Tag: scholastic

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AGCA Summer Scholastic # 1

We are hosting an In-Person USCF Rated Scholastic Tournament on June 7, 2025 from 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM.  USCF Membership required.   Capacity: 92 players! 

LOCATION:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
12466 Los Indios Trail
Suite 100
Austin, TX 78729
Free parking provided!

TOURNAMENT STYLE:
SECTION A: 1600+ USCF rating
SECTION B: 1200 – 1599 USCF rating
SECTION C: 800 – 1199 USCF rating
SECTION D: 400 – 799 USCF rating
SECTION E: Under 400 USCF rating and/or unrated.
*Note that no player will be allowed to play up or down*
*The higher of the official or most recent rating will determine section selection.**
*If two adjacent sections each have an odd number of players, and the highest-rated player in the lower section is within 50 rating points of the higher section, they may be moved up to balance the sections**
These rules are to avoid byes and better pairings for all.
*USCF MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED*

RATING INFORMATION:
● June 2025 official USCF ratings will be used.

Time Controls:

Section A: G/60, d5 (60 minutes per player with a 5-second delay)
Section B: G/45, d5 (45 minutes per player with a 5-second delay)
Section C: G/45, d5 (45 minutes per player with a 5-second delay)
Section D: G/30, d5 (30 minutes per player with a 5-second delay)
Section E: G/30, d5 (30 minutes per player with a 5-second delay)

4-Round Swiss System Schedule 
Time Controls vary by section (because of the time control being used).  Please see the event website or online TLA for a full list of round times.
●  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. Please leave your phone at home, in your car, or turned off (vibrate/silent not acceptable) on top of your table. 

ENTRY FEES:
●  Online: $40 at https://austin-chess.com/tournaments/agca-summer-scholastic-1/  by 11:59pm, June 1, 2025
●  $50  on or after June 2, 2025
For additional questions, please contact us at info@austin-chess.com

PRIZES:
●  Trophies for 1st place (in each section)
● Medals for 2nd and 3rd place (in each section)

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 an 80% refund.. We reserve the right to charge a service fee for cancellations.  NO refunds will be issued if we are notified of cancellation within 24 hours of the start of the event.

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.

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

View the Online TLA!

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Junior San Antonio City Championship 2025

Description: The Junior San Antonio City Championship is a thrilling side event for the City Championship, offering young players of all skill levels the chance to compete in a challenging and inclusive tournament. Participants will play four rounds against opponents of similar skill range, with trophies awarded to the top 3 of each section as well 1 team trophy per section. The tournament provides a supportive and friendly atmosphere, encouraging players to hone their skills, build confidence, and connect with others who share their passion for the game of chess. This is a USCF rated tournament.

Note: If you are playing in the main event 2-Day schedule, please make sure to request a first round bye for the main event.

LIMIT 100 PEOPLE FOR THIS EVENT.

Location:
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham 
San Antonio River Walk
303 Blum St
San Antonio, TX 78205

Round times:
• 4 Rounds• Rounds 1 starts Saturday morning at 9 AM

Time controls:
• All Rounds G/30;d5

Entry fee:
$30 before the 21st, $40 normal registration. Registration closes at 5pm the 26th. Day before the tournament
**Any cancellations that require a refund will be charged a $7 processing fee.

Sections and Prizes:

K-1st grade
2nd-3rd grade
4th-5th grade
6th-8th grade
9th-12th grade

  • Trophies for the top 3 in each section
  • Team trophy for the top 1 each section (max 4 students per team that is counted) As many students can play on a team, but only top 4 count toward the team total

Note: We reserve the right to combine sections if necessary.

Visit the Event Website!

Questions:
Contact Complete Chess (completechess@gmail.com) if you have questions about this event.

View the ONLINE TLA!

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2025 TCA South Texas Scholastic Championship – Final Results

The 2025 Texas State (South) Scholastic Chess Championships held at Stillman Middle School in Brownsville, Texas on March 15 – March 6, 2025.

Final Results are below. 

Special congratulations to our new State Champions.
K-1: Akhil Gopu (individual), Canterbury Elementary (team)
Primary:  Morgana E Rodriguez Marin (individual), Bonham Elementary (team)
Elementary: Asher Chodniewicz  (individual), Americo Paredes Elementary (team)
Middle School:  Joshua Meng  (individual), Rising Scholars Academy (team)
High School:  Ethan Y Wang (individual), Veterans Memorial High School, Brownsville (team)

The event  has been rated by the USCF: https://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?202503164222.0-30288162 .

Thank you for playing!!!

Return to the  State Scholastic tournament page .

K-1 Championship

Final Results (Individual)    (Team)

Primary JV (K-3 U600)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Primary Championship

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Elementary JV (K-5/6 U800)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Elementary Championship

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Middle School JV (6-8 U900)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Middle School Championship

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

High School JV(9-12 U1000)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

High School Championship

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

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2025 TCA North Texas Scholastic Championship – Final Results

The 2025 Texas State (North) Scholastic Chess Championships held at The Vista in Lewisville, Texas on February 28 – March 2, 2025.

Final Results are below. 

Special congratulations to our new State Champions.
K-1: Lakshan Ganesh (individual), Basis Cedar Park (team)
Primary:  Praneel Akula (individual), Talley Elementary (team)
Elementary:  Oscar Yihang Zhang  (individual), McCoy Elementary (team)
Middle School:  Vijay Srinivas Anand  (individual), Uplift Education – North (team)
High School:  Aryan Gutla (individual), Coppell High School (team)

The event  has been rated by the USCF:  https://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?202503022542.0-15570195.

Thank you for playing!!!

Return to the  State Scholastic tournament page .

K-1 Championship

Final Results (Individual)    (Team)

Primary JV (K-3 U500)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Primary Championship

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Elementary Novice (K-5/6 U500)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Elementary JV (K-5/6 U900)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Elementary Championship

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Middle School Novice (6-8 U500)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Middle School JV (6-8 U900)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

Middle School Championship

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

High School JV(9-12 U1000)

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

High School Championship

Final Results   (Individual)    (Team)

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AGCA Summer Camp 3 – 2025

Description: A full day, week long chess camp, hosted by the Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy from July 7-11, 2025.  All scholastic players are invited to register. Day passes available!

Location:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
12466 Los Indios Trail, Ste 100
Austin, TX 78729

Coaches: GM Kamil Dragun, CM Jeffrey Serna, Shahin Masoumi

Groups:
Each camp features five  days of instruction. Students will be separated into 5 groups:
Beginner Group: Under 400 USCF (including unrated)
Novice Group: 400-800 USCF
Intermediate Group: 800-1200 USCF
Advanced Group: 1200 – 1600 USCF
Expert Group: 1500+ USCF
**NOTE: It is, however, required for the kids to know all the rules of chess and how each pieces move!
For more information, link to the the camp website.

Date and Time: 3rd camp session: July 7-11, 2025, 9am – 4pm

Daily Schedule
Drop-off: 8:30 – 9:00 am
Camp start: 9:00 am
Lunch break: 12:00 -1:00 pm
Camp resumes: 1:00 pm
Pick up: 4:00 – 4:30 pm

Food:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy staff will provide light snacks and beverages during scheduled snack times. Students are encouraged to bring their own lunch. 

**NOTE: Please email us at info@austin-chess.com with any food allergies and/or restrictions your child may have! 

Registration:
Please register and pay online. 
Full week attendance is preferred; however, Day Passes are available – just send us an email (info@austin-chess.com).
Weekly Fee is $500.
Day Pass Fee is $115

Cancellation Policy
A full refund, minus a $50 service fee, will be provided for all cancellation requests received 7 days prior to camp start date. No refunds are provided if the cancellation is not received a week prior to camp start date.

Questions:
Contact  the Austin Grandmaster staff (info@austin-chess.com) if you have questions about registering for this event. 

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AGCA Summer Camp 2 – 2025

Description: A full day, week long chess camp, hosted by the Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy from June 16-20, 2025.  All scholastic players are invited to register. Day passes available!

Location:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
12466 Los Indios Trail, Ste 100
Austin, TX 78729

Coaches: GM Kamil Dragun, CM Jeffrey Serna, Shahin Masoumi

Groups:
Each camp features five  days of instruction. Students will be separated into 5 groups:
Beginner Group: Under 400 USCF (including unrated)
Novice Group: 400-800 USCF
Intermediate Group: 800-1200 USCF
Advanced Group: 1200-1600 USCF
Expert Group: 1500+ USCF
**NOTE: It is, however, required for the kids to know all the rules of chess and how each pieces move!
For more information, link to the the camp website.

Date and Time: 2nd camp session: June `16-20, 2025, 9am – 4pm

Daily Schedule
Drop-off: 8:30 – 9:00 am
Camp start: 9:00 am
Lunch break: 12:00 -1:00 pm
Camp resumes: 1:00 pm
Pick up: 4:00 – 4:30 pm

Food:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy staff will provide light snacks and beverages during scheduled snack times. Students are encouraged to bring their own lunch. 

**NOTE: Please email us at info@austin-chess.com with any food allergies and/or restrictions your child may have! 

Registration:
Please register and pay online. 
Full week attendance is preferred; however, Day Passes are available – just send us an email (info@austin-chess.com).
Weekly Fee is $500.
Day Pass Fee is $115

Cancellation Policy
A full refund, minus a $50 service fee, will be provided for all cancellation requests received 7 days prior to camp start date. No refunds are provided if the cancellation is not received a week prior to camp start date.

Questions:
Contact  the Austin Grandmaster staff (info@austin-chess.com) if you have questions about registering for this event. 

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AGCA Summer Camp 1 – 2025

Description: A full day, week long chess camp, hosted by the Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy from June 2-6, 2025.  All scholastic players are invited to register. Day passes available!

Location:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy
12466 Los Indios Trail, Ste 100
Austin, TX 78729

Coaches: GM Kamil Dragun, CM Jeffrey Serna, Shahin Masoumi

Groups:
Each camp features five  days of instruction. Students will be separated into 5 groups:
Beginner Group: Under 400 USCF (including unrated)
Novice Group: 400-800 USCF
Intermediate Group: 800-1200 USCF
Advanced Group: 1200 – 1600 USCF
Expert Group: 1500+ USCF
**NOTE: It is, however, required for the kids to know all the rules of chess and how each pieces move!
For more information, link to the the camp website.

Date and Time: 1st camp session: June 2-6, 2025, 9am – 4pm

Daily Schedule
Drop-off: 8:30 – 9:00 am
Camp start: 9:00 am
Lunch break: 12:00 -1:00 pm
Camp resumes: 1:00 pm
Pick up: 4:00 – 4:30 pm

Food:
Austin Grandmaster Chess Academy staff will provide light snacks and beverages during scheduled snack times. Students are encouraged to bring their own lunch. 

**NOTE: Please email us at info@austin-chess.com with any food allergies and/or restrictions your child may have! 

Registration:
Please register and pay online. 
Full week attendance is preferred; however, Day Passes are available – just send us an email (info@austin-chess.com).
Weekly Fee is $500.
Day Pass Fee is $115

Cancellation Policy
A full refund, minus a $50 service fee, will be provided for all cancellation requests received 7 days prior to camp start date. No refunds are provided if the cancellation is not received a week prior to camp start date.

Questions:
Contact  the Austin Grandmaster staff (info@austin-chess.com) if you have questions about registering for this event. 

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2025 Paragon Summer Camp: Chess for Enjoyment and Improvement

Description: Save the date!!! A full-day, week-long chess camp, hosted by Paragon Prep on June 9-13, 2025.  Featuring Gary Gaiffe and local area instructors. All scholastic players are invited to register!

Grades K – 8th.  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.

Date and Time: 3rd camp session: June 9-13, 2024, 9am –4pm

Registration: To register, please register on Paragon Prep’s Summer Camp website (more details and registration coming soon). 

Location:
Paragon Prep Elementary
7938 Great Northern Blvd
Austin, TX 78757

Questions:
Contact Paragon Prep Summer Programs (summer@paragonprep.com, 512-459-5040) if you have questions about registering for this event. Contact Gary gaiffe (ggaiffe@att.net) if you have questions about chess content.

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2025 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 14-18; 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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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!