Open to all K - 12 players from anywhere.
Liberty Christian School
11303 Liberty Road
Owings Mills, MD 21117
Recent History of the Tournament, Site, and/or Date
Round 1: 9:30 AM. Subsequent rounds: as soon as possible. |
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Section |
US-Chess Rating |
Grades |
Rounds |
1 Time Control (Sudden-Death) |
Individual |
Team |
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Varsity |
1600+ |
K - 12 |
2-SS |
G/90 +30 |
* Top Under 1800 |
** |
||
Junior Varsity |
1200 - 1599 |
K - 12 |
4-SS |
G/30 +30 |
* |
** |
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Advanced |
800 - 1199 or strong unrated HSers |
K - 12 |
4-SS |
G/60 d5 |
* |
** |
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Intermediate HS & MS |
under 800 or unrated |
6 - 12 |
5-SS |
G/45 d5 |
* |
** |
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Intermediate ES |
400 - 799 |
K - 5 |
5-SS |
G/45 d5 |
* |
** |
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Novice ES |
under 400 or unrated |
K - 5 |
5-SS |
G/30 d5 |
* |
** |
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|
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* |
Trophies: top ≈ 25% of players or players with ≈ ≥70% of available points (3.5+/5, 2.8+/4, 1.4+/2) |
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Top Under X |
Trophy: top player with a published rating under X who does not earn a place trophy (1st, 2nd, etc.) (Unrated players are ineligible for class prizes.) |
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** |
Trophies: top ≈ 35% of teams or teams with ≈ ≥50% of available points (10+/20, 8+/16, 4+/8)—b/o top 4 players |
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#-SS |
# of rounds in which a player plays 1 game against an opponent determined by Swiss-system pairings (SS) |
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G/# |
base time: # of minutes per game (G) each player has to complete all of the player's moves |
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d# |
bonus time: # of seconds of delay (d) that elapse before a player's base time begins to elapse, when the player is on move |
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+# |
bonus time: # of seconds of increment (+) added to a player's base time for each move |
Tournament-Registration Fee (+ extra fee for 1-year US-Chess membership, if not current)
- Registration will open 1 month before the tournament. Click on Register Now! at the bottom of this page.
- $15—if completed by 11:59 PM, Tuesday, 2016.09.20 (Early)
- $30—if completed by 7 PM, Thursday, 2016.09.22 (Regular)
- $60—if completed by 5 AM, Saturday, 2016.09.24 (Last-Minute; ½-point bye possible in Round 1)
- $80—8 - 9 AM, Saturday, 2016.09.24 (At-the-Door: if space is available; ½-point bye likely in Round 1)
Registered Players & Wallcharts
- Individuals (Attendees)—includes players registered currently (updated automatically)
Click on Attendees beneath the scholastic tournament. At the top of the page, enter in the Search bar the player's first or last name (but not both) or the purchaser's first or last name (but not both). Or, at the bottom of the page, change the # of players displayed to All ; then sort by clicking on Player's Name, Purchaser's Name, etc. - Individuals (alphabetically)—includes players registered by 2016.09.23 19:36—120 players
- Individuals (by section)—includes players registered by the date & time above
- Teams (by section)—includes players registered by the date & time above
US-Chess Membership
- A player must have a current US-Chess membership to compete in today's US-Chess-rated tournament.
- A player's US-Chess membership remains current for 1 year after purchase. The expiration date is the last day of the month, 12 months after purchase.
- To purchase a US-Chess membership during tournament registration, select the 2nd type of Registration Type: Tournament Registration & US-Chess Membership (new or renewal). When renewing a player's expired US-Chess membership, include the player's permanent US-Chess ID #.
- During a tournament a player without a current US-Chess membership is ineligible to play, will not be paired in any round, & will receive a 0-point bye in all rounds, until the player purchases a new US-Chess membership or renews an expired one, by filling out MCA's US-Chess-membership form in the Tournament Directors' room. A 0-point bye reduces a player's ability to win an individual trophy and a school's ability to win a team trophy.
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 US-Chess-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 US-Chess rating during the month in which a tournament will be held. A player's official rating remains the same number throughout a month, because US-Chess 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 US Chess calculates a player's unofficial rating a few hours after the conclusion of every US-Chess-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. Click here for a player's official & unofficial US-Chess ratings.
- Sections have a marginally flexible floor (at MCA scholastic tournaments), but an inflexible/hard ceiling (at all US-Chess-rated tournaments). If a player's official rating is below a section's floor, but the player's official rating is only ≤ 50 points below the floor and/or the player's unofficial rating is ≤ 50 points below, equal to, or any number of points above the floor, then the player may play up in that higher section—unless MCA's Scholastic Director and/or the Chief Tournament Director decide it's not in the tournament's best interests. (If a player uses the player's unofficial rating to qualify to play up in a section, then the player might be assigned that unofficial rating for pairing purposes.) However, if a player's unofficial rating is below a section's ceiling, but the player's official rating is above that ceiling, then the player may NOT play down in that section.
- If a player is registered for a section for which the player is ineligible by rating, then (without notification) MCA will move the player to the lowest section for which the player is eligible.
- If a player is registered for a section for which the player is ineligible by grade, then MCA will take 1 of 2 steps. If MCA thinks a player has been registered intentionally so as to play up or down in a grade-inappropriate section (in the hope of either stronger or weaker competition), then (without notification) MCA will move the player to a grade-appropriate section. (MCA might also impose punitive measures.) Conversely, if MCA thinks a player has been registered accidentally with a discrepancy that, given the player's designated grade, renders the player ineligible for the player's selected section, then (without notification) MCA will pair the player in a section according to whichever is higher: the designated grade or the selected section. For example, a player designated as a 3rd grader but registered in a HS-&-MS or 9th-grade section, will remain in the HS-&-MS or 9th-grade section; conversely, a player designated as a 9th grader but registered in an ES or 3rd-grade section, will be moved to a HS-&-MS or 9th-grade section. Why? Because MCA considers it wiser to err on the side of accidentally letting a player in a low grade play against players in a higher grade or grades, than of accidentally letting a player in a high grade play against players in a lower grade or 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 MCA sent you & the Wallcharts below. Send corrections to MCA at tournaments@mdchess.com.
Which Players Are Required to Record Their Games?
- Players in grades 4 - 12 must record (notate) their games, unless they are unable to. K - 3 players in all sections are exempt from the recording requirement.
- 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 might be available for purchase at the tournament.
- Food (pizza, candy, soda, etc.) can be purchased at the tournament.
MCA's PROVISIONAL Scholastic-Tournament Calendar 2016-2017
- The tournament-announcement page of a tournament listed in MCA's PROVISIONAL Scholastic-Tournament Calendar 2016-2017 might not yet appear at the top of MCA's home page, because that tournament is so many months in the future.
- Nonetheless, one can access that tournament-announcement page by alternate means:
- On the lower, left side of MCA's home page, click on MCA's calendar.
- Click on By Month (at the top of the page) to display all tournaments within a month.
- Click on All Categories (at the bottom of the page) to display all types of tournaments (major & local scholastic tournaments, major & local open tournaments)—as well as chess camps.
- Locate & click on the desired tournament.
$45,000 College Scholarship Will Be Awarded at Maryland Sweet 16 2017
- Today's Local Scholastic Tournament is a MD-Sweet-16 Qualifier, in which Varsity players who are MD residents will earn MD-Sweet-16 Varsity Points.
- The top 16 K-12 MD residents who compete in the Varsity section of at least 1 of MCA’s 9 scheduled MD-Sweet-16 Qualifiers from September, 2016 - February, 2017, will qualify for the MD Sweet 16, an annual invitational tournament next scheduled for 2017.03.04-05.
- The MD-Sweet-16 Champion will receive UMBC's MD-Sweet-16 Chess Scholarship, a 4-year scholarship to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County valued at $45,056.
- The MD-Sweet-16 tournament-announcement page contains all qualification & tournament details.
- (HS seniors from all states are eligible for 2 additional types of UMBC Chess Scholarships.)
Registering for the Tournament
- How to Register Online for an MCA Scholastic Tournament
- Which US-Chess Rating Determines the Section(s) in which a Player May or Must Play?—and/or see above the section entitled Which Section is Right for Your Player?
- MCA’s Scholastic Team Policy
- MCA’s Scholastic Bye Policy
- MCA's Refund Policy & Fees for Registration Changes
Playing at the Tournament
- Tournament Announcements before Round 1 & Section Schedules
- Procedures, Rules, and Etiquette for Players and Spectators at an MCA Scholastic Tournament
- Increment Time Control
- 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.
- US Chess's Official Rules of Chess, 6th Edition (2014)
- US Chess's Official Rules of Chess, 6th Edition (2014)—search for rules & terms in GoogleBooks
- US Chess's Rulebook Changes (updated annually)
- Current Standings: Individuals (live results updated every 60 seconds)
- Current Standings: Teams (live results updated every 60 seconds)
- How MCA Determines the Individual Winner of a Section when There’s a Tie for 1st Place
Results of the Tournament
- Final Standings: US-Chess Crosstables (tied players in descending order of new unpublished rating)
- Final Standings: MD-Chess Crosstables (tied players in descending tiebreak order—TROPHY ORDER)
- How to Find a Player’s New Unpublished/Unofficial US-Chess Rating after an MCA Scholastic Tournament
- If MCA's Photographer takes photos of players at the board & in the Skittles Room, then they will be available for purchase at the MCA Photographer's website.
MCA's Social-Media Profiles
For more tournament information, contact the Maryland Chess Association at tournaments@mdchess.com.