Perry Hall Middle School
4300 Ebenezer Road
Baltimore, MD 21236

ONLY FOR PLAYERS IN GRADES K - 5 WHO ARE MD RESIDENTS (or out-of-state residents enrolled in schools in MD)

Recent History of the Tournament, Site, and/or Date

• MD ES Chess Championships 2014: MCA Crosstables: 482 players & 84 teams
• MD ES Chess Championships 2014: USCF Crosstables
• MD ES Chess Championships 2013: MCA Crosstables: 424 players & 87 teams
• MD ES Chess Championships 2013: USCF Crosstables

5 Sections, 172 Trophies (131 Individual & 41 Team), & 535 Ribbons

Round 1 at 9:30 AM.  Subsequent rounds as soon as possible.
Section		Rating	Grades	Rounds	Time Control	Individual Trophies	Team Trophies
Championship: K - 5		1000+	K - 5	5-SS	G/45 d5	5 (1st & tied for 1st : free entry to Maryland Open)	3, top 4 individuals on the 1st team
Championship: K - 3		700+	K - 3	5-SS	G/30 d5	4 (1st & tied for 1st : free entry to Maryland Open)	2, top 4 individuals on the 1st team
Under 1000, K - 5		100 - 999 or unrated	K - 5	5-SS	G/30 d5	18	6
Under 600, K - 5		100 - 599 or unrated	K - 5	6-SS	G/30 d5	57	16
Under 400, K - 3		100 - 399 or unrated	K - 3	5-SS	G/30 d5	39	14
SS	# of rounds in which each player plays 1 game against an opponent determined by Swiss-system pairings
G	# of minutes each player has to complete all of his/her moves in a game
d	# of seconds of delay that elapse before a player's base time begins to elapse, when the player is on move

 

The individual & team winners (or co-winners) of each Championship section will be the 2015 Maryland Scholastic Chess Champion for that grade range. The individual winner (or co-winners) of each Championship section will receive free entry to the 61st Annual Maryland Open on 2015.05.01-03.

Which Section is Right for Your Player?

• Sections are listed primarily in order of rating strength & secondarily in order of grade range.
• Players who have never competed in a USCF-rated tournament (the vast majority of unrated players) are not eligible for the strongest sections.
• A player's eligibility by rating for a section is determined primarily by the player's official/published USCF rating during the month in which a tournament will be held. A player's official rating remains the same number throughout a month, because the US Chess Federation calculates a player's official rating only once per month. That is, a player's official rating does not change during a month, because a player's official rating throughout a month is what the player’s unofficial/unpublished rating was on the 3rd Wednesday of the previous month. Conversely, a player's unofficial rating can change an unlimited number of times per month, because USCF calculates a player's unofficial rating a few hours after the conclusion of every USCF-rated tournament in which a player competes. When registering a player for a tournament in month X, apply the player's official rating in month X. When registering a player for a tournament in month X+1, apply the player's unofficial rating on the 3rd Wednesday of month X. Look up a player's official & unofficial USCF ratings here.
• Sections have a marginally flexible floor (at MCA scholastic tournaments), but an inflexible/hard ceiling (at all USCF-rated tournaments). So, a player may play up in a higher section, if the player's official rating is ≤ 50 points below that section's floor, and/or if the player's unofficial rating either is ≤ 50 points below or is above that section's floor. However, even if a player's unofficial rating is below a section's ceiling, the player may NOT play down in that section, if the player's official rating is above that section's ceiling.
• If a player is registered for a section for which the player is ineligible by rating, then MCA (without notification) will move the player to the lowest section for which the player is eligible.
• If there's a discrepancy between the grade & the grade-restricted section selected for a player during registration, then MCA (without notification) will pair the player in a section according to whichever is higher by grade: the grade or the section. For example, a player designated as a 3rd grader but registered in a HS-&-MS section, will remain in that section; conversely, a player designated as a 9th grader but registered in an ES section, will be moved to a HS-&-MS section. Why? Because MCA considers it more fair to err on the side of pairing a player in a low grade against players in much higher grades, than of pairing a player in a high grade against players in much lower grades. To prevent your player from being paired in an incorrect section (by grade) because of a registration error, please review both the registration-confirmation email you received from MCA & the Wallcharts below. Send corrections to MCA at tournaments@mdchess.com.

For more information about MCA tournaments, contact MCA at tournaments@mdchess.com.

This tournament is supported generously by the Baltimore Kids Chess League.

Registered Players & Wallcharts

• Individuals (Attendees)—updated automatically after registration
• Individuals (alphabetically)—updated manually on 4/16/2015, 10 pM
• Individuals (by section)—updated manually on the date & time above
• Teams (by section)—updated manually on the date & time above

Tournament Registration Fee

• $5 online discount for each player who attends a current Title-1 school
• $20 (Early), if completed by 11:59 PM, Sunday, 2015.04.05 (online or received mail)
• $30 (Regular), if completed by 7 PM, Thursday, 2015.04.16 (online)
• $50 (Last-Minute), if completed by 6 AM, Saturday, 2015.04.18 (online) (half-point bye possible in Round 1)
• $90 (At-the-Door), 8:30 - 9 AM, Saturday, 2015.04.18 (only if space is available; half-point bye likely in Round 1)

Registration by Mail

• Include: player's name, USCF ID #, USCF expiration date, section, grade, school, phone #, email address, & check (written in ink & made payable to Maryland Chess Association).
• Mail to: Maryland Chess Association, 1827 Thornton Ridge Road, Towson MD 21204-1841.

US Chess Federation Membership

• Players must have a current USCF membership at USCF-rated tournaments; MCA tournaments are USCF-rated.
• Players without a current USCF membership are ineligible to play and will not be paired. They will receive a half-point bye in Round 1 and 0-point byes in subsequent rounds, until they purchase a new USCF membership or renew an expired one. Half-point and 0-point byes reduce a player's ability to win an individual trophy and a school's ability to win a team trophy.
• A USCF membership can be purchased online or by mail, along with registration for the tournament. If you’re purchasing by mail, then include: player's name, date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy), home address, gender, and USCF ID # (if available). Select 1 of the options listed below [ages refer to the member’s age on the day of the tournament]:
• ages 1 - 12, $17, Scholastic: Regular (12 months), Chess Life for Kids (online)
• ages 13 - 15, $22, Youth: Regular (12 months), Chess Life for Kids (online)
• ages 16 - 24, $26, Young Adult: Regular (12 months), Chess Life (online)

Which Players Are Required to Record Their Games?

• Recording is OPTIONAL at this tournament. Players are NOT REQUIRED TO RECORD.
• Nonetheless, we recommend that players record their games, because recording affords several benefits:
• it helps to resolve disputes;
• it discourages cheating;
• it enables players to improve their skills through post-game analysis.

Do Players Need to Bring Anything?

• Players do NOT need to bring any equipment. MCA will provide all necessary supplies: boards, pieces, scoresheets (for recording), and pencils. (MCA’s pencils might be dull and do not have erasers. If you want a sharp pencil with a good eraser, then bring your own.)
• Players do NOT need to bring a clock; however, we encourage them to bring one. A game may be started without a clock, if neither player brings a clock to the board. Clocks can be purchased at the tournament.
• Food (pizza, candy, soda, etc.) can be purchased at the tournament.

How to Register Online for an MCA Scholastic Tournament

Which USCF Rating Determines the Section(s) in which a Player May or Must Play?

MCA’s Scholastic Team Policy

MCA’s Scholastic Bye Policy

MCA's Refund Policy & Fees for Registration Changes

Tournament Announcements before Round 1 & Section Schedules

Procedures, Rules, and Etiquette for Players and Spectators at an MCA Scholastic Tournament

Even when More Than 1 Player in a Section Can Achieve a Perfect Score, There Will Be No Major Variations; However, There Might Be Minor Variations. The following might be changed for any section, according to the number of players in the section: whether there are natural pairings (the norm at a Swiss-system tournament) or accelerated pairings in Rounds 1-2, and the number of trophies. In the rare instance of a section having an exceptionally low turnout, it might be merged with another section.

Tournament Results
Current Standings: Individuals (all individual scores in all sections on 1 screen) (live results updated every 60 seconds)
Current Standings: Teams (all team scores in all sections on 1 screen) (live results updated every 60 seconds)
Final Standings: MCA's Crosstables (tied players in order, according to tiebreak—ORDER of TROPHIES)
Final Standings: USCF's Crosstables (tied players in order, according to subsequent unpublished rating)

How MCA Determines the Individual Winner of a Section when There’s a Tie for First Place

How to Find a Player’s New USCF Rating after an MCA Scholastic Tournament

For further information, contact the Maryland Chess Association at tournaments@mdchess.com.