Tournament Schedule & Rules -- MAIN EVENT
Please read carefully ... there is plenty of information on this page
Last updated January 6, 2025

For the BLITZ RULES and Registration ... Click here
For the Parents & Friends Side Event and Registration ... Click here

• To Register, click the "Registration" Tab on the left.

• Round Times and Dates

  • Rounds 1, 2 and 3: Saturday March 9th at 9:00am, 12:30pm, and 4:30pm

  • OVERNIGHT ON SATURDAY -- TIME CHANGE -- Set your clocks AHEAD 1 hour.

  • Rounds 4 and 5: Sunday March 10th at 9:30am and 1:30pm

  • Awards: Scheduled 15-20 minutes after each section completes its final game.

• Player Eligibility:

  • Scholastic Players must be attending a public, private, or home school in VA ... or be a Virginia Resident attending another school out of state. 

  • See also our Frequently Asked Questions page for several more eligibility-related questions impacting players and teams. Please direct any Eligibility Questions to Mike Hoffpauir as shown at the bottom of this page.

  • ALL PLAYERS must be active members of the US Chess Federation. To join the USCF, or to renew your existing membership, click here.

• Cell Phone Policy and Policy for other Electronic Devices (other than clocks and USCF-approved Electronic Notation Devices).  CELL PHONES must be turned-off while your game is in progress and placed face-down on the table at your board.  A better option is to leave your phone with your parents, team or Coach.  Once your game begins you MAY NOT have a phone on your person, in your pocket, etc.  It must remain at your table, face-down, turned-off.  A phone that rings shall incur a 10-minute time penalty for the offending player.  A player who answers his/her cell phone, is "texting" during play, or is found with a phone on their person is very very likely to forfeit their current game and their continuation in the tournament is at severe risk.

• SECTIONS: Players can register for and play in one of eight (8) "Sections" based on their grade in school and their Chess Rating.   

  • Scholastic Players in Pre-School through 12th Grade have 8 Sections to select from as listed below.  Unrated players may play in the Championship or Under sections.

    • College:  For players attending college full time. All games are on SATURDAY, March 9th.

    • K-12 Championship or K-12 Under 1400.  The top-finishing 9th-12th Grade player in the Championship Section qualifies to represent Virginia in the 2022 Denker Tournament of High School Champions.  The top-finishing girl in the Championship Section qualifies to represent Virginia in the 2022 Ruth Haring National Girls Tournament of Champions.

    • K-8 Championship or K-8 Under 1200.  The top-finishing 6th-8th Grade player in the Championship Section qualifies to represent Virginia in the 2022 Barber Tournament of Jr. High Champions.

    • K-5 Championship or K-5 Under 1000.  The top-finishing K-5 player in the Championship Section qualifies to represent Virginia in the new 2022 Rockefeller Tournament of Elementary Champions.

    • K-3 Championship or K-3 Under 600.

• FIVE Rounds of Chess in all sections--3 Rounds on Saturday, 2 Rounds on Sunday.

  • Swiss System, with tie-breaks in the sequence specified in the US Chess Federation's Rules of Chess.  See also "Ties" below.

  • Each player can request one 1/2-point BYE.

    • Byes for Round 1 or 2 must be requested before registration closes at 9 PM on Friday evening. 

    • Byes for Rounds 3 through 5 must be requested ONE HOUR before the start of Round 2 on Saturday (e.g., by 12-noon)

  • Time Controls:  Rounds 1 and 2:  Game-60 with a 5-second time increment.  Rounds 3-5, Game-90 with a 10-second time increment.

  • The Chief TD may use Accelerated Pairings in Rounds 1 and 2 for sections with more than 64 players. If accelerated pairings are in use, the Chief TD will announce this information before the start of Round 1 in the affected section(s).

  • We will make every effort not to pair teammates against each other.  However, there are instances when players, parents and coaches should expect this to happen, such as when more than half of the players in a Section or a Score-group are from the same team.  This is not un-common in later rounds of the tournament, and can happen as early as Round 2 under certain conditions.

• Teams: This is an INDIVIDUAL tournament, with Team Points determined using the results of the players' wins, losses and draws on each Team. 

  • A "Team" is defined as two or more players who attend the same school and who are playing in the same section of the tournament.  You DO NOT have to be on a "team" to play in this tournament.  But, if two or more players register for the tournament they are "by default" considered as a team ... regardless of whether their school has a Chess Club or formal "team."

  • For the Main Tournament, Team Points are calculated by adding the scores of the 3 or 4 best-performing players from the same school.  In the Championship Sections it's the 4-highest scoring players.  In the Under Sections, it's the 3-highest scoring players. 

  • Schools may not have more than one team competing in the same section.  A School IS ALLOWED to have a team in the Championship AND the Under Sections within the same grade-group.  All players who go to the same school are on the same team.

  • Players who "Play Up" cannot have their points counted with the points of school-mates playing in another section of the tournament.  However, if two or more players from the same school play up, they are a "team" in that section of the tournament.

  • Anyone with questions about their Team's composition--especially players who are Home Schooled--should contact Mike Hoffpauir as shown at the bottom of this screen.  Also, see the "Teams -- Frequently Asked Questions" page we've created.

• Chess Notation: 

  • Players in all CHAMPIONSHIP Sections except K-3 are required to record their games using Chess Notation.  Practice now!! 

  • Chess Notation also is Required in the K-12 and K-8 Under Secitons.  It is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED in the K-5 and K-3 Under Sections, but it is not mandatory.

  • The only authorized electronic score-keeping (notation) devices that can be used in the State Championships are those approved by the US Chess Federation (Monroi, PlyCount, and ChessNoteR).  Cell-phone Apps that take notation are not allowed.  Any person with a question about their (or their opponent's) electronic notation device should ask a Tournament Director.

• PLAYOFF:  In the K-12, K-8 and K-5 Championship Sections if there is a tie for 1st place among two or more players with perfect 5.0 scores, there will be a "Playoff" conducted ONLINE to determine who wins the 1st Place Trophy.  This playoff also will determine which K-12, K-8 and K-5 players have 1st choice to represent Virginia at the 2025 Tournament of State Champions listed above (e.g. Denker, Barber, Rockefeller, and Haring).  In the Playoff the two players will play one game ONLINE at a time control of G/90 + 10.  If this game is tied, then the players will have a one-hour break and play a "best out of three" Blitz at a time control of G/5 with no delay or increment. If there is a tie after the three blitz games, a Coin Flip will determine the winner. Again, this Playoff only determines who wins 1st Place among 2 or more players who are tied at the end of the tournament with perfect 5.0 scores in the K-12, K-8, and K5 Championship Sections. The date for the playoff will be as mutually agreed between the players, but must happen before May 1, 2025.

  • For more information, contact Mike Hoffpauir, National Tournament Director. 

  • We advise parents/coaches of high-rated K-12, K-8 and K-5 section players to take time to understand this paragraph and to discuss it with their players.

• Chess Sets and Boards are provided at the tournament.  BRING YOUR CLOCK (if you own one) and some pens and pencils.  Clocks, pencils and scorebooks will be available on site at our Book Store.

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A Few More Selected Tournament Rules.  These rules supplement the US Chess Federation (USCF) Rule Book (7th ed) and apply only to this tournament.

• Problems during Your Game: 

  • Don't wait until AFTER your game ends to raise a problem that occurs DURING your game!! 

  • If you have a problem during play, stop your clock (if one is being used) and raise your hand.  Do not get into an argument or discussion about the game with your opponent ... it disturbs the players around you. 

  • When a Tournament Director arrives at your board, state your question or problem and wait for the TD's reply.  You don't need to ask permission to use the bathroom. 

  • IF THE CLOCK AT THE BOARD IS NOT YOURS, BE SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE THE CLOCK PAUSE ... ASK your opponent!!

• Chess Equipment: 

  • Pens / Pencils:  Players are responsible for bringing their own pens or pencils.  We will not provide them at the tournament.

  • Chess Clocks:  If you have a chess clock, please bring it ... and be sure it is capable of "Time Increment" and has fresh batteries!! 

    • Know how to use a clock, because your opponent is likely to have one. 

    • If either player brings a clock to the board, the clock must be used ... "I don't like using a clock" or "I don't know how to use a clock" is not an excuse.  You do not need to have a clock to play in the main tournament, but it's a good idea to get one for yourself ... using a clock keeps the game moving along.  Also, players are responsible for knowing how to set their own clocks, don't expect the Tournament Directors to help you.

• Player Pairings: 

  • The Tournament Director creates pairings using US Chess Federation-approved computer software, with the pairings themselves approved by the Chief TD before they are posted to the public.

  • Player's Ratings used for Pairings, Section determination, and for Prizes are the highest of a player's Over-the-Board and Online Regular Ratings found in the MARCH 2025 US Chess Rating Supplement. Those ratings should be available online for rated players around February 16th or 17th, 2025.

  • During Rounds 1 and 2 of the tournament it is unlikely that siblings or teammates will be paired against one another. However, the probability for this scenario increases when there are many players from the same school in a section or in a score group.  It also increases in later rounds when siblings or teammates are in contention for the same trophy.  For instance, imagine a scenario where after 3 rounds, there are 6 players with 3 points each, and 4 of those players go to the same school.  In this example, at least two of the players from the same school will play a teammate in Round 4. Remember, this tournament is, foremost, an INDIVIDUAL tournament.

  • All players and parents should be aware that the Chief Tournament Director may use "Accelerated Pairings" for the first 2 rounds of the tournament.

• Ties:  The Tournament Director breaks ties using the methods specified by the U.S. Chess Federation (Rules of Chess).  Players or Teams tied for 1st place are considered "State Co-Champions."  However, the Player/Team with the best tie-break points will receive the 1st place trophy.  The sequence for Individual tie-breaks is: Modified Median, Solkoff, Cumulative, Cumulative of Opposition.  Ties among Teams are broken using these tie-breaks: Solkoff, Cumulative, Cumulative of Opposition.

• When your Game is Finished:  Raise your hand and wait for a TD to arrive.  Do not reset your pieces until the TD instructs you to reset them.  The TD will ensure your game's results are properly written on the Game Result Slip.  DO NOT LEAVE before you verify your game results with a TD. 

Questions:  Contact Mike Hoffpauir by email, or phone 757-846-4805