Joining the Tournament on ChessKid • Log into ChessKid.Com using the tournament username that will be shared with you a few days prior to the tournament. If you have a different ChessKid Username that you normally use, it will NOT work for this tournament • Click on Play -> Play vs. Kid • Click on your tournament section on the right • Click “JOIN”. The “JOIN” button will appear 30 minutes before the tournament starts • Stay on this page and your game will start automatically between 9am-9:03am CST when the tournament begins
The tournament is 5 rounds and the time control for each player is 15 minutes plus a 5 second increment per move. There is no elimination as participants will play all rounds.
• When you finish a game, do not leave the tournament lobby. The lobby shows the number of games remaining, which should give you a good idea how long it will be until the next round begins. • You may watch other games in observation mode. • Do NOT exit out of the tournament until the completion of all rounds! • There will be a 5 minute break between the last game of your section completing and the beginning of your next round. Do not match other opponents. Your game will start automatically. • When your last game is completed, you may leave ChessKid. Final results will be shared once all full play can be reviewed for games played.
There will be a warm up event at 7pm on Thursday, March 4th for all pre-registered participants of the Region V and VI Scholastic Championships. This event is optional but encouraged. The warm up event is 4 rounds and has a time control of 8 minutes with a 1 second increment. There are no awards for the warm up event as its main purpose is to practice playing chess on ChessKid, ensure your tournament login works, learn how to join a tournament on ChessKid, and troubleshoot any issues before the real tournament.
Please see below for instructions on how to join the warm up event on March 4th. • Log into ChessKid.Com using the tournament username that will be shared with you a few days before the event. If you have a different ChessKid Username that you normally use, it will NOT work for this tournament. You will use the same login for the warm up event that you will use for the actual tournament. • Click on Play -> Play vs. Kid • Click on your tournament section on the right • Click “JOIN”. The “JOIN” button will appear 30 minutes before the tournament starts • Stay on this page and your game will start automatically between 7:00pm-7:03pm CST when the warm up event begins
Troubleshooting • If you are using a browser other than Chrome or Firefox, ChessKid highly recommends that you switch browsers. ChessKid tournaments work best on Chrome or Firefox • If you are using a phone, iPad, or Chromebook, ChessKid highly recommends using a computer or laptop instead • If the Club on ChessKid says that you need to be given permission or an Admin needs to give you access, please make sure you are logged in with the Tournament ID above and not a different ChessKid Account. • If you do not see a “Join” button for the tournament, please make sure you are using a Chrome or Firefox browser. Computers and laptops are highly recommended over chromebooks, iPads, or phones. Clear your cache and refresh the page. • If your game freezes during the game, please refresh your page to see if that solves the problem • It is highly recommended that you clear your cache before the tournament begins
Live Help Desk (during the tournament) ChessKid staff will be available starting at 8am CST on Saturday, March 6th to assist you with any questions or issues. For any questions day of event, please ask them here as opposed to sending an email. Please note that the Slack Help Desk will not be staffed for the warm-up event
When you click the link, you’ll be prompted to create an account for Slack. For quickest assistance, please change your Slack Display Name to your child’s ChessKid username
Here’s a video from FunMasterMike reminding kids that honesty and integrity are part of being a good chess player:
Fair play will be taken very seriously. Every single game of an online ChessKid.com event will be subject to review by ChessKid’s industry-leading fair play measures. If a player has violated them, he/she will be removed from the tournament, all games will be declared lost, no refunds will be given, and possible further action can be taken. Parents, your role as stewards of proper behavior is vital. We greatly encourage you to have a talk with your child about this before the event.
A reminder of things that are not allowed when playing online chess: No computer assistance, no human assistance, no watching the live stream, no tablebases, no databases, no books, no notes, no pastgames or scorebooks, no use of a second chess set to analyze variations. In addition, no other programs of any kind are allowed to be open on your child’s computer, and only one browser tab is allowed to be open. If other tabs or programs are found to be opened, this constitutes a “technical violation” and your child will also be removed from the tournament and all games declared lost. Being on Zoom is not necessary for this tournament.
By playing in this tournament, you are agreeing to all of these fair play rules, and you also agree to accept the final conclusions ChessKid renders about fair play.
Because this is an online tournament with a distinct username and password for each player, virtual set-up takes extra time. Many people are working behind the scenes to bring you the best tournament possible.
The registrar will be sending all tournament data to ChessKid.com staff on Tuesday morning. We cannot send in late registrations. NO exceptions.
Registration for the 2021 Region VI Championships closes at 7pm on Monday, March 1st. Please make sure you have submitted your registration online BEFORE 7pm.
You do NOT need a ChessKid.com membership to compete in this event. No later than the Wednesday before the tournament, everyone with a complete, paid registration will receive an email from the tournament registrar with your 2021 Region V/VI ID and password for the ChessKid.com website. That email will also include instructions on how to play in the tournament. Participants must use this tournament username for the tournament. If you already have a ChessKid username, that other username will not work for this event.
Team trophies will be awarded in each Championship scholastic section. The team’s score is the sum of the top scoring 4 players (minimum of 2 players) from that team within a single section. If you attend the same school yet play in different sections, your scores will not combine for team trophy purposes.
Special Information Regarding Section Assignments for TCA tournaments:
Students play in sections based upon their current grade level at school. In TCA tournaments such as this one, Pre-K to 3rd grade students may play in either the Primary or Elementary sections. Elementary schools can have separate Primary and Elementary teams and compete for trophies in both sections, or they can keep all their students together in the Elementary sections. Primary section players’ scores will count toward team and individual standings only in that Primary section—they will not be included in Elementary section standings or the other Primary section standings. Most Pre-K-3rd grade players will play in Primary simply because they are more comfortable playing against opponents closer to their own age. All students, including Pre-K must attend the school in order to compete on the school team. Unrated players may choose any section which is grade-appropriate.
Texas Chess Association rules require that sixth graders who attend an elementary school must play in Elementary. Fifth and 6th graders who attend a middle school play in a Middle School section. Ninth graders who attend a Middle School also play in the Middle School sections. Homeschooled students play in Middle School in 6th grade and High School in 9th grade (base your grade level on age for homeschooled students).
For schools that include some other unusual grouping of grade levels, consult with the tournament director when or after you register to be sure you are in the required section.
For experienced players, section choice is easy. If your rating is too high for any of the under sections, you must play Championship. However, you may not play outside of your grade level, according to TCA rules. (Homeschoolers should register according to the grade they would be placed in by age.)
If you are a new player with a lower rating, you might be able to choose between sections. As long as your grade level and rating fit within a section’s parameters, you may play in that section. When choosing your section, think about the following: Do you like a challenge? Are you hoping to win all of your games or are you playing for the experience? Do you want to be in a section with lots of your friends? There are often many choices. We are hoping to provide smaller sections, giving more participants a chance to succeed.
If you register for one section and find that your rating changes drastically between registration and tournament time, simply contact the registrar via email for a section switch. If your rating increases above your current section limit, the registrar will attempt to contact you, so you may choose between remaining available sections. Please make sure to provide a valid email address with your registration so we may contact you about your section choice if necessary.
The Region VI Championship Tournament is a Texas Chess Association (TCA) CLOSED event, meaning that only residents of TCA’s Region VI may participate. TCA Scholastic Regions are defined in the TCA Bylaws (page 25).
TCA’s Region VI (South Central) is comprised of the following Texas counties: Atascosa, Bandera, Bastrop, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Burleson, Burnett, Caldwell, Colorado, Comal, De Witt, Edwards, Fayette, Frio, Gillespie, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hays, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kinney, Lavaca, Lee, Llano, Medina, Milam, Real, Travis, Uvalde, Washington, Williamson, and Wilson
Scholastic players must reside in or attend school in one of the counties mentioned above in order to compete as a Region VI resident and/or to win a Region VI award.
TCA Scholastic Region VI is highlighted
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