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Introduction to Scholastic Chess Tournaments

Thinking of Playing in a Rated Scholastic Tournament?

Scholastic events are hosted for K-12th Grade students enrolled in public, private, home-based, and independent study schools. Tournaments range from beginner to statewide championships and allow students to compete as individuals and/or as members of a school team. Furthermore, scholastic tournaments may be rated (USCF membership required, www.uschess.org to join) or unrated, and players compete for trophies and individual and school rankings. Each tournament has sections corresponding to grade level or chess ratings level.

A tournament based on grade level section does not differentiate between new or inexperienced players. The kids will all be within a few years of age to one another, unless an experienced player chooses to “play up” a section. (Players are not allowed to play in a section younger than their own.) A typical tournament sectioned by grade level may look like this:

  • K-1 for Kindergarteners and 1st graders. Pre-K and younger children are welcome to register in this section.
  • K-3 for (experienced) Kindergarteners through 3rd graders
  • K-5 primarily for 4th and 5th graders, though experienced K-3 players may register for this section.
  • K-8 for middle school players
  • K-12 for high school players

A tournament based on chess ratings level offers competition within ability levels, as measured by past performance in USCF rated tournaments. Rated tournaments will break their sections as the Tournament Director sees fit, but here are the frequently used categories:

  • Unrated - new members of the US Chess Federation (USCF) do not score a chess rating until after their first tournament. In scholastic tournaments, an unrated player usually means that the child is fairly inexperienced and new to chess. Sometimes, however, an unrated player is someone who has considerable experience playing at home or in unrated tournaments, so never underestimate your opponent!
  • Under 600 or Under 800 - The minimum chess rating a USCF member may have is 100, which indicates that all previous rated chess matches were losses. Points are awarded or deducted for draws (ties) and wins based on opponents’ chess ratings. A win against a much higher rated player elevates the winner’s chess rating much more so than against a player whose rating is similar to his own. The same works in reverse for a loss. The Under 600 or Under 800 section will have beginner or intermediate skilled players.
  • Under 1000 or Under 1200 - More advanced scholastic players with several years experience play in this section, though sometimes kids near the upper limit (within 100 points) of the next lower section will choose to “play up” for the opportunity to compete against more skilled players and potentially improve their own chess ratings.
  • Open - An Open section is for the highest rated players or those desiring the most competitive matches. Open is technically available to any player, but kids are usually advised to compete within their own skill bracket. Each tournament will specify the requirements for playing in a particular section.

Each of the tournaments on the Schedule of Tournaments will identify itself as Rated or Unrated and for Individual and/or Team play. Tournaments are typically one full weekend day, although some beginner tournaments may take place in a single afternoon, while experienced players may compete in multi-day events.


Thinking of Hosting a Rated Scholastic Tournament?

Students progressing in their chess journeys will eventually want to play in USCF-rated chess tournaments. Sometimes, however, there aren’t tournaments in your area or at convenient times for your players. For school chess clubs that are growing and thriving, hosting rated USCF tournaments might be a logical next step. 

The best first step in considering if you want to run a scholastic tournament is to attend a well-run tournament yourself. Observe how the tournament directors communicate with parents, post pairings, set up the game room, and so on–all these little details are important for hosting a successful event. 

Assuming you have access to a physical space where your tournaments can be held, the next step to hosting your own USCF-rated tournaments is getting a coach to be certified as a USCF Tournament Director (“TD”). The requirements for the certification process can be found on the USCF website here, but to briefly summarize, the prospective TD will need to:

  • Be a member of USChess

  • Complete an online Safe Play training course

  • Read and agree to uphold USChess’s Official Rules of Chess

Most tournaments are run according to a Swiss system that pairs players with similar results from round to round. While it is possible to do these pairings by hand, it is highly advised that the TD purchase a software program such as SwissSys that will make pairings and reporting results to USChess easy. USChess has also produced some very helpful videos about using SwissSys. Reach out to current TD’s in our Georgia Chess Association community to help answer any questions you may have.

Once you’re ready to host your first tournament, let the Georgia Chess Association webteam (webteam@georgiachess.org) know so it can be posted on the GCA calendar. You’ll also want to create an account on ChessRegister where people can find and register for your event. The list of registered players can even be imported directly from ChessRegister into SwissSys!

Consider sending out an email to parents a day or two before the tournament letting them know about parking, round times, and any other important information that they might wish to know (a follow-up “thank you” email with results after the tournament is also a good idea). At the tournament itself, keep things fun, positive, and efficient. 

Recommended Resources for Tournament Directors

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