Author: Sarah Brauner

US Chess rated chess tournament on February 20th in multiple RATED scholastic sections:
Primary Championship (any K-3, JTP Ok)
Primary JV (K-3 U600, JTP Ok)
Elementary Championship (any K-5/6*)
Elementary Varsity (K-5/6* U900)
Elementary JV (K-5/6* U500)
Middle School Championship (any 6*-8/9*)
Middle School Varsity (6-8/9* U900)
High School Championship (any 9-12)
High School Varsity (9-12 U900)

*Elementary sections are restricted to Elementary students, which may include 6th grade depending on the school. Middle School sections are restricted to Middle School students, which may include 9th grade depending on the school. Homeschoolers should follow traditional age guidelines. State and National events typically classify 6th graders as Middle School even if they attend a K-6 Elementary school, and 9th graders as High School even if they attend a 7-9 Junior High/Middle School. If attempting to qualify for a state or national event, it is advisable for 6th graders to play in the Middle School section even if attending an Elementary 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 (K-3) are excused from taking notation. If you are K-3 and choose to play in an Elementary section, you must take 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. Special trophies will be awarded to the highest scoring Family & Child teams  (Uncles, Aunts, Parents, Grandparents, or Adult Siblings paired with at least one scholastic aged player.). 

Eligibility

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

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 (austinchesstournaments@gmail.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 late split, sections will be combined for team trophy calculations.

You must have a US Chess ID and membership. You can verify your US Chess membership ID and expiration by visiting the US Chess Ratings area. Players new to tournament chess are welcome to play. Your US Chess membership cannot expire before February 28, 2026. New players in 3rd grade and below may play as a JTP as part of US Chess’ free Junior Tournament Player Program during registration, but this only allows play at certain tournaments. If you decide to try a JTP membership, register for the tournament with a dummy ID such as 55555555 and email us to set up the membership for you.

Please note: February 2027 ‘Regular’ published ratings will be used for section placement and pairing purposes. If no regular rating is available, then other February 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

Round Times

Championship Sections:
rd 1 – 8:45am, rd 2 – 10:25am, rd 3 – 12:25 pm, rd 4 – 2:05 pm
rd 5 – 4:05 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 rooms 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.

 

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.  NO EXCEPTIONS. 

Questions

General chess tournament/registration answers, as well as information specific to the Region VI Championships, is available on our FAQ list.