 a.m. On-site registration. Pay on-site fees, plus USCF dues if needed. Any on-site entry may receive a half-point bye for Round 1.
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Problem desk open. Any remaining preregistration problems should be addressed at this time. Preregistrations should be verified here. No check-in is necessary for preregistrations. We will make every attempt to contact you in advance if we see a problem with your registration. Note: If there is a problem with your entry and you arrive after the problem desk is closed, you may not be paired for Round 1. Verify your entry ONLINE!
9:00 a.m. Open section begins. Open has 4 rounds, Round 1 is G.45. Rounds 2-4 are G/60.
9:00 a.m. Important announcements in the Skittles Room (Cafeteria) about the Scholastic tournament. All players and coaches should be present.
9:30 a.m. First round begins. K-3, K-5/6, & K-12 sections have 5 rounds, Game/30. All players, even those with problems or on-site registrations, should be present at the start of Round 1 in the playing hall for their section!

More Basics:
This will be a Swiss-system tournament, so everyone plays all day—there is no “elimination.” Players must know how to play the game of chess! We will follow USCF rules including: touch-move, mandatory clocks if available, and notation. Primary players will be excused from taking notation. A time penalty may be assessed for students in other sections who do not choose to take notation.

NOTE:
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. You are responsible for your players between games! The orgnizers cannot baby-sit. No child should be left unattended!!!

Awards:
Trophies & Medals to Top Contenders! Ribbons to all participants! Trophies to the top teams and the top individuals in the scholastic sections. Number of 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 (at least 3.0 out of 5.0) but do not trophy. No teams in Open section, but special trophies will be awarded to the highest scoring Parent & Child