Chess4Life Tournaments
Chess4Life tournaments are a great way for your child to develop important life skills while improving chess through competition!
Life Lessons from Chess Tournaments:
- Sportsmanship and chess etiquette (shake hands before and after games, congratulate others)
- Teamwork (team awards)
- Focus
- Perseverance
- Win, Draw, LEARN! (losing is a choice)
- Patience (moving too fast leads to poor results, a chance to LEARN)
General Format:
- Check-in
- Warm-up
- First round 'pairings' posted
- Report results as games finish
Once all results are complete, the next round of pairings is posted.
After the final round we have our awards ceremony and then cleanup
Duration: Typically 3-6 hours (some shorter or longer depending on type of event)
Skill Levels: Depends on event. Opportunity for first-time players to experience competition up to experience players preparing for the national championships.
Long Time Controls - over G/30
G/60, G/90, and G/120 events. These events are typically for more advanced students or students of all levels preparing for National competition.
Duration:
Normal events are paced at 1 hour per game (30 minutes/participant) - these long time controls are typically 2, 3, or 4 hours long per game, allowing students much more time for thinking deeply.
Parent Involvement: Can drop off students at Chess4Life Centers for events OR stay and enjoy free wi-fi OR possibly volunteer! (no chess knowledge necessary)
If you wish to volunteer, please email Chess4Life at
tournaments@chess4life.com or call (425) 283-0549
Volunteer Application Form
Parent Involvement:
Parents can drop off students at Chess4Life Centers for events OR stay and enjoy free wi-fi OR possibly volunteer!
(no chess knowledge necessary)
If you wish to volunteer, please email Chess4Life at tournaments@chess4life.com or call (425) 283-0549
Volunteer Application Form
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Chess4Life Friday Night Quads is a special format of a chess tournament competition in which 4 players per group (Quad) are paired together based on their rating. Each player will play 3 rated games ( "round robin" style, one game each against the other 3 players in the 'quad'.)
Every player will compete in a total of three games; the player with the most individual wins, wins the Quad!
The set of four chess players is referred to as a Quad. |
Benefit:
The benefit to playing an event like this is that each participant plays against others with similar chess ratings, meaning that a student is most likely going to have good competition without having to play either too experienced or too weak opponents - every game a good learning game!
Prize:
The highest score after 3 games will receive a trophy. (trophies can be collected and turned in for the 4x Quad Winner Trophy and the "Triple Crown" big Quad Cup (12x winner). First time quads attendees receive a small prize just for completing their games.
Rating:
NWRS rated (NW Rating System) therefore affecting (or if first time giving an initial) chess rating
Duration: 1-3 hours
Parents:
Welcome to drop off students for this event and enjoy a Friday Night date night! (or stay and use the FREE wifi)
Frequency:
Weekly event, allowing for regular good practice
Special Notes:
First time players receive a small prize just for playing the first time!
Regular Attendees
may wish to purchase the Chess4Life Quads Punchcard (discount on purchase of 10, more efficient check-in).
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Chess4Life Beginner's Tournaments are great for first-time tournament players to learn the rules of competition in a fun, inviting, positive environment!
Eligible:
First time tournament players - can play in max of 3 tournaments to be eligible (does not count Friday Night Quads events)
Prize:
EVERY participant receives a trophy since completing your first tournament is an accomplishment! (overall winners receive the top place trophies) Frequently there are TEAM awards for top 4 students from a school participating in the event. Sportsmanship award.
Rating:
NWRS rated (NW Rating System) therefore affecting (or if first time giving an initial) chess rating
Special notes:
Chess4Life Coaches frequently teach short lessons between competition 'rounds' as well as the basics of tournament competition rules/etiquette.
Parents:
Welcome to drop off students, though welcome to stay and enjoy FREE wifi and encourage your child(ren)!
Duration:
4 games each student (no elimination) - typically 4 hours from start of first round to finish
State Elementary Chess Championship Qualifiers
Washington State Elementary Chess Championship Qualifying events are tournaments in which a score of 3 points out of 5 possible points qualifies for state. Wins count as 1 point, draws as 1/2, "learns" as 0 points.
Eligible:
Open to all participants within the specific events' age/grade/rating criteria
Prize:
Trophies to top finishers and medals - not all participants receive an award - TEAM awards for top 4 scores from a school! Sportsmanship award.
Rating:
NWRS rated (NW Rating System) therefore affecting (or if first time giving an initial) chess rating
Duration:
5 games each student (no elimination) - typically 5-6 hours from start to finish
Chess4Life does special training and prep for the USCF National Championship.
Attending the USCF National Championship is an experience to be remembered for a long time and frequently has a tremendous positive impact on a student's growth in life skills - with regular training leading up to the event, perseverance through the 7-round event, long time controls, and if part of the Chess4Life team, analysis of each game to review and learn...plus the whole TEAM dynamics of celebrating together and encouraging each other, parents and kids alike often build deep friendships with others on the team. It is an experience that cannot be adequately described but must be experienced!
Duration:
3 day event, held annually in various places in the US (Super Nationals typically held in Nashville, TN)
When:
Spring, usually early May, but early April for Super Nationals
Eligibility:
OPEN event, with eligibility in various categories based on national rating.
Chess4Life USCF rated events
Similar to state qualifying events (sometimes combined with a state qualifying event) with main difference being that it is rated with the national rating system (USCF) that requires a USCF Membership)
USCF National Events Calendar
USCF National Tournament Matrix
Chess4Life Tournament Hosting Services
Interested in bringing a chess tournament to your school as a fundraiser or just to bring this opportunity to your school?
Chess4Life provides services from simple online registration to full tournament management.
- Online Registrations
- Tournament Management
- Full Tournament Hosting Services
Request full tournament information!
Thank-you for your interest in bringing a fun chess tournament to your school to help children have the opportunity to compete. Please review the options listed below and then fill out the Request Tournament Services Form below to receive more information.
See our services in a PDF flyer
Chess4Life Basic Service - $1.75/entry
- Online Registration and Listing of Event
- FREE chess sets supplied if you need them
- FREE scoresheets
- Chess Clocks rented at $3.00/clock
- FREE flyer creation
Chess4Life Management Service - $500.00/tournament plus $1.50/entry
- All of the above benefits plus...
- FREE use of chess clocks
- FREE Professional Tournament Management Services (2 people)
- Pairings Director
- Tournament Manager/MC
- Certified Tournament Director
- FREE tournament supplies (paper, pencils, printer, labels, etc)
- FREE promotion in newsletter
Chess4Life Complete Tournament Hosting Service
- All of the above benefits plus...
- No stress, no hassles, no fees
- All equipment/table rentals included
- Donation from Chess4Life to the school club (typically $500-700, sometimes more, depending on the number of entries and costs)
- Concessions handled by the school to raise additional funds, otherwise handled by Chess4Life and 50% of profits donated back to the school
- FREE promotion with flyers handed out in classes
- Additional staff brought in as needed
FOR ADVANCED PLAYERS - are you looking for longer time control
tournaments/games? If so, Click here.
Bughouse Tournaments:
These are FUN events indeed! Whereas chess tournaments are expected to be quiet during the games, "Bughouse Tournaments" are expected to be rather loud!
Team chess, 2 players per team, with special rules that involve 'sharing' pieces with your partner! Also VERY FAST! Just 5 minutes per player per game (10 minutes total).
Speed Chess:
These are FUN events indeed! Whereas chess tournaments are expected to be quiet during the games, both of these are expected to be rather louder!
Played at just 5 minutes per player (10 minutes per game)! Very fast indeed! Fun, helps improve your 'tactics' and quick thinking!
Elliott's Coaching Tip for Parents
Some advice on chess ratings. . .
How important is a chess rating? What can I do to improve my child's rating? These and similar questions I hear frequently and wanted to suggest a few things both in terms of what ratings are and how best to use ratings to help your child improve in chess.
First, what is a 'chess rating'? Without diving too deeply into the details of this subject, a chess rating is simply a means of measuring the results of an individual based on results against other rated (or ranked) individuals. Note that ratings move up and down based on results against other ranked opponents. Here is a short list of ratings and what can be understood by them:
- 400 - rating assigned before first tournament
- 800 - a player who knows some basics and sees a fair number of threats/opportunities
- 1200 - a developing chess player who is understanding some chess strategy
- 1600 - among the top scholastic players in the state of WA, and depending on which grade, in the nation
- 2000 - Expert Level - very few players reach this level while in grade school
- 2200 - minimum rating to be considered a “Chess Master”
- 2400 - “Senior Master”
- 2500 - minimum rating when a person is earning their “Grandmaster” title (GM)
- 2900 - the World Champion
- 3000 - no human has yet attained this in standard tournament competition
For those that are curious, this link will lead you to a deeper explanation of the math behind the rating system, and especially the USCF chess rating system.
How should I as a parent use chess ratings (or not use them)? On the one hand, ratings can be very motivational as a scorecard and to set goals, and I will frequently tell students that you should set a rating that is about 300 rating points above where you currently are and strive for that goal - but be ready to adjust that goal up again to 300 points above once you get within 100 points of what your goal was. Why? Simply because typically if you set a high goal, then you will quickly advance through the lower levels, but setting too high a goal becomes 'unattainable' in a students' eyes.
On the other hand - I also tell students to NOT look at and avoid thinking about chess ratings. This is a VERY important point, especially for students who are below 1600 as looking at ratings before playing a match can easily result in 1 of 2 things, neither positive: 1 - playing vs a lower ranked player can lead to overconfidence as that lower ranked player may actually be much stronger than the rating implies. 2 - playing against a higher ranked player may easily lead to a feeling of "I'm going to lose because they are so good."
Instead, it is MUCH better to simply play each game following the most important basics:
- Take your time - do NOT rush your moves
- Every move look for tactics, captures, checks, threats - in essence looking for the opportunities to win material that come up in EVERY game!
- Be sure to quickly develop all your pieces, control the middle, and also build a plan of attack against a TARGET (if you are not sure what are the best targets, the knight level topic on Active Moves from Elliott's Chess School covers the basics - and the Rook level topics involving Imbalances cover the more advanced targets)
- When ahead in points - trade down so as to more easily promote a pawn to a new queen (while always looking for the opportunity to checkmate)
Finally - to illustrate the importance of doing the above....when I was 12 years old I played in the US OPEN Chess Championships in Jacksonville, FL - and in one of the matches, I played an experienced player, but did not look at the ratings as I avoided doing so. It was a long and challenging game, but I did end up checkmating my opponent. After the game I asked him what his rating was because I would then put it on my scoresheet - and he replied that he was rated 2200!! I nearly collapsed as my knees started to knock - realizing that I had just defeated my first master! (I knew that if I had known he was a master before the game, the likelihood is that I would have lost that game).
So to summarize:
- Ratings are useful for setting goals and tracking history of performance over time (see myrating.chess4life.com for graphs)
- Best if you check opponents’ ratings only AFTER the game(s) are completed
- Do your best EVERY move, never assuming your opponent is either a novice or a strong player - just “Play the Board!”
Please do let me know if you have comments or further questions that perhaps I could address in a future newsletter.
Best wishes!
Elliott
