High School League

Registration:

You may register online by clicking the "Register" button above. Alternatively, you may register by emailing or mailing the entry form to the league president no later than Saturday, October 28th. Postal mail should be sent to Sam Kassis, 3022 Sedan Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63125. If paying by check, make checks out to “Gateway Chess League.” Payment may also be made by credit card when registering online. 

Entry Fee:

Member high schools may enter an A-team in Senior High League competition for the entry fee of $100. Each high school that enters an A-team may enter one Senior High League B-team for no additional charge. Schools must indicate the intention to field a B-team before matches have been scheduled for the season.

Eligibility

Players in grades six through twelve, who attend the same school, are eligible to play on the senior high league team.

Format

• A senior high league match consists of five games, played by five different players from a school.

• The best player, identified using official United States Chess Federation ratings where possible, must be assigned to board one, the second best player must be assigned to board two, and so forth.

• The home team plays black on board one with each successive board alternating. 

• The time control is game in 60 minutes with a 5 second time delay.

• All matches shall be played on school grounds, unless a different place is acceptable to both faculty moderators. Senior high league matches shall be played on Wednesdays, and matches shall begin at 4:00 p.m. unless a different time is acceptable to both moderators.

• Matches may be postponed only for legitimate reasons such as school holidays, student examinations, or emergencies such as inclement weather. The president shall be notified immediately of postponements. Postponed matches shall be played the first Monday or the first Tuesday that both schools are in session. Except in the case of emergencies, faculty moderators must notify opponent faculty moderators of postponements one week prior to the date of the match.

Individual Scoring

The board one winner earns eight individual points, the board two winner earns seven individual points, the board three winner earns six individual points, the board four winner earns five individual points, and the board five winner earns four individual points; and in cases of draws, both players earn one-half of the indicated individual points. A team with less than the required number of players must forfeit the lowest boards.

Team Scoring

The team score is the sum of the individual scores. The team that earns the most individual points is the match winner, and earns one match point. In cases where both teams earn equal individual points, the match is tied and both teams earn one-half match point. A team with less than the required number of players must forfeit the lowest boards.

Ratings

High school league matches are unrated.

Playoffs

At the end of the season, the president shall invite eight senior high league teams, the top four from each conference, to the Senior High League playoffs. During playoffs, the team with the best record shall be the home team. The team playing white on board one shall be determined by a coin toss (winner chooses color), and the boards shall alternate colors on boards two, three, four, and five.

Equipment

The host school should provide sets, boards, and clocks.

Awards

The president shall determine the number of individual and team awards. A player shall be eligible for an award only on the lowest board they played during the season. All points earned on any board will be counted for that player.