Tag: dual rated

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Open Section at 2027 Region VI Championships

Register HERE! When you click the link, scroll to the bottom for registration.

See Preregistration List HERE! Click link, then scroll down past tournament info.

Pairings/Standings HERE!

Rated chess tournament for all adults and scholastic players rated 1200 and up who do not reside in TCA’s Region VI.  (Players who reside and attend school in Region VI should register for the scholastic championships.)

 

Day-of reminders:
+Playing locations (campus map):
+Open Section – room TBA
+Your 1st round starts promptly at 9:15!
+Food will be offered for purchase.  You may also bring lunch and snacks.  Only water bottles allowed at the chess board.
+If you have kids playing – make sure they have someone to help them if you’re still occupied with your game.
+Watch for a player reminder email. If you have unsubscribed from AustinChessTournaments.com emails, you will not receive it. We will post a link just under the pairing link above.

Basics

This is a Swiss-system tournament, so everyone plays all day—there is no “elimination.” We follow US Chess rules including: touch-move, mandatory clocks, and mandatory notation. If registrations exceed 40, we will split into two sections.

Location

NYOS Charter School
12333 N Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78753

Open section chess play will take place in a classroom.
Review a map of campus.

Eligibility

All adults
Youth (high school or younger) who do NOT reside in TCA’s Region VI and have reached 1200 at some point in their ratings history.
Ineligible entries will be moved to the appropriate scholastic section of the 2027 Region VI Scholastic Chess Championships. This is a rated tournament. You must have a US Chess membership that expires on or after 2/28/2027. You can verify your membership ID and expiration by visiting the US Chess Ratings page. Anyone can become a USCF member. Players new to tournament chess are welcome to play.

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.
9:15am Open section begins. Open has 4 rounds, all rounds are are G/45,+5.

Approximate Round Times

Open Section:
rd 1 – 9:15am, rd2 – 11:10am, rd3 – 1:30pm, rd4 – 3:30pm

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.

Concessions available for purchase. You may bring your own lunch and snacks. Only water bottles allowed at the chess board.

Awards

Cash prizes based on number of entries. 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

* Early entry $25 through Thursday 11/12/2026
* Regular entry $35 through Saturday 01/30/2027
* Late entry $45 through Thursday 02/18/2027
* Last chance entry $50 starting Friday 02/19/2027

Withdrawals requested via email before midnight on Wednesday 02/17/2027 are eligible for a refund (minus a $10 service fee).

Ineligible entries will be withdrawn and refunded (minus a service fee).  PLEASE READ THE FULL TOURNAMENT DESCRIPTION. Email the registrar if you have questions about eligibility. **If you live in the Austin or San Antonio areas and are a youth – you DO NOT qualify to play in the this open event!**

Please request byes when you register if possible by adding a note. 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 8:45am, Saturday morning. All 1/2-point byes must be requested/removed before the end of round 2.

Email Sarah Brauner at AustinChessTournaments@gmail.com with other questions.

Organized by Rocks & Rooks. Gary Gaiffe, tournament organizer.

View the ONLINE TLA!

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2027 Region VI Scholastic Chess Championships

Register HERE! When you click the link, scroll to the bottom for registration.

See Preregistration List HERE! Click link, then scroll down past tournament info.

Pairings/Standings HERE!

Rated Scholastic chess tournament with multiple sections held on February 20, 2027 at NYOS Charter School. Trophies, medals, and regional championships awarded.

Basics

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.). 

Location

NYOS Charter School
12333 N Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78753

Chess play will take place in classrooms and the gym depending on section.
Review a map of the campus.

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

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!

8:30am Announcements begin in championship playing rooms.
8:45am Rd 1 begins in Championship sections. Rds 1-3: G/35,+5. Rds 4-5: G/45,+5.
8:45am Announcements begin in Varsity, JV and Novice playing hall.
Players and coaches should be present.
9:00am Rd 1 begins in the Varsity, JV and Novice playing hall.  5 rounds of G/25,+5.
9:15am Open section (separate event allowing adults and non-R6 residents) begins. Open has 4 rounds, all rounds are are G/45,+5.

8:00am-5:30pm 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. Onsite registration may or may not be available – contingent on turnout and space.

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. 

* Early entry $35 through Saturday, 11/12/2026
* Regular entry $50 through Saturday, 1/30/2027
* Late entry $55 through Thursday, 02/18/2027.
* Last chance entries $65 (space-permitting) from 2/19/27-2/20/27. Onsite entries after 8:15am will receive a bye in round 1.

Withdrawals requested via email on or before Wednesday 02/17/2027 are eligible for a refund, minus a $10 service fee. No refunds for USCF memberships after purchased from the USCF. NO email/phone entries.

Please request byes when you register by adding a note in the registration form. 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 7:00 am on Saturday 2/20/2027. 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.

Email Sarah Brauner (austinchesstournaments@gmail.com) with other questions.

Organized by Rocks & Rooks. Gary Gaiffe, tournament organizer.

View our ONLINE TLA!

Special Information Regarding National Summer Invitationals:

For the upcoming scholastic National Summer Invitational tournaments (Ashley, Rockefeller, Barber, Denker, Haring), the Texas Chess Association will hold a qualifier tournament, the Texas Junior Invitational (TJI), to choose the state nominee to compete in each. A representative from each region of Texas will be among the participants for each section of the qualifier tournament.

Our Region VI representatives for the Rockefeller, Barber, and Denker sections of the Texas qualifier event will be the champions of their respective sections* at the Region VI Championships to be held on February 22nd in Austin.

*If the Region VI champion also qualifies through either the North or South State Championship events, the Region VI 2nd place finisher will represent Region VI in the qualifier tournament, unless otherwise stated on the https://texaschess.org/ site. As of now, the 2026-2027 TJI is not posted.

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Waco November 7 Swiss

Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfR7vdU3ZfUsdczGMskrkIhVKBqYOMrorDKXbLqs_r2OgF0Q/viewform

Waco November 7 Swiss – Registration *Championship Section also FIDE Rapid!

Saturday, November 7, 2026
Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 1624 Wooded Acres Dr., Waco, TX 76710 (Behind Target)

 (Enter through main door and turn right. Tournament room is at the end of Parish Hall.)


VIEW ENTRY LIST  (This is manually entered, so it may not reflect recent registrations.)

4 Rounds at a time control of G/45;d5 (45 minutes with a 5 second delay)

3 Sections:

*Championship Section will be US Chess Regular and FIDE Rapid Rated. 

Other Sections are US Chess Rated only

  • *Championship- Ratings 1600+ (1400-1599 may play up for $10 fee)
  • Under 1601- Ratings 1000-1600 (800-999 may play up for $10 fee) 
  • Under 1000- Ratings 0-999

Notes on Sections:

  • Most unrated players should play in the Under 1000 section, but you may play in the U1601.
  • We go by monthly published ratings, but if your live current rating goes up before the tournament, you may request to move sections. 
  • There is a $10 PLAY-UP FEE for those playing up to a higher section.  You must still meet the section minimum rating to play up.

Check in & Pay: 9:30 to 9:50 AM
 (*Because we do not accept payment in advance,  players not checked in by 9:50 am will NOT be paired in Round 1 –unless you notify us that you are on the way.  If you are registered, but can no longer play, please let us know.)

Round Times: 

  • Round 1- 10:00 AM
  • Round 2- 11:45 AM 
  • Round 3- 2:00 PM 
  • Round 4- 3:45 PM

Entry Fee: $20 CASH (no credit, no debit) upon arrival.  Exact change is appreciated! Extra $10 play-up fee for those playing up.
Cash Prizes- Based on the number of entries. The prize list will be posted on-site, after the start of Round 1.

Limited Capacity of 70 players!
Register by filling out the form below.
——————————————————————

This is a rated tournament. Current US Chess membership required (https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess.)

Please check that your membership is not expired before registering (https://ratings.uschess.org.) If you need help creating or renewing your US Chess membership, please email us (contact info is below.)

Notation is required.  We provide notation sheets. You may also use your own notation book/ sheets or a USCF approved notation device.  Please bring a pen or pencil.

If you don’t know how to notate, learn here: https://www.chesshouse.com/blogs/education/how-to-read-and-write-algebraic-chess-notation

Please bring a chess clock if you have one.  The club has a limited supply.  Chess sets are provided. 

For those new to tournaments: Swiss means all players will play all 4 rounds, unless there is a requested bye (1/2 point) because you need to miss a round or an assigned bye (full point) due to uneven sections.

——————————————————————

For questions or problems registering, please email:
Dan Shafer (daniel_m_shafer@baylor.edu) or Deborah Shafer (dshaferchess@yahoo.com)

(For parents registering children, you may enter the parent email and phone number, but please enter the player’s name.)

Personal Information will not be shared.  Only the player’s name, USCF ID, rating, and expiration date will be posted on the entry list.

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Waco October Swiss 10/3/26

Waco October 3 Swiss – Registration Link: https://forms.gle/7zjiNn28N6Ht9pNH8

Saturday, October 3, 2026
Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 1624 Wooded Acres Dr., Waco, TX 76710 (Behind Target)

 (Enter through main door and turn right. Tournament room is at the end of Parish Hall.)


VIEW ENTRY LIST  (This is manually entered, so it may not reflect recent registrations.)

4 Rounds at a time control of G/45;d5 (45 minutes with a 5 second delay)

3 Sections:

  • Championship- Ratings 1600+ (1400-1599 may play up for $10 fee)
  • Under 1601- Ratings 1000-1600 (800-999 may play up for $10 fee) 
  • Under 1000- Ratings 0-999

Notes on Sections:

  • Most unrated players should play in the Under 1000 section, but you may play up in the U1601.
  • We go by monthly published ratings, but if your live current rating goes up before the tournament, you may request to move sections. 
  • There is a $10 PLAY-UP FEE for those playing up to a higher section.  You must still meet the section minimum rating to play up.

Check in & Pay: 9:30 to 9:50 AM
 (*Because we do not accept payment in advance,  players not checked in by 9:50 am will NOT be paired in Round 1 –unless you notify us that you are on the way.  If you are registered, but can no longer play, please let us know.)

Round Times: 

  • Round 1- 10:00 AM
  • Round 2- 11:45 AM 
  • Round 3- 2:00 PM 
  • Round 4- 3:45 PM

Entry Fee: $20 CASH (no credit, no debit) upon arrival.  Exact change is appreciated! Extra $10 play-up fee for those playing up.
Cash Prizes- Based on the number of entries. The prize list will be posted on-site, after the start of Round 1.

Limited Capacity of 70 players!
Register by filling out the form below.
——————————————————————

This is a rated tournament. Current US Chess membership required (https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess.)

Please check that your membership is not expired before registering (https://ratings.uschess.org.) If you need help creating or renewing your US Chess membership, please email us (contact info is below.)

Notation is required.  We provide notation sheets. You may also use your own notation book/ sheets or a USCF approved notation device.  Please bring a pen or pencil.

If you don’t know how to notate, learn here: https://www.chesshouse.com/blogs/education/how-to-read-and-write-algebraic-chess-notation

Please bring a chess clock if you have one.  The club has a limited supply.  Chess sets are provided. 

For those new to tournaments: Swiss means all players will play all 4 rounds, unless there is a requested bye (1/2 point) because you need to miss a round or an assigned bye (full point) due to uneven sections.

——————————————————————

For questions or problems registering, please email:
Dan Shafer (daniel_m_shafer@baylor.edu) or Deborah Shafer (dshaferchess@yahoo.com)

(For parents registering children, you may enter the parent email and phone number, but please enter the player’s name.)

Personal Information will not be shared.  Only the player’s name, USCF ID, rating, and expiration date will be posted on the entry list.

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2026 Region VI Girls Championship

The Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy is hosting the Region VI Girls’ Championship on October 3, 2026.  USCF Membership required.   Capacity: 48 players

Registration link HERE

This tournament is a qualifier for the Texas invitational which will be held in the spring to decide Texas’ nominee for the Annual WIM Ruth Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions! The winner will be the Region VI participant in the Haring section of the Texas Junior Invitational. Players may also qualify through state championship scholastic events. Questions? Email txchessmom@gmail.com.

LOCATION:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
12466 Los Indios Trail, Suite 100
Austin, TX 78729

TOURNAMENT STYLE:
5SS, G35;d5

Both US Chess and TCA memberships required

This is a TCA event and all participants must have a valid TCA membership. You can get it by going to https://texaschess.org/memberships/, if you think you might have it already, you can check it under https://texaschess.org/ -> Memberships -> Membership List

Eligibility: open to female players in grades K-12 from Region VI (see the list of counties included in region VI HERE).

RATING INFORMATION:
● October 2026 official USCF ratings will be used.

See tournament website linked above for information regarding byes, cancellation, and other policies.

Please email info@austin-chess.com for any additional questions or concerns. 

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Open Section at NYOS 11/14/26

Full pairings and standings can be found at the registration link below (click on the “View live tournament dashboard” link to get to them).

Register HERE! When you click the link, scroll to the bottom for registration.

See Preregistration List HERE! Click link, then scroll down past tournament info.

 
 

Basics

This is a Swiss-system US Chess-rated tournament, so everyone plays all day—there is no “elimination.” Players must know how to play the game of chess! We follow US Chess rules including: touch-move, mandatory clocks (bring your own if at all possible), and mandatory notation. If registrations exceed 32 in any one section, we reserve the right to split into two sections.

Location – Updated 9/13/26!

NYOS
12333 N Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78753

Eligibility

Open Section:
All adults – if you have a child in a scholastic section, include a note with their full name when registering.
Any youth who have reached at least 1200 monthly published rating as of November 2026 (exceptions made for live ratings).

Ineligible entries will be moved to the appropriate ‘under’ scholastic section of the Paragon 11/14/26 Scholastic Tournament.

This is a rated tournament. You must have a US Chess ID and your membership can be purchased/ renewed online with US Chess in advance of registration. You can verify your US Chess membership ID and expiration by visiting https://ratings.uschess.org. Anyone can become a US Chess member. Adults new to tournament chess are welcome to play in the open section. Youth players MUST have a ratings history. Your US Chess membership cannot expire before November 30, 2026.

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!
9:15am Open  sections begin. Open has 4 rounds of G/45,+5.

No changes for round 1 (bye or section) allowed after online registration closes. Requests for byes, withdrawals, player info edits be made onsite with your chief TD and go into effect as of round 2.

Approximate Round Times

Open:
rd 1 – 9:15am, rd 2 – 11:10am, rd 3 – 1:30pm, rd 4 – 3:30pm

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.

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

Awards

Open section:
Cash prizes based on number of entries. Special trophies will be awarded to the highest scoring Family & Child teams  (Uncles, Aunts, Siblings, Parents, or Grandparents paired with at least one scholastic aged player.). 

Registration Information

 

*$40 (youth) /$30 (adult) through Thursday, 9/26/2026
*$50 (youth) /$40 (adult) through Saturday, 11/7/2026
*$55 (youth) /$45 (adult) as of Sunday, 11/8/2026 and ENDS at 5pm on Thursday 11/12/26
*$65 (youth) / $50 (adult) Last chance and onsite entry, if space available, after 5 pm Thursday through the tournament date. Open section first round play requires registration and payment before 8:45am Saturday.

Withdrawals requested via email before midnight on Wednesday 11/11/26 are eligible for a refund (minus a $10 service fee). No exceptions. No refunds for US Chess memberships after purchased from US Chess.

If you need byes (rounds when you won’t be available to play), please request when you register by adding a note. First bye receives 1/2-point. Further byes receive 0-points. Email us to make changes to your requested byes. Deadline to add/remove 1/2-point byes is before the start of round 2.

*Open section: Will be paired onsite. Round 1 changes must be made no later than 8:45am.

Email Sarah Brauner at AustinChessTournaments@gmail.com with other questions.

Organized by Rocks & Rooks (Gary Gaiffe)

View the ONLINE TLA

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NYOS Scholastic 11/14/26

Full pairings and standings can be found at the registration link below (click on the “View live tournament dashboard” link to get to them).

Register HERE! When you click the link, scroll to the bottom for registration.

See Preregistration List HERE! Click link, then scroll down past tournament info.

 

Basics

US Chess rated chess tournament on November 14th in multiple RATED scholastic sections: K-3 U400, K-3 U700, K-5 U600, K-5 U1000, 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. At the event pairings will be posted online only.

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 US Chess rules including: touch-move, mandatory clocks if available, and notation. K-3 sections are excused from taking notation. Please review the Parent/Coach Responsibilities before registering

Location – Updated 9/13/26!

NYOS
12333 N Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78753

Eligibility

This is a rated tournament. You must have a US Chess ID and your membership can be purchased/ renewed online with US Chess in advance of registration, or contact Dallas Chess Club at info@dallaschess.com at least a few days before the tournament for half-price junior memberships. You can check your US Chess membership ID and expiration by visiting https://ratings.uschess.org. Anyone can become a US Chess member. Players new to tournament chess are welcome to play. Your US Chess membership cannot expire before November 30, 2026. New players in 3rd grade and below may email us to request a non-member ID as a part of the Junior Tournament Player program. 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 email us. 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.

November 2026 ‘Regular’ OTB ratings will be used for section placement and pairing. If no regular rating is available, then other US Chess 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 October 21st 2026 will not affect your November published rating, as those events take 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!
8:00am Chess Control opens for onsite registration.  Onsite registrations before 9:30am accepted, but must start play in round 2.
8:30am Announcements begin in all scholastic playing rooms.
Players and coaches should be present.
9:00am Rd 1 begins. Scholastic sections have 5 rds, G/25,+5, except K-12 Elite which is 5 rounds G/35,+5.
9:00am Open section (different event allowing adults) begins. Open has 4 rounds, G/45,+5.
9:15am-5:00pm 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

All Scholastic Under Sections:
rd 1 – 9:00am, rd 2 – 11:00am, rd 3 – 12:45pm, rd 4 – 2:30pm, rd 5 – 4:00pm

K-12 Elite Section:
rd 1 – 9:00am, rd 2 – 10:40am, rd 3 – 12:40pm, rd 4 – 2:20pm, rd 5 – 4:00pm

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.

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. NOTE: A team refers to players in the same section from a particular school, not a club; in the School/Team field please provide the player’s school rather than their chess program. 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

*$40 through Thursday, 9/26/2026
*$50 through Saturday, 11/7/2026
*$55 as of Sunday, 11/8/2026 and ENDS at 5pm on Thursday 11/12/26
*$65 Last chance and onsite entry, if space is available. If after 7:30am on 11/14, receives 1/2pt bye in round 1, and begins play in round 2.

Withdrawals requested via email before midnight on Wednesday, 11/11/2026 are eligible for a refund (minus a $10 service fee). No refunds for US Chess memberships after purchased from US Chess.

If you need byes (rounds when your player won’t be available to play), please request when you register by adding a note. First bye receives 1/2-point. Further byes receive 0-points. Email us to make changes to your requested byes. Deadline to add or remove a 1st round requested bye is 7:30am Saturday 11/14/2026. All other 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 Sarah Brauner at austinchesstournaments@gmail.com with other questions.

Organized by Rocks & Rooks. Gary Gaiffe, tournament organizer.

View the ONLINE TLA

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Cedar Park January Scholastic Tournament

Registration is open!

Register Here (Click Link)

Tournament Folder with the Entry List and where Pairings/Wall Charts will be Posted 

You won’t get a confirmation email upon registration or payment, so check the above entry list and your child should be listed within 24 hours. Parents will receive an email the week of the tournament. 

Make sure to save the above link!

When: January 9, 2027 from 9AM-4PM
Location: Cedar Park Public Library @ 425 S Parkwest Dr Cedar Park, TX 78613 (Free Parking Onsite!)
The tournament is held in the Event Space to the very left of the library upon entering. It’s where the Sunday Open Chess Play is held. 

Tournament capped at 120 students! My past tournaments have always filled up (usually before early entry ends), so register ASAP! Will note here and/or potentially stop accepting registrations once it fills up, but will accept 10-20 kids onto the waitlist in case there are withdrawals. 

Sections (Subject to Change depending on registration)

K-12 Elite (1,200+)

K-12 U1,200

K-12 U900

K-5 U600

K-3 U400

No playing down. For example, a player rated 700 at the time of the tournament cannot play in K-5U600. Similarly, a 4th grader cannot play in K-3U400. 

*K-12 Elite is restricted to kids that are (or have been previously) 1,200+ USCF regular/quick rated. 

Awards (Subject to Change depending on registration)
Trophy for top 3 places in each Section, medals for positive score, ribbon for everyone else. 

Awards will be handed out after the last round!

*Top 3 places determined by points and tiebreakers calculated by WinTD.

Likely one First Place Team Trophy per section. Will count the top 4 scoring student from each school. 

No check in required. Be seated at 9:15AM for announcements.

First Round: 9:30AM

Second Round: 11AM

Lunch: 12-1

Third Round: 1PM

Fourth Round: 2:15PM

Time Control: G25/d5; will be USCF regular/quick rated 

Registration Information

Early Entry $35 before noon December 9, 2026

Regular Entry $45 before noon December 23, 2026 if there are any spots available

Late Entry $55 before noon January 8, 2027 if there are any spots available

Payment methods: Prefer venmo (Daniel-Hung-3) or zelle (danielhung@utexas.edu or 956-639-5311) (legal name for both Daniel Flood). Payment must be made before the above deadlines to lock in your price and registration. Refund subject to $5 transaction fee! 

What to Bring and Know
Please bring a clock if you have one. We will provide all the chess sets this time. 
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 for everyone 4th grade and up. Notation sheets will be available if needed, but please bring a pencil or pen. Strongly encouraged to bring your own notation book/sheets. 

Additional Rules

Parents/guardians will not be allowed in the playing hall or hallway leading up to the playing hall while play is in process as this was too distracting at the last tournament. The Library strongly suggests only one adult attend per family to avoid overcrowding. Additionally, to make room for up to 120 kids to compete, there will not be enough chairs for the parents in the playing hall. Each player must also leave the playing hall after each round. Parents and players that are done with their game should stay at the main library building, but avoid crowding in front of the playing hall. A waiting room will be able to accommodate some. Only drinks allowed in the playing hall. Food must be consumed outside. See the library website for more information about where food may be consumed https://www.cedarparktexas.gov/198/Guidelines-Policies

contact me at danielhung@utexas.edu with any questions 

*This is not a City of Cedar Park or Library sponsored event

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AGCA December Scholastic & Open Tour #2

Tournament date: 12/19/26

Register at : https://austin-chess.com/events/

Early entry $40 through 12/6; Regular entry $50 12/7-12/13; Late entry $65 from 12/14

Players are allowed to play up within 100 rating points for a $0.50/point fee. See registration website for other policies, including byes and cancellation.

Scholastic U700

0 – 699

G/25; d5

6 Rounds

10:00 AM

Scholastic U1100

700 – 1099

G/25; d5

6 Rounds

10:00 AM

Scholastic U1500

1100 – 1499

G/35; d5

5 Rounds

10:00 AM

Scholastic U1900

1500 – 1899

G/55; d5

4 Rounds

10:00 AM

Open 1900+

1900+

G/55; d5

4 Rounds

10:00 AM

SCHEDULES:

Schedules vary by section, see website for specific times

Prizes

  • Open Section:
  • 1st Place $300
  • 2nd Place $200
  • 3rd Place $100
  • 60% of Play-up fees will directly be added to the prizes so they may be higher.
  • Scholastic Sections:
  • Trophies for 1st Place
  • Medals for 2nd and 3rd Place
  • Books for the top finishers as well
Posted on by

AGCA December Scholastic & Open Tour #1

Tournament date: 12/5/26

Register at : https://austin-chess.com/events/

Early entry $40 through 11/22; Regular entry $50 11/23-11/29; Late entry $65 from 11/30

Players are allowed to play up within 100 rating points for a $0.50/point fee. See registration website for other policies, including byes and cancellation.

Scholastic U600

0 – 599

G/25; d5

6 Rounds

10:00 AM

Scholastic U1000

600 – 999

G/25; d5

6 Rounds

10:00 AM

Scholastic U1400

1000 – 1399

G/35; d5

5 Rounds

10:00 AM

Scholastic U1800

1400 – 1799

G/55; d5

4 Rounds

10:00 AM

Open 1800+

1800+

G/55; d5

4 Rounds

10:00 AM

SCHEDULES:

Schedules vary by section, see website for specific times

Prizes

  • Open Section:
  • 1st Place $300
  • 2nd Place $200
  • 3rd Place $100
  • 60% of Play-up fees will directly be added to the prizes so they may be higher.
  • Scholastic Sections:
  • Trophies for 1st Place
  • Medals for 2nd and 3rd Place
  • Books for the top finishers as well