2018 CalChess Scholastic State Championship
aka Super States
April 7^th and 8^th
@ Santa Clara Convention Center (map)
Bughouse: Friday, April 6
Blitz: Saturday, April 7

Orientation Eamils

Leading up to the event, we are sending out several shorter orientation emails.
It's our experience that discussing important aspects and areas of the tournament one by one separately makes it easier to read and gauge.

But why wait until then? Read the parts we will be sending out:

Part 1.When to arrive? Schedule, Round Times.

Part 2. Directions, Parking, Pre-round To-dos, Time control,
Pairings & Standings online

Part 3. Change Request process; Where to eat; Trophy Ceremony

Part 4.Basic USCF & CalChess Rules; Special Events between rounds.

Part 5. New This Year

Part 1. Schedule, Round times

You have registered your child in a specific section.
This section is either a 1-day event (Saturday OR Sunday) or a 2-day event (Saturday AND Sunday!)
the only 3-day section is our very top players: K-Grade12 Championship section that will be FIDE rated.

Following are the sections:
Saturday 1-day sections:
      Kindergarten
      K-Grade3 unrated Rookie
      K-Grade3 u500 Beginner
      K-Grade3 500-799 Junior Varsity

Sunday 1-day sections:
      K-Grade6 unrated Rookie
      K-Grade6 u500 Beginner
      K-Grade6 500-799 Junior Varsity
      K-Grade8 unrated&u800 Beginner
      K-Grade12 unrated&u800 Beginner

Saturday & Sunday 2-day sections:
      K-Grade3 Championship
      K-Grade5 Championship
      K-Grade6 Championship
      K-Grade8 800-1199 Junior Varsity
      K-Grade8 1200+ Championship
      K-Grade12 800-1599 Junior Varsity

Friday, Saturday & Sunday 3-day section:
      K-Grade12 1600+ Championship


It is VERY IMPORTANT to know your child's section, and that your child knows his/her section. This will help you get oriented and get the information you need.

If you already know your child's section: Congratulations, you have the most important info!

If you don't know which section your child(ren)/player is in, please look it up on the advanced entries page NOW:
Alphabetical: http://bayareachess.com/events/18/statesalpha/
Section: http://bayareachess.com/events/18/statessection/

While you are here, please check your child's name, section, school and club information.
Email us at ask@bayareachess.com if anything needs updating.

What does $c, $m, $^, $xx, +m, +c, ^ mean?
$: you owe us money: $c denotes the calchess membership ($5); $m means the uscf membership ($17, $22 or $24); $^ you owe us the play-up fee; $xx you owe us part of the entry fee;
The easiest to pay is BEFORE the event through this link: http://bayareachess.com/payhere
+m/+c: means that we are processing your USCF (+m) or CalChess (+c) membership. Nothing needs to be done!!!
^ means that player plays one section higher than his/her natural section.


Round Time - IMPORTANT!!!
The players will be playing 5 or 6 rounds of games - the start of the rounds are SET and won't change:

ALL 1-day sections:  Arrive by 9AM
Round times:
Round 1 @ 9:30AM
Round 2 @ 11:30AM
Round 3 @ 1:30PM
Round 4 @ 3PM
Round 5 @ 4:30PM
Trophy ceremony is around Saturday or Sunday 5:30PM

ALL 2-day sections:  Arrive by 8:30AM
Round times: 
Round 1 @ Saturday 9AM
Round 2 @ Saturday 12PM noon
Round 3 @ Saturday 3PM
Round 4 @ Sunday 9AM
Round 5 @ Sunday 12PM noon
Round 6 @ Sunday 3PM
Trophy ceremony around Sunday 6PM

K-Grade12 Championship section:
Round 1 @ Friday 6PM
Round 2 @ Saturday 11AM
Round 3 @ Saturday 3PM
Round 4 @ Sunday 10AM
Round 5 @ Sunday 2PM


This is NOT an elimination game, win or lose they are expected to play all their rounds. If a player needs to miss a round they can request a half-point bye before Round 1.
There is a maximum 2 half-point bye any player can get. IF a player does not show up at his/her paired game, that player will be forfeited after 30 minutes in the 1-day sections, and 60 minutes in the 2-day sections, and that player will NOT be paired for the next round.
So please, do show up, even if you are running late!

Part 2. Directions, Parking, Pre-round To-dos, Time control,
Pairings & Standings online

Location & Parking
The event will take place at the Santa Clara Convention Center. 
The address is:  5001 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara, CA 95054. Click for the online map.
You can park for free in the parking structure: enter the parking lot from Great America, right between Hyatt and Techmark. Park on the top of the deck, where there is a direct walkway to the 2ndfloor of the Center (where the team rooms are located.)
Or in the parking structure across the levi stadium, and walk over to the corner of the Convention center that is the closest to the Levi stadium.

Venue
Playing area will be in Hall A for almost all 1-day section, Great America 1-2-3 for the 2-day section and for the highest section (K-Gr12 1600+ FIDE rated.)
Parent rooms are: Great America Ballrooms and the other part of Hall A.
Team rooms: 205 through 212.

Please visit the Convention center's map and make sure to know where to go. Also, please follow the signs inside the convention center.
http://santaclaraconventioncenter.org/plan/view-floor-plans/
or
http://santaclaraconventioncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SC_Floorplan_feb12_2010.pdf

 

When to arrive? When are the rounds?
You have registered your child(ren)/player in a specific section.
This section is either a 1-day event (Saturday OR Sunday) or a 2-day event (Saturday AND Sunday!)
If you don't know which section your child(ren)/player is in, please look it up on the advanced entries page here:
Alphabetical: http://bayareachess.com/events/18/statesalpha/
Section: http://bayareachess.com/events/18/statessection/
Email us at ask@bayareachess.com if anything needs updating.

The players will be playing 5 or 6 rounds of games - the start of the rounds are SET and won't change.

1-day sections: 5 rounds: 
Arrive by 9AM
Round times:
Round 1 @ 9:30AM
Round 2 @ 11:30AM
Round 3 @ 1:30PM
Round 4 @ 3PM
Round 5 @ 4:30PM
Trophy ceremony is around 5:30PM

2-day sections:  6 rounds
Arrive by 8:30AM
Round times:
Round 1 @ Saturday 9AM
Round 2 @ Saturday 12PM
Round 3 @ Saturday 3PM
Round 4 @ Sunday 9AM
Round 5 @ Sunday 12PM
Round 6 @ Sunday 3PM
Trophy ceremony around 6PM

 

What to do when we get there?

Once you arrived, please find your section's sign on the wall around the game hall and check your child's name on the Pre-Registered Players list that will be posted under each section.
If you find the name, NO NEED TO DO ANYTHING ELSE, NO NEED TO CHECK IN AT THE DESK. Just wait for the pairings, and find the board you/your child is playing at.

IMPORTANT: if you pre-registered and your name is here: http://bayareachess.com/events/18/statesalpha/ you DO NOT need to check in at the registration table! Just find a spot and wait until the start of the rounds.

If anything is incorrect on the list, please report the Change Request on the specific CalChess Change Request Form. Please look for the Change Request Table.
Please, pay special attention to the School and Club affiliations for each player, because no school or club will be changed after the start of Round 3 (rule 4.10.) We will not be able to include any new player to any School or Club Teams after Round 3 started.

 

How to look up pairings? How do I know where do we have to go?

Online registration will close Friday at noon, and TDs will pair Friday night.
IMPORTANT: PAIRINGS WILL BE POSTED ONLINE
Please have your phone or tablet ready and ALWAYS use your smart decide to look up the pairing. It's the fastest and safest way to look the pairing up, to avoid the crowd in front of the walls.

1-day sections: www.bayareachess.com/live/states1day
2-day sections: www.bayareachess.com/live/states2day

These links, along with QR codes, will be posted along the venue.
Load the page, and find your child's name: look up TWO information: Board Number & Color (white or black)
Once you sit down for the first round, Chief TD Tom Langland will be making important announcements. It is very important to pay attention and be quiet during this time.

Time control 
For the 1-day sections is: G/30;d5 that is Game in 30 minutes with a 5 second delay. This means each player has 30 minutes, and there is a 5 second delay before each player's time starts at each move. Therefore a game can last up to a bit more than an hour.
2-day sections: G/75;d5, and for the FIDE rated section it is G/90 +30 increment.

What should you do if your opponent does not show up? Wait at your seat. You need to stay at your board for 30 minutes from the announced start time or 15 minutes of the actual start time, whatever is the latest. After this time elapsed, the Chief TD will tell the game room that those without player should raise their hand, and claim a forfeit win.
(Please note that this is a CalChess specific rule, and it is different from the applicable USCF rule.)

 

When you finish your game, raise your hand, and the Floor TD will come to you to record the result and sign the result slip. The result slip will be provided by the Floor TD during or right after the game, and it needs to be filled out by the players: name, round, board number, and the result of the game. Both players need to sign, as well as the floor TD, who can assist with filling out the slip.
Once the floor TD signed, both players need to go to the Scorer's table, and give the result slip to the Scorer assigned to their section.
After that, they must exit the playing area, and wait for the next round outside. This means you will be able to reconnect with your child after each round!
This is the time when they can/should use the bathroom, eat, and run around.

IMPORTANT:
NEW way to see if your child is finished:
We get this question a lot: is my child finished? Can you please check Board #XX if they are still playing?
This year we have a convenient solution with the help of an amazing chess mom! The status of the games will be shown at:
http://bayareachess.com/google-result-sheet
You can look up your child's section and board number on the pairings and standings posted online:
https://bayareachess.com/live/states/

NEW release procedure for the 1-day sections
(Especially for the younger kids)
This year we are releasing kids directly into the parent room, so the main entrance of the Hall A will ONLY be for entering before each round.
After the players are finished, they go to the scorer table, and after, that they will be directed into the Parent Room part of Hall A. We will have staff there guiding this procedure to ensure children go to a designated area. If you will already have a specific location in which your child will find you, they can let our staff know.
We will have a clear roped area for the kids to wait for their parent or guardian, and kids will only be released if a parent is within eyesight, and the kids and the parent have made eye contact.
PLEASE help us enforce this and provide a safe environment for our kids: If you will not have a designated wait area, please wait in the parent room, and pick up your child there.

Clear picture of the layout will be coming soon!

WRISTBAND on every child!
Those of you who came last year, probably remember we had the badges or stickers for each child. We are always trying to determine what's the easiest and most efficient way to make sure that the player/child is with our event. Last year in December we have used a wrist band that had the Emergency Phone number on it. It was a huge success, so we'll be repeating this.
I'd like to ask ALL PLAYERS to wear this wrist band: this is how we'll know they are with us! If they get lost, just find an adult to call the number on the band!

Part 3.
Need to make a change or report an inaccuracy in section/bye/school/club/result report?
What and where to eat? 
Trophy ceremony - Is my child getting a trophy?

Change Requests
Change request forms are there for any and all parents and players who would like to change information regarding the player, or report an inaccuracy.
You can use this form to:
- change sections
- requests byes  (what are byes? CalChess Scholastic regulations 3.07)
- change the players school affiliation
- change the players's club affiliation
- report a scoring error
- anything else

What you have to do? fill out a form, SIGN it, and bring it to the Change Request Station.
Our staff will get this information to the computer TDs, who'll make the change and you'll see it reflected at the next update.
IMPORTANT DEADLINES regarding change requests:
School and Club team change request needs to be handed in by the start of the third round! NO EXCEPTIONS! (Per CalChess Scholastic rule 3.06)
Errors in reporting results need to be reported within one round. (Per CalChess Scholastic rule 5.04)


Food - Food Policy

Please, make sure to feed your child(ren) before the rounds, although it's not against the rules to eat during the game, some player might find it disturbing, and also easier to lose the concentration.

It is my duty to inform that the Santa Clara Convention Center has a No Outside Food policy. No outside food should be consumed (purchased or home made) inside the SCCC building. For this reason, BAC has contracted the Food Stand/Grill Station where they'll offer food for purchase between 11AM and 3PM.
They require us to provide them with a minimum of $2000 sale each day (4 hours) in order to be open between 11AM-3PM. So please, if you plan on buying food, do it at the Food Stand and help us meet our contracted minimum. I have told them to be prepared for vegetarian options.

If you happen to have food with you and would like to eat that, kindly asking you to bring it outside, in front of the building there are benches, or bring a blanket and sit on the lawn, or walk to your car and eat around there. If the Convention Center finds anyone with clearly outside food (like Subway, pizza, taco bell, etc) they WILL fine us,
I appreciate your help and cooperation in this matter.

Trophy Ceremony - Is my child getting a trophy?

At the end of the day, after the last round, the Tournament Directors (TDs) are doing everything they can to provide me with the final standings as soon as possible so that the trophy ceremony can being.
We will be having the Trophy Ceremony in the Parent room in Hall A on both days.

Saturday evening we are awarding trophies to the Kindergarten, K-Grade3 unrated(Rookie), K-Grade3 u500 (Beginner), and K-Grade3 500-799 (Junior Varsity) sections, in this order.
I hope we can start as early as 5:30PM, and hopefully can finish up by 7PM.

Sunday evening we are awarding trophies to all other 1-day sections, and ALL 2-day sections. The order of the sections will depends on the order the results are coming in (meaning when the last game finishing up in each section.)
I hope we can start as early as 5:30PM, and hopefully can finish up by 8PM.

Is your child getting a trophy? A question we get a LOT :)
Here is the guideline based on their final result:
1-day sections: 5 games, maximum of 5 points. IF a player has 3.0 or more points, they get a trophy, if they have 2.5 or less, they get a medal.
2-day sections: 6 games, maximum of 6 points. IF a player has 3.5 or more points, they get a trophy, if they have 3.0 or less, they get a medal.
A medal can be picked up on the scorers table, and around the parent area, and players and parents do not have to wait for the trophy ceremony.

We will be awarding individual trophies, School Team trophies and Club Team trophies for EACH section, separately.
We have trophies for individual players up to the 20th place, and 21st place and below will be getting a "Super Performance" trophy.
Then moving on to the Schools, we'll award 5 trophies, and then onto the Clubs where again 5 trophies will be awarded. 

If players and/or teams have the same score, a so called tie-break system is applied to designate team awards. These tie-break systems are set by the CalChess Scholastic Regulations (11.03&11.04)

If you have any questions, or need corrections with your trophy, please look for our Staff at the table next to the Super Performance trophies. They'll take your name, email, phone number and brief message and we will get back to you, and fix the problem. Please, do not disturb the announcers, as it delays other players/sections' ceremony.

Lastly: there will be parents asking from us if we can give them the trophy quick, because they have to leave. We will not be able to do that, please RESPECT this decision, and don't ask for exceptions. If you have to leave, that's fine, and we'll bring all trophies to our office, and you can pick it up anytime (2050 Concourse Drive #42, San Jose CA 95131.)

Part 4.

Today's topics are:
- basic USCF and CalChess rules
- what to do during the rounds? Special guests and vendors.
- Important reminders

USCF & CalChess rules
Would like to remind everyone that the tournament will be USCF rated, and we will play by the USCF and CalChess rules.
USCF rule book can be purchased at many places, for example here with same day shipping :) 
CalChess regulations can be found online: http://www.calchess.org/pdfs/calchess_scholastic_regulations.pdf
Important rules will be posted around the event venue, but please read them now, and explain this to your child:
Pre-Round Announcements: Failure to attend and/or listen to these announcements WILL affect your child's ability to do their best in our tournament! Your lack of attention or presence during these announcements will not relieve you, your child or your student of the responsibility to conform to these notices.
Silence/ no communication during games : Parents and coaches: Do NOT talk, signal, motion, gesture or communicate with any player while their game is in progress! Players are only allowed to speak to their opponent to offer a draw or any other USCF allowed interaction. If a player communicates in ANY other way with another player, parent or coach while their game is in progress, for ANY reason, the player WILL be penalized! Using a cell phone during a game is also strictly prohibited and a player will instantly forfeit their game.
Interference during Games:  ANY interfering in another player’s game is not allowed and will very likely also get the player immediately forfeited from the tournament!
Disputes/problems: If a question or problem happens during a game, a player needs to raise their hand and wait for a Tournament Director (TD) to speak to them. After the game is over is TOO LATE!! USCF rule 20M5 says "If a problem arises during play, a player of any age should understand that he or she should promptly stop both clocks and see a director."


Special Events in between round
I'm preparing with special events that the kids can spend their time during the rounds: facepainting, henna painting, balloon artist.
We'll have special guests such as: Chesskids.com, Shelby from Woodexpression, Lauren Goodkind,
We are preparing special GM & IM game analysis by our BAC Team Coaches: GM Zviad Izoria & IM Faik Aleskerov will be providing fun analysis and bullet chess.

Important Suggestions
When you get to the convention center, and the Playing Hall A or Great America Balloom/1-2-3, please find a spot TOGETHER with your child, and agree with him/her that after the event you'll be waiting for him/her there.
This place should NOT be the entrance of Hall A. The parent room is directly behind the playing hall, ideal place to meet. 

If you have a $ next to your name, please pay online to reduce any onsite hassle: www.bayareachess.com/payhere and note what you are paying for.

Part 5. NEW This Year

We will list some important new features of the Super States. Please check back in a few days!