2008-09 MAINE STATE SCHOLASTIC CHESS TOURNAMENTS
ELEMENTARY AND JUNIOR HIGH TEAMS
This year's State Scholastic Tournaments will be held at the Memorial Union at the University of Maine Orono Campus. All Team events will be held Saturday, March 7, 2009 this year. ALL TEAMS MUST BE PRE-REGISTERED. PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRES THAT ALL INFORMATION BE RECEIVED BY THE TUESDAY IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE TOURNAMENT. After the Tuesday deadline, team members may be adjusted due to illness, etc., but no team will be allowed to enter after the deadline. Additions to rosters on the day of the tournament will be allowed to compete only in the Novice section, so include all possible players in the pre-registration materials. Changes must be kept to AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM and must be made by the Thursday afternoon preceding the tournament, if at all possible. This will allow us to start Round 1 as close to 9:00 as possible. Pre-payment for the teams is strongly urged as this will speed up the registration process, but you may pay on the day of the tournament. Please check in with the registration desk to confirm your presence and correctness of the entries between 8 and 8:30. Any late team (e.g., travel difficulties) may request a 1/2-point bye for the first round, but the request must be made by 8:30 AM on the day of the tournament. Call the respective Tournament Leader to request the bye by the previous evening if at all possible, or the cell phone number provided below (between 8 and 8:30 AM) to contact the tournament site/leader.
SEND COMPLETED ENTRY FORMS TO :
For Elementary Entries:
Kathy RichardsPhone: 207-876-4746 (Home; evenings)
PO Box 486E-mail:
Guilford, ME 04443
Cell phone - day of the tournament only - 207-717-0414
For JH/Middle School Entries:
Kathy RichardsPhone: 207-876-4746 (Home; evenings)
PO Box 486E-mail:
Guilford, ME 04443
Cell phone - day of the tournament only - 207-717-0414
TOURNAMENT DATES:
ELEMENTARY (K-3 and K-6) AND JUNIOR HIGH (K-8) TEAMS:March 7 (SATURDAY)
SNOW DATE FOR CANCELLATIONS OF TEAM EVENTS: March 14 (SATURDAY)
TIME CONTROLS:GAME/45
CHAMPIONSHIP SECTIONS
ENTRY FEES: Championship team events are USCF-rated and cost $22/person (Scholastic - age 12 and younger), $24 (Youth - age 15 and under) or $30 (Young adult – 24 and under); this includes USCF Scholastic membership for one year. Waiver of USCF membership is available verification of current membership through the tournament date (see entry form). If current USCF membership is indicated (provide date of USCF expiration), the entry fee is $5 per person.
FORMAT: The Championship Sections for the Elementary K-3 and K-6 and Junior High events will follow the USCF National format. Each school may enter as many players as they wish in this section. The students will play a four-round Swiss-system that will avoid pairing teammates. At the end of the four rounds, EACH team score will be:
K-6 and JHS: The total of the five high scorers for the team
K-3: The total of the three high scorers for the team
NOVICE SECTION
ENTRY FEES: $5 / INDIVIDUAL
FORMAT: Trophies will be awarded in the Novice Section, but the games are unrated, USCF membership is not required or included, and the teams will not be competing for the state title. This section provides tournament experience at a modest cost to the school. At the end of four rounds, the team score will be the total of the three (3) HIGHEST SCORING PLAYERS FOR THAT TEAM. Depending on number of entrants, this may be one section, but results will be separated for prizes to elementary and junior high players and teams.
PRIZES: 1st and 2nd PLACE TEAM TROPHIES / DIVISION.
INVITATION TO THE INDIVIDUALS TOURNAMENT will be extended (at no additional fee) to any Elementary or Junior High player scoring 3.0 or better in the Championship Section only. Top girl scorers in each section (Novice excluded) will also qualify as invited. However, the Individual Tournament is open to any State of Maine K-12 student upon payment of the entry fee regardless of team tournament participation results.
NOTE: All members from a team competing for the State title must attend the same school. Home-schooled players are exceptions. Home-schoolers playing for a school team must utilize the chess program closest to the home-schooler's home; some exceptions may be approved by the Board of Directors with sufficient time (two weeks prior to the event) of notification.
CANCELLATION: In the event of a snow storm/other, go to the Chess Maine web page ( for news of possible cancellation. Please be sure that your home phone numbers are on the registration forms. If the Team event is cancelled for March 7, the make-up date is March 14.
FOOD: Food service will be available on site for the events. Drinks and food will NOT be allowed at the playing tables!
COACHES MEETING: There will be a brief meeting of coaches just after the start of Round 2.
Recording of games: REQUIRED for all Junior High Players. Elementary players are encouraged, but not required, to record their games.
CHESS EQUIPMENT: Please bring all the equipment (boards, sets, clocks) that you have. Since this equipment will likely be shared throughout the day, please be sure that the owner is clearly marked to avoid loss and confusion.
DIRECTIONS TO PLAYING SITE: A map and directions to the playing site (the Memorial Union) can be found at www.umaine.edu/locator/ and click on “directions”. Plenty of parking is generally available behind the Union on Saturdays. Signs indicating the way to the Union for the tournaments are generally set out.
2008-09 MAINE STATE SCHOLASTIC CHESS TOURNAMENTS
JUNIOR HIGH AND ELEMENTARY TEAMS
REGISTRATION FORM ATTACHED
COMPLETE ALL INFORMATION REQUESTED!! Incomplete forms (missing USCF #'s, birthdates, etc.) means a lot more work for organizers. In the spirit of cooperation, please make sure all the information is complete and accurate. You can find out a player's ID #, expiration date and rating by looking at their magazine label or visiting the ratings page of the USCF website at Thanks.
PLAYER LIST: Please use the attached page/form to provide a player roster(s). Please make sure the school name, division and section is at the top of every sheet submitted; use a separate sheet for each section. If the $5 entry fee is checked, the coach or entrant must supply the expiration date of the player's membership showing the player is a USCF member current through the date of the tournament. If not a current USCF member, put NA in USCF number slot. (If a USCF member [rating under 600]playing in the Novice section, ratings will help with seedings.) (Include the player's middle initial - all of this information is necessary for USCF new memberships.)
COACH'S INFORMATION: Please provide the requested information. Your home phone number may be needed to obtain any missing information.
**MAKE SURE THE DIVISION YOU WANT TO PLAY IN HAS BEEN CIRCLED **
**PLEASE MAKE ALL CHECKS PAYABLE TO: KATHY RICHARDS, TREASURER, MAINE ASSOCIATION OF CHESS COACHES (MACC). You may pay at the site, but paying in advance will speed things up.**
**MAIL OR EMAIL COMPLETED FORMS TO THE TOURNAMENT LEADER for your tournament (see page 1 for address).**
PLEASE BRING AS MANY BOARDS, CLOCKS AND SETS AS YOU CAN!!!!
OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE
1. The Tournament Director (TD) has enough to do setting up the pairings for each round without having to answer questions. Please direct all questions to the Tournament Leader and/or Assistant Tournament Directors so that pairings can be made and posted as soon as possible. Having people (assistants) available to answer any questions about the tournament, rules, format, etc. is a great help. If you or a parent are familiar with chess tournaments and are willing to volunteer, please indicate this on the registration sheet. This is especially important for the hour preceding the first round.
2. In order to accommodate the normally small number of entries in the novice section, elementary and junior high novice player sections may be merged for pairings, but with separate trophies for each section.
3. ALL COACHES NEED TO REPORT IN AND MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THEIR TEAM ROSTERS BY 8:30 AM! (NOTE: THESE LAST MINUTE CHANGES SHOULD BE AVOIDED IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. SEE PAGE 1). Please try to be early to avoid the log jam that often results at 8:30.
4. Note USCF has introduced an intermediate level membership based on age at time of year’s membership expiration. Please pay close attention to the new levels and requirements. Scholastic (12 and under); Youth (15 and under); and Young Adult (24 and under). Membership costs, respectively, are $17, $19 and $25 per person; add $5 per person for tournament fee.
6. Due to the increasing size of the tournaments, the number of kids present poses challenges. Coaches and chaperones please be diligent in knowing where your kids are and intervene where behavior is inappropriate or the noise level becomes unacceptable for the setting and for the tournament players to concentrate on their games.
7. For other chess information and results, see the Chess Maine web site at
SOME HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR FIRST-TIME SCHOOLS: Each player (with exceptions in the elementary sections) in the championship division is expected to record their game to his/her best ability and be able to operate a chess clock. All teams should bring as much equipment as possible. No one (except coaches) should talk to any player who is playing in a match. Coaches are allowed to suggest, in the presence of the TD or Assistant TD, playing for a win or a draw based solely on team points and not on board position. Violation of this rule may result in forfeit of the game.
If you have ANY questions about your tournament, please contact the Tournament Leader for your event. The chief mission of the Maine Association of Chess Coaches and this tournament is to offer a positive chess playing experience to as many kids as possible.
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