Carl Cozier Chess Kickoff 2009

Carl Cozier Chess Kickoff

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Carl Cozier Elementary School, Bellingham

A chess tournament and playday for chessplayers of all abilities, from beginner to experienced tournament competitor, from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Don't know how to play? That's okay. Learn how to play chess and come join us!
Four playing sections: Kindergarten-1st grades, 2nd-3rd grades, 4th-5th grades, 6th-8th grades.
State Qualifier Tournament! Kindergarten-6th grade players with winning scores (3/5) qualify to participate in the 2010 Washington State Elementary Chess Championships, being held this year in Tacoma on April 24, 2010.
Location: Carl Cozier Elementary School in Bellingham. From Interstate 5 take the Lakeway Drive Exit 253 and you're practically there (1330 Lincoln St.) (Full driving directions and map here). Tournament capacity: 180 players. Last year we had 163 players, so don't delay your entry!
Format: Five round Swiss (no elimination). Game/30 (maximum one hour for each game.) Tournament rated by the Northwest Scholastic Rating System. Pairings by computer.
Schedule: Check-in 8:15 - 8:45am. Opening ceremonies at 9:00am. Start times for each round: 9:30, 10:45, noon, 1:15, 2:30. Awards ceremony 4:00pm or ASAP.
Awards: Trophies to the top 8 in all sections. Every player in K-1 section will get a medal. Medals to all players 2-8 who qualify for State (score 3.0 or more). Ties broken by computer as per WHSCA rules.
Team Awards: Trophies to top five elementary schools (determined by adding the points of the top five scorers from a single K-5 or K-6 school).
Bring: Concessions will be available on site. Bring your own card table and chairs for the non-tournament ("skittles") area, as limited quantities of both will be available. Bring chess boards/sets for the skittles area as well. If in sixth grade or higher, bring a pencil (or pen), and a chess clock if you have one.

TO ENTER: Players must pre-register to play. No on-site entries. Entry fee $13. Two ways to enter:
Online: Enter online via Chess4Life.com. ($1.75 online fee.)
Mail: Mail in your entry with entry fee enclosed, postmarked no later than Wednesday, November 4. Make check to Carl Cozier PTA. Mail entries to:
.....Carl Cozier PTA Chess Club
.....1330 Lincoln Street
.....Bellingham, WA 98226
You can use the form below, or just include the following: Student's Full Name, Address, School, Grade, Phone, Email, with entry fee.
All players must also check-in the morning of the tourney between 8:15 and 8:45. Late check-ins will receive a half-point bye for Round 1.
Further information: Email Heather Bowhay at awsumdawson@msn.com.

Download the One Page Tournament Flyer in .doc format

CARL COZIER CHESS KICKOFF 2009 ENTRY FORM

Name_________________________________________  Grade_________

Address______________________________________________________

School_______________________________________________________

Phone___________  Email______________________________________

Carl Cozier Chess Kickoff FAQ

I don't know how to play chess. Should I come?
Sure! Before tournament day, you can have a friend show you how to play, or you can learn the rules of chess online here (one page printout) or here (KidsChess Academy) or here (flash videos) . Only three things you need to know to play: 1.The starting position. 2.How the six different pieces move. 3.How the game ends. (Get the King!)
I'm not a good chessplayer. Should I play?
Sure! Come play with the rest of us patzers. We're all learning, and you don't have to be a Grandmaster to have fun at chess. Besides, the Swiss pairings system will match you with opponents of equal ability (after a few rounds). And just think of how much better you'll be after a day of chess playing.
I've never played in a tournament. I'm nervous! What do I do?
Have fun and enjoy the competition! You might have your parents read Considerations Before Competing, an article by a Whatcom County mom published in Neighborhood-Kids.com. Then you'll know a bit more about what to expect. (Also helpful is Tournaments - How They Work.)
How many games will I play?
All players will play five rounds, win or lose. With Swiss pairings, there's no elimination, and you'll always play someone with the same score as yourself (with a few exceptions). So for example, if in the first three rounds you have one win and two losses, you'll play someone else with one win and two losses in the 4th round.
I can't play in all five rounds. Can I still play?
Yes, you can still play! If you'll be arriving late, or must leave early, or have a soccer game in the middle, just check the schedule (above) and indicate on your entry which rounds you will be missing.
If I haven't taken my hands off of the chess piece yet, can I change my mind?
In a rated tournament like this one, if you even touch a chess piece, you must move it! And if you touch an opponent's piece, you must capture it! So sit on your hands until you know what you want to do. If a piece needs to be centered or adjusted, you may do so by first saying "I adjust".
Do I have to write down the moves?
Scorekeeping is required for the 6th-8th grade section, and recommended (but not required) for the other sections. To learn how, have a teacher or friend show you, or go here. Hey, it's good for you! One of the best ways to improve is to review your games after a tournament. (Besides being able to show your friends the awesome move you made that clinched the game.) Also, learning chess notation opens you to the whole wide world of chess literature.
Will we use chess clocks? How do they work?
We'll use clocks in the 6th-8th grade section on all boards, and perhaps the top boards in the 4th-5th grade section. And if a game looks like it may go long, we may place a clock on your game after about 40 minutes. Chess clocks are a great invention. They keep slow players from slowing and losing players from stalling. Here's how it works: After your move, you hit the button nearest you on the chess clock. Your timer stops, and your opponent's timer begins. In this tournament each middle school player will get 30 minutes, thus ensuring that no game goes over an hour. If a player uses up all of their clock time, it's a loss just like checkmate. So bring a chess clock if you have one, but if you don't, that's okay.
How do school team awards work?
The team scoring used will be similar to cross-country meet scoring. That is, the best five results from a single school will be tallied and compared with other schools. Efforts will be made not to pair players from the same school. We'll use the eligibility rules used at Elementary State.
Can I turn in the entry form and fee to my teacher?
All entries must be mailed in, postmarked on or before Wednesday, November 4. Carl Cozier Elementary students can bring entries with payment to school by Thursday (preferably before), attn: Carl Cozier Chess Club.
Is this tourney an Elementary State Qualifier tournament? Tell me about State.
The largest chess tournament in the state every year is not the Washington Open, the Seafair Open or the State High School Team Championships, it's the State Elementary Championships. Last year over 1000 players pre-registered to compete in Spokane. And consider this: to attend, players had to first qualify by posting a winning record in a qualifying tournament!
To qualify for Elementary State, a Washington student in grades 1-6 must post a winning record (score over 50 percent) in a NWSRS-rated Scholastic Chess Tournament in Washington State with at least 4 rounds, at least 6 players in their section, and at least 3 different school codes represented. Players in Kindergarten need to score 2/5 in a divison which includes K-2 players. A list of qualifying players for the current school year can be found at the WHSCA website.

Parents, check out the Parents FAQ on the NW Wa. Elementary School Chess page