• 1st Inaugural CalChess State
    Scholastic Team vs. Team Championship


    Elementary School (K-6 school AND CLUB teams) - Saturday, March 24, 2018
    Middle & High School (K-8 & K-12 school AND CLUB teams) - Sunday, March 25, 2018

    New Location!!
    New Milpitas Location
    372 Turqouise Street, Milpitas, CA 95035 (map)

  • Schedule, Time Control, Prizes

    Schedule

    Onsite Registration:
    Saturday: 9-9:15am
    Sunday: 9-9:15am

    Time Control: G/30;d5 (Game in 30 minutes with 5 sec delay)
    5 rounds of USCF rated Swiss team tournament.

    RoundSaturdaySunday
    1 10am 10am
    2 11:30am 11:30am
    3 1pm 1pm
    4

    2:15pm

    2:15pm
    5 3:30pm 3:30pm
    Trophy Ceremony 4:30pm 4:30pm

    March 2018 Supplemental Ratings are used, and TD discretion to place the players in accurate board order.
    Tiebreaks: same team tiebreak rules are followed as applied at US Amateur Team West tournament.
    Clocks: Clock use is encouraged but optional, but may be implemented in later stage of game if it goes long.

    Sections & Prizes

    Sections WILL award Scholastic State Championship titles!

    Three Sections
    Kindergarten - Grade 6 Teams - SATURDAY
    open to school and club teams for elementary-aged players (including 6th graders in middle school)

    Kindergarten - Grade 8 Teams - SUNDAY
    encouraging all middle school and club teams (younger players/teams also allowed)

    Kindergarten - Grade 12 Teams
    - SUNDAY
    encouraging all high school and club teams (younger players/teams also allowed) 

    Prizes
    K-6: Trophies for Team and Players on Top 3 Teams, plus Top Under 900 rated, Top Under 600, and Top Under 300. 
    K-12: Commemorative CHESS CLOCKS for Team and Players on Top 3 Teams overall, Top 3 K-9 Teams, and Top Middle School team (all same school).

    Trophies (Saturday) and Commemorative CLOCKS (Sunday) to best individual performances on each board.
    Special prize to Best Team Names each day.
    Instead of clocks, winners may take vouchers good for free entry to BayAreaChess tournaments.

    Entry Fee

    Entry Fee: $39 for 1 team member
    or $149 for registering 4 team members together

    Late fee is switched on after 3/15 midnight:
    3/16-23: +$10 per player, +$40 per team
    onsite: +$20 per player or +$80 per team
  • FAQS 

    What is the Scholastic Team vs. Team tournament and why?

    There are many weekend scholastic tournaments in northern California, with the largest being the CalChess Grade Level Championships in December, and the CalChess SuperStates April 7-8. Participation is overwhelmingly dominated by elementary school players, and the focus is on individuals or clubs, with school teams, especially for older players, an after thought. There also used to be a student-run NorCal High School Chess League that is currently inactive. 

    We believe a team-focused tournament fills a much-needed niche - witness the strong turnout for February’s U.S. Amateur Team West Scholastic and Open tournaments - and will attract many players, especially middle and high school players of all levels who have ‘retired’ from weekend tournaments or play only in their school club. We also think the team format builds camaraderie and school/club spirit. Finally, this tournament is great preparation for the even larger CalChess Scholastic State Championship (SuperStates) on April 7-8.

    The pilot tournaments, created by BayAreaChess and Fallon Middle School in Dublin, were held in 2017. They were well-attended, with the November tournament attracting 110 players and won by Monta Vista High School (Grades 7-12) and Harker School (K-6). With that demonstrated interest, CalChess approved the creation of an official State Scholastic Team Vs. Team Championship open to teams from any club or school.

    What is the format?

    The format will be familiar to anyone who has followed the Chess Olympiads or PRO Chess League, or played in the U.S. Amateur Team West tournament: a Swiss tournament with teams consisting of 4 boards (players) ranked by rating (unrated players at the bottom). The goal is to win as many team matches. Tiebreaks will be determined using the same format as the U.S. Amateur Team Tournaments.

    Each team can have 1 optional alternate player to swap into matches if some players have conflicts and cannot play the entire day, or just because they want to keep players fresh. In each match, the team that is assigned white gets that color on boards 1 and 3, and black on 2 and 4, and vice-versa.

    Each team should designate a player or parent/adult as captain to communicate with the tournament director. Parents or adult coaches can be captains of only one team. Communication between captains and players is limited to advice on players offering or accepting draws (to maximize a team’s chances of winning) - no opinions about the position itself are allowed. Players who speak in a foreign language during their games will be assumed to be giving advice on positions and will be penalized accordingly.

     Do the players have to be from the same school or club?

    Not at all! While we hope to see many school-based teams, we are 100% open to club-based teams, or teams comprised of players from any school or club, provided they fit into the age/grade restrictions for each day. 

    Clubs and schools can have multiple teams, too. Also, individual players and incomplete teams are more than welcome to register and be matched with other players/teams on-site!

    Don’t worry! Similar to the U.S. Amateur Team West, all players who have registered will find a team to play. Please come to the tournament 30 minutes early and check in with the tournament director so they can help match you up!

    Can teams from outside of the Bay Area participate?

    Yes! We invite teams from Sacramento and northwards, central California and even our friends from Southern California to come and play!

    We especially encourage school clubs whose members do NOT usually play in weekend tournaments to come out.

    What are the sections?
    There are three sections: 1) K-6 on Saturday, 2) K-8 and 3) K-12 on Sunday. Elementary-aged players are allowed to play on Saturday and also "play up" in age on Sunday. Middle school students in Grade 6 are allowed to play on Saturday, too. For Sunday, commemorative clocks will be awarded to the 3 teams overall (members can be any grade) as well as the top 3 teams whose members are all under between K-9, and the top team of players all from the same middle school.   

    Can schools or clubs have multiple teams?
    Yes! We highly encourage it.

    Will it be USCF Rated?
    Yes. And there are no guidelines for maximum or minimum ratings for players or teams.

    Normal USCF tournament rules DO apply, including touch move:

    1. If you touch a piece when it is your turn, you must move it if it is legal;
    2. If you touch an enemy piece, you must capture it;
    3. If you let go of your piece even by accident on a legal square, you must leave it there;
    4. You must say “adjust” before touching a piece to exempt yourself from above rules

    Questions? E-mail the organizers below. 

  • Organizers and TDs


    Chief Organizers: Judit Sztaray from BayAreaChess
    & Eric Lai, Head Coach & Organizer of Fallon Chess

    TDs: National TD Tom Langland, Senior TD Jordan Langland, Abel Talamantez, Wolfgang Behm
  • Site & Accomodation

    Tournament site: Santa Clara Convention Center
    5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, CA 95014 (map)