TOURNAMENTS

CHESS KATZ TOURNAMENTS.

We are excited to announce that we are moving back to in person chess tournaments and will still be hosting online competitions Our next Scholastic Online USCF Rated Tournament will be on Saturday, September 3 and hosted by Chess Katz and held on Lichess.

ONLINE TOURNAMENT RULES

Each subsequent round will start upon completion of all games in each section. Users
will receive a text message when section has completed and when the next round
will begin.  MUST HAVE CURRENT USCF ID FOR RATED SECTIONS. 

USCF ONLINE REGULAR RATINGS WILL BE AFFECTED. The higher of USCF Regular OTB or Regular USCF Online ratings will be used to determine sections

K-5 Championship
Open to all players K-5
4 rounds, g/25, 5 second increment. START TIME: 11:00 AM EST

K-12 Championship
Open to all in K-12  4 rounds, G 25, 5 second increment. START TIME 11:00 AM EST 

Prizes: Amazon gift cards in each section. Gift card prizes are split evenly if there is a tie for a placement

For K-5

1st place: $80 amazon gift card

2nd place: $50 amazon gift card

Top K-1 Player: Trophy or $20 amazon gift card

Top 2-3rd Grader: Trophy or $20 amazon gift card

Top 4-5th Grader: Trophy or $20 amazon gift card

K-12 Championship Prizes:

K-12: 1st place: $100 amazon gift card,

2nd place: $50 amazon gift card

Top 6-8th grader: Trophy or $20 Amazon Gift Card

Top 9-12th grader: Trophy or $20 Amazon Gift Card

If multiple players tie for the same prize, it will be evenly distributed among those who tie for the prize. 

 Please note: We have a minimum of 10 players required per section. If we do not reach the minimum by 12:00 NOON the day before the tournament, we may combine two sections. 

 Entry fee: $25 early bird registration until Wednesday before the event 11:00 PM EST. $30 regular registration until Friday 11:00 PM EST before the event. $35 day of tournament registration until 11:00 AM EST

 Tournament Format:

• Rounds will be paired after every game is completed from the previous round. We give a 5 minute grace period from the time the last game finishes. If you opt into our text message alerts, you will be alerted to when each round is beginning.

• Pairings based on a player's lichess classic rating (not US Chess rating).

• Pairings are done automatically by the lichess system and cannot be changed.

• Tournament prizes paid and USCF results submitted up to 2 weeks after the tournament to allow for games to be screened for fair play.

Registration Details:

• Open to all players, K-12.

• Players will receive an email with a link and password to join the appropriate section of the tournament.

• Players must have a lichess account (if you do not have one, you must create one https://lichess.org/signup).

• Players join the Chess Katz team in lichess https://lichess.org/team/chesskatz-tournaments after registering.

• Registration closes at 10 am EDT the day of each tournament

 How to Join a Tournament:

• Tournament link will be shared by 10:00 PM the night before the tournament. All tournaments are password protected. If your child has a sibling/family member / friend who is not registered, please do not have them enter the tournament!

• Players are advised to participate in the tournament from a computer. It is not recommended to play on a phone or mobile device.

• Players are advised to join the tournament 20-30 minutes early. If you join at the last minute it may be too late to resolve any technical issues that you have.

• Players may be able to join the tournament late, but will receive zero points for any missed rounds. Limited late entry is available but is not guaranteed.

• The tournament starts at 11 AM EST SHARP.

• Reentry is not available.

• Chess Katz is not responsible for wifi connection or technical issues.

 Refund Policy

• If you cannot make our event, we require 12 hour notice before the event begins to qualify for a refund

• Refunds will be issued in form of a credit for a future event free of penalty or an entry refund less the charges we incur for processing the registration which is ~$5

Fair Play

• Tournament games will be reviewed by lichess and Chess Katz tournament staff

• Every game will be manually looked at by coaches and our anti-cheating algorithm to ensure a fair experience for all
  participants.

• Computers and outside help are not allowed.

• If player is found to have multiple accounts, they may be removed from our event

• If player has a previous account on lichess that has been flagged, they are not permitted to play in our events

• Players found in violation of Fair Play policies are not eligible for any prizes and will be removed from the Chess Katz team. Since this is a USCF event, they will also be reported to the USCF