Event Details
REGISTRATION: Advanced registration is strongly encouraged and available online at www.gatewaychess.org. The deadline for advanced registration is 7:00 pm, Thursday, December 3. On-site registration will be available from 8:00 am to 8:30 am on the day of the tournament. Players who begin registration after 9:00 am may not be paired in round one and are subject to a late fee.
ELIGIBILITY: All students in kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) are eligible.
FORMAT: The tournament will be played in 3-ROUND QUADS. Each school may enter any number of players. o SECTIONS: Kindergarten to Grade 5 (K-5) and Grade 6 to Grade 12 (6-12)
Players in each section will be assigned to a 4-person group of players based on rating, called a “Quad” o Quad A will consist of the 4 highest rated players, Quad B will be next 4 highest rated, and so forth. o Each Quad plays a 3-round round-robin (all players in the Quad will play each other)
In the event that the section is not evenly divisible by 4 players, the last full Quad and remaining players will be paired as a 3-round Standard Swiss.
Adjustments to avoid team members being in the same Quad will be made where practical. o DIVISIONS (FOR TEAM AWARDS): High School (Grades 9-12), Middle School (Grades 6-8), and Elementary (Grades K-5)
ROUND TIMES: 9:30, 11:30, and 1:30. Final round will start earlier if possible.
DUE TO THIS UNIQUE FORMAT, PLAYERS ARE EXPECTED TO COMPLETE ALL THREE (3) ROUNDS. o TIME CONTROL: Game in 45m + 5s time delay (G/45;d5)
AWARDS: The awards ceremony will begin at 3:30 pm (or earlier if possible). No awards will be presented prior to the ceremony
Three (3) school trophies will be awarded in each division. (Minimum of two players constitutes a team.)
School score is the sum of the four (4) highest player scores, regardless of Quad.
One (1) individual trophy will be awarded to the winner of each Quad, and a medal for others scoring 2+ pts.
ENTRY FEE: The entry fee is $15.00 per player if pre-registered online. The entry fee is $20.00 per player if registering on-site. Payment may be made through PayPal during online registration or by cash, check, or credit card on site.
MEMBERSHIP: U.S. Chess Federation membership is required for tournament participation. Players must show proof of current membership or purchase at the tournament. Discounted rate starts at $15.00 paid by cash or check, $16.00 with card or PayPal, while supplies last.
EQUIPMENT: Players are responsible for providing sets, boards, and clocks. A limited number of clocks will be available for checkout. Chess equipment may be on sale during the tournament.
RATINGS: The current month U.S. Chess Federation rating supplement will be used for pairings. Players without a rating will be paired using a local rating based on grade level.
TIE BREAKERS: Ties will be broken using Sonneborn-Berger, then head-to-head result for individual trophies and using Solkoff, Cumulative, and Cumulative Opp. for team trophies.
SPONSORS: Each school must have either a sponsor or parent present. There will be a sponsors and parents meeting approximately fifteen minutes after the start of round one.
TOURNAMENT COORDINATORS: The tournament director is Thomas Rehmeier. The tournament organizer is Sam Kassis. For further information please call Sam Kassis at 314-496-2266 or visit www.gatewaychess.org.