A combo event for the young players AND their parents

1) a very first tournament for your child: a non-rated tournament where the tournament directors help players get familiar with the process, what they need to do, how they are expected to behave and what rules they need to follow.

AND

2) a seminar for the parents: an hour long seminar and Q&A session, where we gather all important information regarding tournaments, USCF, memberships and help you navigate thru the information. Great opportuntiy to ask any questions, and discuss any topic you might be interested in. We will have veteran coaches and experienced players to answer all your questios.

At our BAC Rising Star Tournaments, new players to organized chess tournaments can learn the rules and etiquette of standard USCF rated tournaments in an educational, fun and non-competetive atmosphere. These events hold the same format as our scholastic tournaments, except they are non-rated (meaning games will NOT be sent into USCF for rating, hence no USCF membership required) and are specifically designed to allow coaches to help walk through with the kids as they learn to play in their first organized event.
Coaches will be there to supervise the tournament and give players the support they need at their first time.

We may also have some of our top scholastic players show up to briefly discuss with attendees their experience in youth events and their chess education.

Time Control: G/30; d5 (Game in 30 minutes with 5 second delay)
Meaning: each players get 30 minutes, and at each move, there is a 5 second delay before the clock starts running. IF players use up their time, a game can last up to a bit more than an hour.

Tournament type: Swiss: All the players will be in one big section, and initial pairing will be random. Pairing of the second and consecutive round will be based on the results of the previous round(s): meaning winners will be playing with other players who won their previous rounds, and players who lost their round(s) will be also playing with players who lost their round(s).

The tournament is NON-rated, meaning the games will not be sent into USCF for rating. Hence no USCF membership is required.

Dates: monthly event for any non-USCF members.
Start time: 10AM or 2PM

After one session, these players would be ready to play one of the half-day signature scholastic swiss or quads (www.bayareachess.com/signature).

Entry Fee: $25

There will be an informational session for parents as the tournament is in progress to answer any questions.
We know navigating along the information needed to properly prepare new players for tournaments can feel overwhelming. These tournaments/classes provide a format for children to experience all the conditions of a standard USCF rated tournament without the stress and worry of the unknown, allows them to pause to ask questions, and offers parents the opportunity to learn the skills they need to help aid their children along their journey.

Some of the features/topics covered at this event include:
* Explanation of the benefits of chess to your child... it goes way past the chessboard.
* Introduction to tournaments and Explanation of the differences of various tournament formats (quads vs. swiss)
* Tournament etiquette (touch-move rules, use of a clock, raising hand to call a TD, how to read paring sheet)
* Navigating the USCF (United States Chess Federation) website. Explanation of the membership options and how to look up your child.
* Explanation of the USCF rating system
* Tools to aid the process of learning chess
* BAC activities, classes, and events to support their ongoing development
And much more!

Attending the seminar is FREE with an entry for the non-rated scholastic tournament.