Author: Lori Balkum

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SMTX Chess Summer Classical Championship

DESCRIPTION: This will be the SMTX Chess Club’s 3rd quarterly USCF-rated tournament and our first ever 2-day classical tournament. As always there will be cash prizes, trophies, free snacks and it will still be 100% FREE with NO ENTRY FEE.

YOU READ THAT RIGHT!! This will be a large rated classical tournament with multiple sections, boards and sets provided, cash prizes for each section, trophies, free snacks and NO ENTRY FEE!

Location
San Marcos Public Library
625 E. Hopkins St
San Marcos, TX 78666

SCHEDULE: 2-day tournament starting on June 3rd and finishing on June 4th.

The first 3 rounds will be on Saturday, June 3rd. Round 1 and 2 will be G/60;+10 and round 3, 4, and 5 will be G/90;+30.

Round 1: June 3rd at 9:30 am
Round 2: June 3rd at 12:30 pm
Round 3: June 3rd at 4 pm
Round 4: June 4th at 10 am
Round 5: June 4th at 3 pm

SECTIONS: There will 5 sections (but subject to change based on registrations):

Under 599/Unrated
500 – 999/Unrated
900 – 1399/Unrated
1300 – 1799/Unrated
1700+/Unrated – the Championship Section

(we reserve the right to alter the section rating cutoffs and/or add or remove sections based on registrations)

MORE DETAILS:

  • “Playing up” is not allowed but there is a 100 point overlap built into the section that give player within 100 points of the next section to chose to play in the higher section if they wish. Unrated players can play in any section.
  • USCF membership is required
  • All chess sets and clocks WILL be provided
  • There is NO ENTRY FEE but donations are always welcome as we are 100% volunteer and nonprofit
  • This tournament is limited to 100 players (this MAY be increased based on interest)
  • To see the current list of entries use this link: ENTRY LIST
  • Check-in will be from 8:45am to 9:20am on June 3rd
  • One half-point bye is allowed but must be arranged before round 1 begins

REGISTRATION:

Online registration via the form is mandatory. NO ONSITE registrations allowed.

Visit our event website: https://smtxchess.org/event/summer-classical-championship/

PRIZES

  • Championship Section:  1st place – $300 plus trophy; 2nd – $250 plus trophy; 3rd – $200 plus trophy
  • 1300 – 1799: 1st place – $250 plus trophy; 2nd – $200 plus trophy; 3rd – $150 plus trophy
  • 900 – 1399: 1st place – $200 plus trophy; 2nd – $150 plus trophy; 3rd – $100 plus trophy
  • 500 – 999: 1st place – $150 plus trophy; 2nd – $100 plus trophy; 3rd – $50 plus trophy
  • Under 599: 1st place – $100 plus trophy; 2nd – $50 plus trophy; 3rd – $25 plus trophy

*UNRATED PLAYERS MUST GIVE AN ONLINE CHESS ACCOUNT HANDLE TO WIN FULL PRIZE MONEY AMOUNTS AND WILL BE PLACED IN AN APPROPRIATE SECTION BASED ON THEIR ONLINE RATING

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Waco May Swiss

Rated 4SS in 3 sections; G/45, d5. This event takes place on May 20, 2023. Limited space!

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

The church is behind the Target shopping center. Enter through main doors and turn right. The tournament room is at the end the of hallway.

Sections

  • Open
  • U1600
  • U1000

*Lower sections may be combined based on registrations.

Rounds and Times
Four Rounds at a time control of G/45;d5

  • Registration & Check-in: 9:20 to 9:50 AM
  • Round One: 10:00 AM
  • Round Two: 11:45 AM
  • Round Three: 2:10 PM (after lunch)
  • Round Four: 3:45 PM
  • $20 – Cash only (exact change appreciated). Paid when you arrive to tournament. 
  • Cash Prizes– Based on the number of entries

Registration Link and tournament info

  • Onsite Registration is 9:20 – 9:50 AM.  If you show up onsite without preregistering, there’s a chance the tournament will already be full.
  • Pre-registered not checked in by 9:50am will not be paired in round 1, unless you notify us (via email or text) that you are on the way.
  • (For parents registering children, you may enter the parent email and phone number, but please enter the player’s name.)

Details

  • Please bring a clock if you have one! We will provide chess sets.
  • 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.  Notation sheets and pens will be available if needed.

Questions

For questions or problems registering, please email or text:
Dan Shafer (daniel_m_shafer@baylor.edu)
Deborah Shafer (dshaferchess@yahoo.com)
Or visit our site (wacochess.org)

Online TLA

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2023 Texas Action Championship

Innovative Chess Solutions is hosting the 2023 Texas Action Championship in  Waco!  This is a USCF dual-rated swiss chess tournament on July 22, 2023 open to all chess players. There will be 5 rounds offered, all in one day. Fifteen grand prix points (Enhanced) will be awarded in the Open section.

Location:
Waco Convention Center
100 Washington Ave
Waco, TX 76701

Sections:
● Open
● U1600
● U1000
● U600

Time Control:
● ALL sections  are 5SS
● ALL sections are G/30, d5.

Schedule:
● Saturday July 22, 2023
● Blitz (optional side event): 9am – 9:50am (separate registration)
● Round 1: 10:00-11:00am
● Round 2: 11:15am-12:15pm
● Lunch Break
● Round 3: 1:00-2:00pm
● Round 4: 2:15-3:15pm
● Round 5: 3:30-4:30pm
There is no awards ceremony.

Entry:
● For the Open, $38 by 5/20; $50
by 6/17; $55 by 7/15; and $65 thereafter.
● For the under sections, $28 by 5/20; $35 by 6/17;
$40 by 7/15; and $50 thereafter.
● 4SS G/5 Blitz $10 (50% of entry fees returned as prizes)

Qualifications:
● Open to children and adults
alike.
● USCF membership required
● TCA membership required

Registration:
● Register online
● Please remember: USCF and TCA memberships are required

Prizes/Awards:
● Open section: $500 for first place, $150 for second place and $50 for third place, all of which is unconditionally guaranteed.
● All other sections: $200 for first place, $75 for second place and $25 for third place, with the prizes in each under section being proportionally reduced if less than thirty paid entries (net of refunds) are received for such section.

Please visit the organizer’s website and eventbrite registration page for all other information!

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Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy In-Person USCF Rated Tournament

We are hosting another Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy In-Person USCF Rated Tournament on April 29, 2023 from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.  USCF Membership required.  Free Parking.  Capacity: 40 players!

Location:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
7801 North Lamar Blvd
Suite A123
Austin, TX 78752

TOURNAMENT STYLE:
All players will be divided into two sections:
SECTION A: 1,000+ USCF rated
SECTION B: Under 1,000 USCF rated and/or unrated.
**If there are not enough players in a given section, we reserve the right to merge them**

TIME CONTROL:
● G/40, d5.
● 40 minutes per player with a 5-second delay.

RATING INFORMATION:
● April 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.

4-Round Swiss System Schedule
●  1st round: 10:00 AM
●  2nd round: 11:30 AM
●  Lunch break: 1:00 PM
●  3rd round: 2:00 PM.
●  4th round: 3:30 PM.
●  Closing ceremony: After the last game finishes.
NOTE: Half-point byes are acceptable for all rounds, limit 1. Must commit before the 1st round.

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

ENTRY FEES:
●  Online: $30 at www.austin-chess.com by April 28, 2023
●  On-site: $40 via PayPal or cash (if space is available)
For additional questions, please contact us at info@austin-chess.com

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 a $20 refund. 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 and sign a withdrawal form in the lobby prior to leaving the premises. 

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.

PRIZES:
●  1st Place: Trophy
●  2nd & 3rd places: Medals

Link for registration: https://austin-chess.com/events/
To learn more about us, visit our website at https://austin-chess.com/

Please contact us at info@austin-chess.com for any additional questions or concerns. 

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Chess For Trees Spring Scholastic Championship – April 2023

Chess For Trees is a nonprofit.

The tournament will consist of a K-5 section and a K-12 section. There will be trophy prizes for both sections. The format of the tournament will be 5 Round Swiss – 15 minutes with 2 second increment. The tournament will be hosted on chess.com. You will need a chess.com account to play the tournament, and you must be a current USCF member.

Instructions on how to create chess.com account, register to compete in USCF online rated events, and linking your USCF profile to your chess.com username can be found on the tournament website.

Registration Fee: $15
Registration closes on April 28th at midnight.
Register online today!

Prizes
Top 3 in each section will get trophies.  Number of trophies given out may increase based on the number of participants.

Fair Play
Tournament results will be finalized after 1-2 weeks in order to give chess.com time to do a fair play analysis. If chess.com determines you have cheated then you will not be eligible for any prizes and your chess.com account might be closed. Chess.com’s decision is final.

Technical Difficulties
Unfortunately due to the nature of virtual tournaments nothing can be done if you lose a match or face any other difficulties due to internet issues and other technical difficulties. Note: You will not be refunded for any loss due to technical difficulties.

More Instructions
Once you have registered and paid the registration fee of $15 please join the “Chess For Trees” club on chess.com. The club is private.

Note: Only people who have paid the registration fee will be admitted to the club.

On the day of the tournament sign into your chess.com account and go to https://www.chess.com/live and then on the tournaments tab you should see our tournament. Please join the tournament and wait for the rounds to start. The next round will start after all games are finished. The whole tournament will last for no more than 3-4 hours.

Please only join the tournament for your section, as if you fail to do this then you will end up playing the wrong section, and will not be counted for prizes

If you’re playing the K-12 section then join the Scholastic Champion – K-12 tournament, and if you’re playing in the Open section join the Scholastic Champion – K-5 tournament.

Please note:
Both sections will start at 11 AM CST on 4/29.

Payment Information and Refund Policy
To pay for your tournament entry, please visit the event page. A payment link is located at the bottom. If the tournament is cancelled for any reason, all entries be refunded 100% . If you decide to withdraw your entry fee will be refunded as long as you contact the organizer by email no later than 4/27.

If you have any questions please email us at chessfortrees@gmail.com

Read our Online TLA!

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April Rapid 04/15 – Chess for Trees

The tournament takes place on April 15, 2023 and will consist of an Open Section and a K-12 Section. There will be trophy prizes for the K-12 Section and cash prizes for the Open  Section. The format of the tournament will be 5 Round Swiss – 15 minutes with 2 second increment. The tournament will be hosted on chess.com. You will need a chess.com account to play the tournament, and you must be a current USCF member.

Instructions on how to create chess.com account, register to compete in USCF online rated events, and linking your USCF profile to your chess.com username can be found on the tournament website.

Registration Fee: $15
Register onlinetoday!
Register by midnight April 14th!

Prizes
Top 3 in the K-12 section will receive trophies.  Number of trophies given out may increase based on the number of participants

OpenSection receives cash prizes.
1st Place: $40
2nd Place: $30
3rd Place: $20

Technical Instructions
Instructions for how to join an online event, how to find the Chess for Trees club, fair play, and other topics are are available on the event website.

Please note:
Both sections will start at 11 AM CST on 04/15.

Payment Information and Refund Policy
A payment link is located at the bottom of the event page. If the tournament is canceled for any reason, all entries will be refunded 100% . If you decide to withdraw your entry fee will be refunded as long as you contact the organizer (contact@chessfortrees.com) by 04/13.

View our ONLINE TLA

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ACC G/90 Standard Swiss

This slow swiss takes place over 3 weeks, with games on April 22nd, April 29th,  and May 6th. G/90 with 30 sec. increment per move. 3 round Swiss. Sections dependent on turnout.  Online registration/payment  requested.

USCF membership must not expire before May 31, 2023. Please renew with the USCF (https://new.uschess.org/form/membership) before coming to the event.

Austin Chess Club is a wonderful atmosphere for the mature, experienced chess player. The event has the potential to run late. Scholastic players are welcome, but expected to play quiet, serious chess. One round may last upwards of 4 hours.

Last chance registration happens onsite 3:00-3:45pm on April 22nd. No pre-registration for round 1 is necessary. Email pre-registration is accepted; however, online payment  is preferred – link coming soon)! If you email to register, you must show up and pay no later than 3:45pm! First round begins at 4pm. Please be on time! Participants who wish to enter the tournament late may email Austin Chess Club. Late entry must be made (emailed) before 10am on Saturday,  April 29th to secure a round 2 pairing.

Location:
The Upbring School of Arts and Sciences
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, click here.
Please read the website before contacting us. Contact information is available at http://austinchessclub.com/. (Please read the website before emailing with questions.)

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ACC USCF Dual-Rated G/45 Swiss

This slow swiss takes place over 2 weeks, with 2 games on April 8th and 2 games on April 15th. G/45 with 5 second delay.  4 round Swiss. Sections dependent on turnout. EF: $15.00 all. Online registration/payment  requested.

USCF membership must not expire before April 30, 2023. Please renew with the USCF (https://new.uschess.org/) before coming to the event.

Austin Chess Club is a wonderful atmosphere for the mature, experienced chess player.  Scholastic players are welcome, but expected to play quiet, serious chess. Each round go down to the wire!

Last chance registration happens onsite 3:00-3:45pm on April 8th. No pre-registration for round 1 is necessary. Email pre-registration is accepted; however, online payment  is preferred)! If you email to register, you must show up and pay no later than 3:45pm! First round begins at 4pm. Please be on time! Participants who wish to enter the tournament late may email Austin Chess Club. Late entry must be made (emailed) before 10am on Saturday, April 15th to secure a round 3 pairing.

Location:
The Upbring School of Arts and Sciences
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, click here.
Please read the website before contacting us. Contact information is available at http://austinchessclub.com/. (Please read the website before emailing with questions.)

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Summer Chess Camp 2 at Huntington Learning Center

Description: A full-day, week-long chess camp, hosted by the Huntington Learning Center in Round Rock from July 31 – August 4, 2023.  Featuring Candidate Master Craig LaSalle. All scholastic players age 6 to 13 (rated up to USCF 1300) are invited to register!

Students will focus on the chess fundamentals, including opening strategy, endgame strategy, checkmating pattens, and tactics.  Students will experience a balance of chess play and instruction.

View our event flyer for a description of a typical day at camp!

Date and Time: 
2nd camp session: July 31 – August 4, 2023, 8:30am – 4pm

Registration:
To register, please fill out the registration form.  
You may also call 512-910-4051 or email roundrocktx@hlcmail.com.

Location:
Huntington Learning Center
2800 South Interstate 35 Frontage Road, Ste 150
Round Rock, TX 78681

Questions:
Contact Huntington Learning Center, 512-910-4051 if you have questions about registering for this event.
Contact Craig LaSalle, activepieces@hotmail.com if you have questions about chess content.

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Summer Chess Camp 1 at Huntington Learning Center

Description: A full-day, week-long chess camp, hosted by the Huntington Learning Center in Round Rock from June 12-16, 2023.  Featuring Candidate Master Craig LaSalle. All scholastic players age 6 to 13 (rated up to USCF 1300) are invited to register!

Local Candidate Master Coach Craig LaSalle will lead these chess camps.  Craig has over 20 years of coaching experience and has coached at Laurel Mountain Elementary for ten years.  Craig is enthusiastic and engaging and has mastered the knack of listening and then simplifying complex situations at the board.

Students will focus on the chess fundamentals, including opening strategy, endgame strategy, checkmating pattens, and tactics.  Students will experience a balance of chess play and instruction.

View our event flyer for a description of a typical day at camp!

Date and Time: 
1st camp session: June 12-16, 2023, 8:30am – 4pm

Registration:
To register, please fill out the registration form.  
You may also call 512-910-4051 or email roundrocktx@hlcmail.com.

Location:
Huntington Learning Center
2800 South Interstate 35 Frontage Road, Ste 150
Round Rock, TX 78681

Questions:
Contact Huntington Learning Center, 512-910-4051 if you have questions about registering for this event.
Contact Craig LaSalle, activepieces@hotmail.com if you have questions about chess content.