• Kids Tournaments & Clubs

  • Your Guide to BayAreaChess' Scholastic events

    Don't know where to start? Let us guide you through our scholastic offerings!

    These are for players of Age 18 and under only, who are still attending school.
    Only if you are over 18, please move to BAC's regular tournament page and learn about the events we have for adults.
    www.bayareachess.com/regular

    1. Totally new to chess? Learn chess & basics with us!
    Weekend Chess Clubs

    Learn the moves, basic principles, how to checkmate, and play through a game.
    Weekend Club information & registrations are through our enrichment website:
    www.enrichment.bayareachess.com/clubs

    2. Can you play through a game and checkmate? You are ready for your first practice tournament!
    Rising Star Tournament

    Come and learn how to play in a tournament, let us show you what's like.
    We mimic the conditions of a rated tournament, and help you learn what's happening at a tournament.
    This tournament is NOT rated, so no USCF membership is required.
    Parents will also be given a seminar while the kids are playing.
    Usually hold it once every month.
    www.bayareachess.com/risingstar

    3. Practice and compete at our recurring, half-day scholstic tournaments.
    BAC's Signature Swiss & Quads

    Designed to give you plenty of opportunity to play at rated tournaments.
    We offer Swiss & Quads tournametns around the bay area almost every weekend.
    Swiss - always in the morning, always 4 rounds, starts at 9:30am and goes until around 1:30pm.
    Quads - always in the afternoon, always 3 rounds, MANDATORY checking 1:30-2pm. Games start shortly after assigging players into quads. Goes until around 5pm.
    Tournaments are rated, USCF membership is required. Rating is usually updated within 24 hours.
    www.bayareachess.com/signature

    4. Fun Friday evening events: Blitz, Simuls & Special Events

    Occasionally we organize fast chess tournaments, so called Blitz, G/5.
    Also often we have simuls with visiting GMs/IMs as well as special lectures and other events.
    www.bayareachess.com/specialevents

    5. Special 1-day events

    BAC organizes several 1-day, full day chess tournaments.
    These are usually 5 rounds, and players compete both for individual trophies as well as for school and club trophies.
    Some of these 1-day events:
    Early January - New Year's Kids Championship (www.bayareachess.com/nyk)
    May - Best of the West Kids Championship (www.bayareachess.com/bestwestkids)
    July - Young People's Championship (www.bayareachess.com/young)
    September - Labor Day Kids Championship (www.bayareachess.com/laborkids)
    November - Thanksgiving Kids' Championship (www.bayareachess.com/tgs)

    Tournaments are rated, USCF membership is required. Rating is usually updated within 24 hours.
    Check the upcoming special events in the dropdown menu.

    6. State & National Championship

    BAC is proud to be the organizer of several CalChess State and US National Championship.

    Number of rounds and time control varies with tournaments, and players compete both for individual trophies as well as for school and club trophies.

    Some of the tournments that we have organized in the past, and expected to organize in the upcoming years:

    Spring - CalChess State Scholastic Championship (www.bayareachess.com/states)
    Spring - CalChess Qualifier for the Barber & Denker Invitational (www.bayareachess.com/denker)
    Spring - CalChess State Scholastic Team Championship (www.bayareachess.com/schoolteam)
    Spring - CalChess Girls State Championship
    Spring - US Amateur Team West Kids' Championship (www.bayareachess.com/usatw)
    Spring - Susan Polgar Foundation National Open for Boys and Girls (www.spfno.com)
    Fall - North American All Girls Championship (www.bayareachess.com/allgirls)
    Winter - CalChess State Grade Level Championship (www.bayareachess.com/grades)

    Tournaments are rated, USCF membership is required. Rating is usually updated within 24 hours.
    CalChess tournaments also requir $5 CalChess memhership.
    Check the upcoming national events in the dropdown menu.

  • General Tournament Informaiton

    Some of the links and pages we created for general information

    1. Totally new to chess?

    Learn the basics of chess tournament types, and what you need to do. Typical questions we often get: What is Swiss and Quads, what does time control means... All these you will find the answers to.
    www.bayareachess.com/new_at_chess

    2. Memberships

    There are two types of memberships you can purchase on BayAreaChess' website:
    USCF membership - this is mandatory for all rated tournaments.
    The uscf membership price depends on the age of the player and it's good for 12 months.
    Age 12 & under- $17
    Age 15 & under - $22
    Age 22 & under - $26
    Age 25 & up - $40
    www.bayareachess.com/my/memberships

    3. Discounts - How can I pay less? :)

    Once you are attending tournaments, you'll realize that they quickly add up.
    How can you save? We offer several two typed of discounts:
    multi tournament discount - no membership required
    25% discoutn - BAC Basic membership.
    For more informaiton on the discounts: www.bayareachess.com/discounts

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