Tag: Rocks & Rooks

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Open Section at Paragon 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

Paragon Prep
7944 Great Northern Boulevard
Austin, TX 78757

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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Paragon 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

Paragon Prep
7944 Great Northern Boulevard
Austin, TX 78757

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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2026 St Andrews Summer Chess Camp

Description: A full-day, week-long chess camp, hosted by St. Andrew’s Episcopal School at their Shoal Creek Campus from June 22-26, 2026.  The camp will be run by Gary Gaiffe and a team of local chess instructors. All scholastic players are invited to register!

The Summer Catalog is now online! Registration for camps is HERE

Camp dates: Week #4, June 22 – June 26, 2026.
Time: 9:00am-4:00pm
Price: $570
Location: 31st St. Campus
Teacher: St. Andrew’s Summer Camp Specialist, Gary Gaiffe
Target audience: kids grades 1-8

Chess Camp includes formal instruction and play, plus a camp-wide tournament at the end of the week! Beginners learn basic chess theory, game objectives, piece movement, game and tournament rules. Intermediates study chess analysis and decision-making, tactics, checkmate patterns and tournament strategies. Advanced students are taught more sophisticated chess techniques and decision-making, complex tactics, calculated and intuitive sacrifices, opening and endgame analysis.

Contact instructor Gary Gaiffe, ggaiffe@att.net, 512-426-7841 with questions as to camp content and appropriateness for your students.

For all other questions, including those regarding registration procedures, please contact the Summer Camp office, summercamp@sasaustin.org..

Please visit the camp website before making inquiries. The website covers the topics of early arrival and aftercare, drop-off and pick-up, lunch and supervision, student conduct, class sizes, and cancellation policy.

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2026 NYOS Summer Chess Camp

Registration is open!

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. Great price for a full week of learning and fun!

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 6-10; 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

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

Registration and Payment information:  View or download the  camp registration (pdf) or (docx) form!

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

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Open Section at the 2026 Spring Paragon Tournament

Awards:

Full pairings and standings can be found at the registration link below (click on the blue “Live” text to get to them).

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

See Preregistration List HERE

Info email sent Friday 4/10 HERE

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

Paragon Prep
7944 Great Northern Boulevard
Austin, TX 78757

Eligibility

Open Section:
All adults
Any youth who have reached at least 1200 monthly published rating as of April 2026 (exceptions made for live ratings).

Ineligible entries will be moved to the appropriate ‘under’ scholastic section of the 2026 Spring Paragon 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 April 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, 3/19/2026
*$50 (youth) /$40 (adult) through Saturday, 4/4/2026
*$55 (youth) /$45 (adult) as of Sunday, 4/5/2026 and ENDS at 5pm on Thursday 4/9/26, at which time online entry closes.
*$65 (youth) / $50 (adult) Onsite entry (entry after regular online entry closes). Link will be available from the time regular online entry closes through 9:30am Saturday 4/11/2026. Open section first round play requires registration and payment before 8:45am Saturday.

Withdrawals requested via email before midnight on Wednesday 4/8/26 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.

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.

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

Email Sarah Brauner (AustinChessTournaments@gmail.com) with other questions. No phone calls, please. Emails will be returned promptly.

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

View the ONLINE TLA!

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Open Section at Greater Austin Scholastic Championships

Awards:

Full pairings and standings can be found at the registration link below (click on the blue “Live” text to get to them).

The wrap-up email will be linked HERE once sent.

USCF rated chess tournament on February 21, 2026 for adults and more advanced scholastic players. 4 round Swiss at G/45 +5.

Full pairings and standings can be found at the registration link below (click on the blue “Live” text to get to them).

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

See Preregistration List HERE

Basics

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 (bring your own if at all possible), and mandatory notation. If registrations exceed 32, we reserve the right to split into two sections.

Location

NYOS Charter School
12333 N Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78753

Eligibility

All adults
Any youth who have reached at least 1300 by the February 2026 USCF supplement.
Ineligible entries will be moved to the appropriate scholastic section of the 2026 Greater Austin Scholastic Championships.

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 February 28, 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!
9:00 a.m. Open section begins. Open has 4 rounds, all rounds are are 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 Section:

rd 1 – 9:00am, rd2 – 11:00am, 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 TBA.  Only water bottles allowed at the chess board.

Awards

Cash prizes (to winners in both sections, in the case of multiple sections), 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

 

Entry fee pricing is staggered and based on date of entry/payment. 

*youth – $35/adult – $25 through Saturday, 1/31/2026.
*youth – $45/adult – $35 through Saturday, 2/14/2026.
*Late entry youth-$50 / adult – $40 begins Sunday, 2/15/2026 and ENDS at midnight on Wednesday 2/18/26, at which time online entry closes.
*If space permits, onsite registration on Saturday, 2/21/26 will be permitted, $50 regardless of age. Cash or venmo only. First round play requires registration and payment before 8:45am.

Withdrawals requested via email before midnight on Wednesday 2/18/26 are eligible for a refund (minus a $10 service fee). No exceptions. NO email/phone entries.

If you need byes, request them by adding a note when you register. 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 2/20/2026. All 1/2-point byes must be requested/removed before the end of round 2.

Email Sarah Brauner (austinchesstournaments@gmail.com) with other questions. No phone calls, please. Emails will be returned promptly.

Organized by Rocks & Rooks

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Open and K-12 Elite Sections at the Paragon Prep January 2026 Tournament-NOW ON 1/31/26

Awards:

Full pairings and standings can be found at the registration link below (click on the blue “Live” text to get to them).

The wrap-up email sent out the evening of 1/31 can be found HERE

Player reminder email sent Thursday evening is linked HERE

The Open and K-12 Sections held in conjunction with the Rocks & Rooks scholastic chess tournament on January 31, 2026. The first major Rocks & Rooks event of 2026! This USCF rated chess tournament is for adults and more advanced scholastic players.

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

See Preregistration List HERE

 

Basics

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 (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

Paragon Prep
7944 Great Northern Boulevard
Austin, TX 78757

Eligibility

Open Section:
All adults
Any youth who have reached at least 1200 on the January 2026 USCF supplement (exceptions made for live ratings).
K-12 Elite:
Any youth rated between 950 and 1299 on the January 2026 USCF supplement (exceptions made for live ratings).

Ineligible entries will be moved to the appropriate ‘under’ scholastic section of the Paragon Prep January 2026 Scholastic Tournament

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. Adults new to tournament chess are welcome to play in the open section. Youth players MUST have a ratings-history. Your USCF membership cannot expire before January 31, 2026. USCF memberships can be renewed/purchased at check-out.

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!
8:45 a.m. K-12 Elite begins
9:15 a.m. Open  sections begin. Open has 4 rounds of G/45,+5; K-12 Elite has 5 rounds of G/40, +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 and K-12 Elite Sections*:
Open (4 rounds):
rd 1 – 9:15am, rd 2 – 11:10am, rd 3 – 1:30pm, rd 4 – 3:30pm
K-12 Elite (5 rounds):
rd 1 – 8:45am, rd 2 – 10:35am, rd 3 – 12:25pm, rd 4 – 2:15pm, rd 5 – 4:00pm

(Sections will play in separate rooms.)

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 will be offered for purchase. You may bring your 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.). 
K-12 Elite:
Trophies to top finishers. Medals to positive scores not receiving a trophy. Trophies to top teams.

Registration Information

*$40 (youth) /$30 (adult) through Saturday, 12/20/2025
*$50 (youth) /$40 (adult) through Saturday, 1/10/2026
*$55 (youth) /$45 (adult) as of Sunday, 1/11/2026 and ENDS at 5pm on Thursday 1/29/26, at which time online entry closes.
*$65 (youth) / $50 (adult) Late entry (after regular online entry closes), IF space is available. Link will be available from the time regular online entry closes thru 9:30am Saturday 1/31/2026. All scholastic late entries receive a 1/2pt bye in round 1, and begin play in round 2. Open section first round play requires registration and payment before 8:45am Saturday.

Withdrawals requested via email before midnight on Wednesday 1/28/26 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.
*K-12 Elite: Deadline to add or remove a 1st round requested bye is 9am Friday 1/30/2026. All 1/2-point byes must be requested or removed before the end of round 2. After 9am Friday, please make all changes and requests onsite at Chess Control.
*Open section: Will be paired onsite.  Round 1 changes must be made no later than 8:45am.

Email Sarah Brauner (AustinChessTournaments@gmail.com) with other questions. No phone calls, please. Emails will be returned promptly.

View the ONLINE TLA!

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Open and K-12 Elite Sections at the Paragon Prep 2025 April Scholastic Tournament

The Open and K-12 Sections held in conjunction with the Rocks & Rooks scholastic chess tournament on April 12, 2025. The last major Rocks & Rooks event of the school year! This USCF rated chess tournament is for adults and more advanced scholastic players.

Final Results are available!

The event has been rated by the USCF.

Verify your entry on the advance entry list.

Basics

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 (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

Paragon Prep
7944 Great Northern Boulevard
Austin, TX 78757

Eligibility

Open Section:
All adults
Any youth who have reached at least 1200 on the April 2025 USCF supplement (exceptions made for live ratings).
K-12 Elite:
Any youth rated between 950 and 1299 on the April 2025 USCF supplement (exceptions made for live ratings).

Ineligible entries will be moved to the appropriate ‘under’ scholastic section of the Paragon Prep April 2025 Scholastic Tournament

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. Adults new to tournament chess are welcome to play in the open section. Youth players MUST have a ratings-history. Your USCF membership cannot expire before April 12, 2025.  USCF memberships can be renewed/purchased at check-out.

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!
8:45 a.m. K-12 Elite begins
9:15 a.m. Open  sections begin. Open has 4 rounds of G/45,+5; K-12 Elite has 5 rounds of G/40, +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 and K-12 Elite Sections*:
Open (4 rounds):
rd 1 – 9:15am, rd 2 – 11:10am, rd 3 – 1:25pm, rd 4 – 3:30pm
K-12 Elite (5 rounds):
rd 1 – 8:45am, rd 2 – 10:35am, rd 3 – 12:25pm, rd 4 – 2:15pm, rd 5 – 4:00pm

(Sections will play in separate rooms.)

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

Proper handwashing and adherence to COVID 19 exposure guidelines mandatory!

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.). 
K-12 Elite:
Trophies to top finishers. Medals to positive scores not receiving a trophy. Trophies top teams.  

Registration Information

*$40 (youth) /$30 (adult) thru Saturday, 3/1/2025
*$50 (youth) /$40 (adult) thru Saturday, 3/22/2025
*$55 (youth) /$45 (adult) as of Sunday, 3/23/2025 and ENDS at 5pm on Thursday 04/10/25, at which time online entry closes.
*$65 (youth) / $50 (adult) Late entry (after regular online entry closes), IF space is available. Link will be available from the time regular online entry closes thru 9:30am Saturday 4/12/2025.  All scholastic late entries receive a 1/2pt bye in round 1, and begin play in round 2. Open section first round play requires registration and payment before 8:45am Saturday.

Withdrawals requested via email before midnight on Wednesday 04/09/25 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.
*K-12 Elite: Deadline to add or remove a 1st round requested bye is 9am Friday 04/11/2025. All 1/2-point byes must be requested or removed before the end of round 2. After 9am Friday, please make all changes and requests onsite at Chess Control.
*Open section: Will be paired onsite.  Round 1 changes must be made no later than 8:45am.

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).

View the ONLINE TLA!

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Paragon Prep April 2025 Scholastic Tournament

The last Rocks & Rooks scholastic chess tournament of the school year, held on April 12, 2025  All sections are G/25, +5.  Trophies and medals awarded top individuals AND teams! A tournament for adults and youth rated 1000+ offered as well! 
A (timed) chess puzzle contest will be held from 10am – 2:30pm in room 139 (come when you have free time). $5 entry onsite (venmo or cash). Trophies to top winner(s) in each age bracket. Register at Chess Control until 10am.  After 10am, register at the Room 139.

Final Results are available!
The event has been rated by the USCF.

Verify your entry on the Advance Entry (Pre-registration) list. 

Basics

USCF rated chess tournament on April 12th in multiple RATED scholastic sections: K-3 U400, K-5 U600, K-5 U1000, 6-12 U600, and 6-12 U1000. Please note: all scholastic players rated 1000 and over must play in the Open or K-12 Elite sections. 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 U400 section is excused from taking notation. Please review the Parent/Coach Responsibilities before registering

Location

Paragon Prep
7944 Great Northern Boulevard
Austin, TX 78757

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 April 30, 2025. 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 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 contact the registrar for options. 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.

Please note: April 2024 ‘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 is rated after March 19th will not affect your April supplement rating, as those events takes place after April 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!

Food will be offered for purchase.  You may also bring lunch and snacks.  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, Siblings, Parents, Grandparents, or coach paired with at least one scholastic aged player.)

Registration Information

*$40 thru Saturday, 3/1/2025
*$50 thru Saturday, 3/22/2025
*$55 as of Sunday, 3/23/2025 and ENDS at 5pm on Thursday 04/10/25, at which time online entry closes.
*$65 Onsite entry, if space is available . Receives 1/2pt bye in round 1, and begins play in round 2.

Withdrawals requested via email before midnight on Wednesday, 4/09/2025 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 04/11/2025. All 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 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).

View the ONLINE TLA!

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Open and K-12 Elite Sections at the Paragon Prep 2025 January Scholastic Tournament

The Open and K-12 Sections held in conjunction with the Rocks & Rooks scholastic chess tournament on January 25, 2025. USCF rated chess tournament for adults and more advanced scholastic players. Open plays 4SS at G/45,+5 and K-12 Elite plays 5SS at G/40,+5.

Verify your entry on the advance entry list.

Thank you for playing! Final Results are online!  The tournament has been rated by the USCF.

Basics

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 (bring your own if at all possible), and mandatory notation. If registrations exceed 32, we reserve the right to split into two sections.

Location

Paragon Prep
7944 Great Northern Boulevard
Austin, TX 78757

Eligibility

Open Section:
All adults
Any youth who have reached at least 1300 by the January 2025 USCF supplement.
K-12 Elite:
Any youth rated between 950 and 1399 on the January 2025 USCF Supplement

Ineligible entries will be moved to the appropriate ‘under’ scholastic section of the Paragon Prep 2025 January Scholastic. 

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 January 31, 2025.  USCF memberships can be renewed/purchased at check-out.

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!
8:45 a.m. K-12 Elite begins
9:15 a.m. Open  sections begin. Open has 4 rounds of G/45,+5; K-12 Elite has 5 rounds of G/40, +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 and K-12 Elite Sections*:
Open (4 rounds):
rd 1 – 9:15am, rd 2 – 11:10am, rd 3 – 1:25pm, rd 4 – 3:30pm
K-12 Elite (5 rounds):
rd 1 – 8:45am, rd 2 – 10:35am, rd 3 – 12:25pm, rd 4 – 2:15pm, rd 5 – 4:00pm

(Sections will play in separate rooms.)

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.

Zaika’s Indian Kitchen will be offering a luncheon menu (11:00am – 2:30pm) for purchase at the event and the NYOS chess club will offer snacks and drinks for purchase.  Only water bottles allowed at the chess board.

Proper handwashing and adherence to COVID 19 exposure guidelines mandatory!

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.). 
K-12 Elite:
Trophies to top finishers. Medals to positive scores not receiving a trophy. Trophies top teams.  

Registration Information

Entry fee pricing is staggered and based on date of entry/payment. 

*youth – $40/adult – $30 thru Wednesday, 12/25/2024.
*youth – $45/adult – $35 thru Wednesday, 01/15/2025
*youth – $50/adult – $40 thru Thursday, 1/23/2025 5pm
*$60 Late entry (after regular online entry closes), IF space is available. Link will be available from the time regular online entry closes thru 9:30am Saturday 1/25/2025.  All scholastic late entries receive a 1/2pt bye in round 1, and begin play in round 2. Open section first round play requires registration and payment before 8:45am Saturday.

Withdrawals requested via email before midnight on Wednesday 01/22/2025 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 01/24/2025. 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).

View the ONLINE TLA!