New Players Welcome!

We will place players in several sections based on their grade/age and rating/strength.

We invite you to The Official
2023-24 CalChess SUPER STATES Scholastic Season (Champions League)
for PK-12 at all levels (with FREEEEEE parking).
These Championships are approved by CalChess and US Chess Federation. See details below.

Next up:
May 18 CalChess Girls/Boys States
at Sonesta Silicon Valley (South Milptas)

Welcome to the Chessiest Place on Earth!
Live Entries:
Processed Entries:
Please register ASAP to save your money (and our time) before late fees start. The registration may close anytime (when we reach capacity).

Stay at pre-COVID rates ($99) at:

Abbreviation Site Address Booking Link
SSJ (North) Sonesta San Jose 777 Bellew Dr, North Milpitas Book Stay
SSV (South) Sonesta Silicon Valley 1800 Barber Ln, South Milpitas CA 95035 Book Stay
SCCC Santa Clara Convention Center 5001 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara SSJ or SSV
Tourney Location Date Rating Supplement Rating as of
Girls/Boys Super States (PK-12)1 SSV (South) May 18 May 2024 Apr 18th
Rockefeller Barber Qualifiers2 Fremont Jun 1 & 2 Jun 2024 May 16th
Denker Qualifiers2 6/15 SSJ & 6/16 BAC Jun 15 & 16 Jun 2024 May 16th
  1. The Girls Super States Winner will be the CalChess Representative in Susan Polgar Foundation’s Invitational with $$$ for College Scholarships!
  2. The Rockefeller (PK-5), Barber (6-8), and Denker (9-12) Qualifiers’ (three) Winners will be the CalChess Representatives in the three National Tournament of State Champions!
Register Quicklinks
Use Quicklinks for changes, orientation, etc.

Awards Click here to expand/contract this section like an accordion.

Register Quicklinks

      • Individual Awards

        1. Trophies to all players with a winning record.
        2. Medals to all players who do not get a trophy.

      • School Team Awards

        Trophies to all school teams.

      • Club Team Awards

        Trophies to all club teams.
      1. The trophy sizes depend on the players’ standings.
      2. A team (school or club) has a minimum of 2 players; a team’s score is:
        1. The sum of the top 3 players’ scores in Grade Levels, Age Levels, and Girls/Boys Championships.
        2. The sum of the top 4 players’ scores in K-5, K-8, and K-12 Championships.

Discounts & Fees
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Register Quicklinks

      • Fees Summary

        Entry Type Normal Fee
        Blitz 33
        Bughouse 33 (pair 55)
        1-Day Sections 69
        Most 2-Day Sections 99

        2-Day FIDE-rated Sections        		 111

        FIDE-rated sections are 5SS x G/90 +30, and include K-12 Champ and Qualifiers (Rockefeller, Barber, Denker). Entry fees include FIDE rating fees.

      • Buy More & Save

        Number of Events Discount
        1 0
        2 10
        3 20
        4 35
        5 50
        6 70
        7 90
        8 90 + 20*(N-7)

        N = number of events; Discount is applied automatically when registering for multiple tournaments in one transaction. Please note that this discount does not apply to BAC memberships.

      • Cancelations, Changes, and Refunds

        Please know that we don’t want your money; we want to shift our work when we are less busy. So, we aren’t so overwhelmed the week before the tournament that we have to choose between speed and quality.

        Days before the Tourney 7+ 5-6 3-4 1-2 Onsite
        Late 0 10 20 30 40
        Cancel 4% Paypal fee 10 20 N/A N/A
        Change 0 7 7 7 15*

        * Onsite team changes are $5.

Registration Information
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Register Quicklinks

      • What’s Expected?

          1. Come as you are! We welcome all PK-12 players regardless of their rating and playing level; we will have sections for all levels.
          2. US Chess and CalChess memberships are required; if you’re not a current member, you must renew/signup with us along with your tournament registration so we can process and reconcile your entry.
          3. We may adjust round times if needed (but major adjustments are highly unlikely).
          4. Be nice to everyone!

      • What’s New?

        1. The CalChess State Championships are spread over several weekends and sites.
        2. Registration Instructions
        3. Schedule and Fees
        4. Read Orientation Information linked in Quicklinks the day before the tournament.

    • Post-Registration Instructions

      1. Check Processed Entries to confirm registration two weeks before the event date.
      2. Use the change form link in Quicklinks for all changes and corrections. (We can’t accept changes any other way.)
      3. Add @bayareachess.com to safe senders to receive emails with orientation and other notifications.
      4. Reconfirm the email address, grade, USCF ID (if available), and other information in your profile.
      5. Join our WhatsApp Community for questions and answers.

    • Financial Transparency

      1. The entry fees for members are slightly lower based on a donation by the Azhar Family.
      2. The entry fees for non-members are slightly higher due to inflation.

Play-up Rules
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Register Quicklinks
    • The Play-up fee is 28 (BAC members pay 24 [Basic] / 21 [Premium]).
      Players may
      • Play in their natural section without a play-up fee.
      • Play up one section above their natural section (if they are within the 300-point range) by paying a play-up fee.
      • Playing up in a higher grade is not allowed in the Champ sections of the Grade Levels.
      • Playing up in a higher age group is not allowed in the Age Levels.

Schedule & Fees Details
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Register Quicklinks
    1. Time Controls
      1. G/M dS means each player gets M minutes/game and S seconds/move (before the clock starts running).
      2. G/M +S means each player gets M minutes/game and a bonus of S seconds after every move.
    2. Please request a bye If you will miss a game for any reason.
      1. You may request a bye while registering using the Additional notes field.
      2. You may request a bye after registering using the change form.
      3. Missing a game without requesting a bye results in an automatic removal because making other players wait without a game is bad etiquette.
      4. ½-point byes are available for all rounds except the last game (round).
      5. 0-point byes are available for the last round.
      6. A maximum of one ½-point bye is allowed for each player per section.
        Any other byes will be 0-point byes. If you request more than one bye, we will give you a ½-point for the latest round possible (except for the last round and 0-point bye(s) for all other games).
    3. Click on the spreadsheet below and scroll down to see all tournaments. You may also open the spreadsheet in a separate window using this link.