Maryland Sweet 16

by Chris Y. Kim & John D. Rockefeller V

Welcome to the 2017-2018 qualifying season for the Maryland Sweet 16 2018 on 2018.03.03-04. Since 1995 this annual invitational tournament has featured 16 of the top K-12 Maryland players competing in a separate section of the UMBC Open at University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The MD-Sweet-16 tournament-announcement page contains all tournament details, including qualification rules & Varsity-Points scoring rules. The MD-Sweet-16 Champion will receive a MD-Sweet-16 UMBC Chess Scholarship, valued at $46,072. (There are 2 additional types of UMBC Chess Scholarships for which high-school seniors from any state are eligible.)

7 of the 8 scheduled MD-Sweet-16 Qualifiers in this qualifying season have been completed. The standings are current through MD Chess Poly & Western January (ORIGINAL DATE) on 2018.01.06. The final scheduled MD-Sweet-16 Qualifier will be MD Chess Poly & Western January (NEW DATE) on 2018.02.17.

Click below for the current MD-Sweet-16 Qualifiers, 2 Alternates, Backup Alternates, & Full Standings.

MCA schedules only 2 rounds of G/90 +30 games in the Varsity section at MD-Sweet-16 Qualifiers (a.k.a. Local Scholastic Tournaments), to give elite scholastic players the opportunity to compete in games with the same time control used at the Maryland Sweet 16, the Denker Tournament of High-School Champions (for which the MD High-School Chess Champion will receive an MCA stipend of up to $750), the Barber Tournament of K-8 Champions (for which the MD Middle-School Chess Champion will receive an MCA stipend of up to $750), & the National Girls Tournament of Champions (for which the MD Girl Chess Champion will receive an MCA stipend of up to $750). MCA sets the Varsity floor at 1600 to keep the sections reasonably sized & competitive.

Ratings are from US Chess's February Supplement. (Players' published/official US Chess ratings in March will be used to determine the Final Standings, regardless of whether the MD Sweet 16 will be held in February or in March.)

Current 8 MD-Sweet-16 Qualifiers by US Chess Rating
(Primary path to qualification. Total # of Varsity Points is immaterial. The player's place would be retained, even if the player were to withdraw from the MD Sweet 16.)

Current 8 MD-Sweet-16 Qualifiers by Varsity Points
(Secondary path to qualification. US Chess rating is immaterial. The player's place would be retained (*), even if the player were to qualify by rating [the primary path to qualification] and/or were to withdraw from the MD Sweet 16.)

Additional Current MD-Sweet-16 Qualifiers by US Chess Rating (0-16 players)
(Players qualify either because 1+ of the Current 8 MD-Sweet-16 Qualifiers by US Chess Rating is also 1 of the Current 8 MD-Sweet-16 Qualifiers by Varsity Points and/or has withdrawn from the MD Sweet 16, or because 1+ of the Current 8 MD-Sweet-16 Qualifiers by Varsity Points has withdrawn from the MD Sweet 16.)

NONE

Current 2 MD-Sweet-16 Alternates by US Chess Rating
(The FINAL 2 MS16 Alternates are required to be in the Tournament Room at 9:30 AM on the Saturday of the MD Sweet 16, ready to replace any Qualifier who were either to withdraw at the last minute or not show up for Round 1. MCA will pay for the 2 MS16 Alternates' entrance fee to the UMBC Open, which runs concurrently with the MD Sweet 16. In case a Qualifier were to withdraw from a later round of the MS16, MCA prefers (but will not require) that the 2 MS16 Alternates compete in every round of the UMBC Open that overlaps with a round of the MS16.)

Current MD-Sweet-16 Backup Alternates (in descending order of US Chess Rating)
(The FINAL MS16 Backup Alternates are not required to be on site at the MS16, as MCA will not pay for their entrance fee to the UMBC Open. MCA will contact a MS16 Backup Alternate shortly before the MS16 only if the Backup Alternate is needed to replace a withdrawn Alternate.)

Varsity Players Ineligible for the MD Sweet 16
(Non-Maryland residents who attend non-Maryland schools, former MD-Sweet-16 Champions, & disqualified players)

All MD-Sweet-16-Eligible Varsity Players (in descending order of US Chess Rating)

All MD-Sweet-16-Eligible Varsity Players (in descending order of Varsity Points)