2021 San Francisco Scholastic Chess Championship Online

Annual, heritage event for our scholastic chess community 

FREE event on chesskid.com
and chess.com

Sponsored by the AO Dragge Foundation.

Come join us for this fun, free event! We want kids to be able to play, have fun, compete, make friends and keep the scholastic community together in the Bay Area through chess. There are both non-rated and USCF online rated sections, so there are levels suitable for players of any skill levels. 

If your child has never played online no worries, we can guide you through the process. Once your child has an account, they are eligible to particpate in not only this tournament, but in Mechanics' daily FREE scholastic tournaments as well.

Final Standings - List of Winners

 

Platform -- Date -- Tournament format -- Teams -- Byes -- Fair Play -- Awards

Registration -- Eligibility -- Tournament rules -- Staff -- FAQ -- Side Events
 

Event is FREE, but regsitration is needed:
https://mechanics-institute.jumbula.com/2021OnlineTournaments/2021SanFranciscoScholasticOnlineChampionship

Any questions? Send email to [email protected]

Google Sheet with Standings/Pairings (this might be refreshed faster than the webpage!)

 

1. Platform

• The tournament is played on one of the two platforms: 
  The non-rated sections are played on ChessKid.com
  The USCF online rated sections are played on Chess.com
• Free account is sufficient to play in the tournament. No account on ChessKid or Chess.com account yet? Open one now: ChessKid.com  or  Chess.com
• See Eligibility for more details on chesskid.com or chess.com accounts.
   

2. Date

• Saturday, March 20
   

3. Tournament format:

• Sections: The tournament will have a total 7 sections:
  4 sections will be Non-USCF rated, played on ChessKid and 3 sections will be USCF online rated, played on Chess.com
  
  Players should first decide if they want to be in a USCF online rated section or be in a non-rated section.
   
  • For beginners, we suggest to be in one of the four non-rated sections:
    • Grade K-1
    • Grade 2-3
    • Grade 4-5
    • Grade 6-12 (JHS & HS) 
      These sections will be running on ChessKid, autatically paired by the platform (aka. bot paired).
  • For anyone with a current US Chess membership and/or established US Chess rating, we suggest to play in one of the three USCF online rated sections:
    • K-12 Championship under1000
    • K-12 Championship under1600
    • K-12 Championship 1600+
      These sections will be running on Chess.com.
      Sections will be manually paired using USCF OTB or ONL regular March supplemental rating, and games will be manually started on chess.com.
      These sections will have fixed round times, and half point bye is available for players who have to miss a certain round.

 

 

Section	Platform	Format		Round Times (PT)
		# of Rounds	Time Control
Kindergarten - Grade 1	ChessKid	5	G/15+5	10am start & ongoing
Grade 2-3
Grade 4-5
Grade 6-12
K-12 Championship u1000	Chess.com	5	G/25+5	9am, 11am, 1pm, 2:30m, 4pm
K-12 Championship u1600
K-12 Championship 1600+

 

3.A. How to Play?

• Welcome email will be sent out before the tournament that explains all the details how to play in the tournament. Be sure to provide a correct email when registering for the event!
  
  ChessKid Sections:
  Link to the ChessKid Tournaments:

  START: -- Please note that the tournament starts at 10am Pacific Time!
  Please, be prepared to be online and join the tournament anytime between 9:30AM PT - 10:00AM PT via the following links according to section:

  Grade K-1: https://www.chesskid.com/play/fastchess#t=407135

  Grade 2-3: https://www.chesskid.com/play/fastchess#t=407134

  Grade 4-5: https://www.chesskid.com/play/fastchess#t=407137

  Grade 6-12: https://www.chesskid.com/play/fastchess#t=407139

  Here is a demonstration video what the kids need to do: https://youtu.be/Mt5uMvJvee0

Play from your laptop or desktop if possible. If only ipad is available, use the browser, not the app, to minimize the chance for technical bugs.
Click on the tournament link or find the tournament under fast chess: https://www.chesskid.com/play/fastchess
Make sure to click JOIN the tournament. We can not do this for you!
First round is paired shortly after 10AM PST.
Consecutive rounds are paired as soon as all games are finished in the previous rounds.
Only those who are active on the screen will be paired. So please, pay attention when games are finishing and be ready for the next round. There is now a 10 second warning beep to let you now when the next round is about to start, so please pay attention to that!
Pairings are done based on chesskid.com rating.
Tournament results will only be finalized after the fair play screening report is received.

Chess.com Sections:

1. Everyone MUST be on Zoom during the tournament by 8:30AM for Round 1 and 10 minutes before Round 2-5 start times.
 Two important reasons to be on the zoom: Communication from/to TDs and fair play monitoring.
 
To log in to the meeting:
Players in the u/1000 and u/1600 should join with a front facing camera and have the zoom chat ready to be used.
Players in the 1600+ section should also do the same AND have a side camera that has been approved by one of our TD's. 
 
Here are the Zoom links for the sections:
Chess.com 1600+ and u/1600 Sections: 

Chess.com u/1000 Section:
 
Tournament will have 5 rounds, with a time control: G/25+5. One game can last up to 50-60 minutes.
Round times: 9:00AM, 11AM, 1:00PM, 2:30PM and 4:00PM
When kids are finished with their games, they can leave the computer and come back 5-10 minutes before the next round. They should have a comfortable break between Round 1-2 and lunch break between Round 2-3. 
 
2. What to do: Tournament will be manually paired, and games will be manually started on Chess.com.

1. All players need to be on chess.com/live. 
Please watch this short demo video on how to do this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T7sg2eLvGoE&feature=youtu.be
Do not challenge each other, do not accept a challenge, do not start a random game. Wait there until your game pops up.
2. TDs will input the match commands one by one starting "board 1".
3. Once the match command is executed, if both players are online on chess.com/live, their game will automatically pop up and start.
THEREFORE you don't have to do anything, just wait for your game to pop up and start.
Commands will be made so that games are not aborted due to no move. If you are on chess.com/live and your game started, your click will start and time will tick until you make your move!
4. IF a player is not live on chess.com/live, the game cannot be started! 
5. Forfeit time is 15 minutes! If you are not online by 9:15am Pacific Time, your Round 1 game will be marked as forfeit loss.

3. Results will be marked by the Tournament Directors. So no need to report your results.
However, you can check it and make sure we did not make any mistake:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Kvy06juhJKmGmniSfe2UCc3OakuVgoTuW6F8EnGevBM/edit?ts=6053ecb6#gid=0
 
4. Pairings and Standings:
Google sheet to follow the current Standings and Pairings: CLICK HERE

 

3.B. Practice Session - Friday, March 19 @ 4PM

• ChessKid: 5SS G/10+5 starting at 4PM sharp!
  Please join the tournament by clicking this link and join the tournament: https://www.chesskid.com/play/fastchess#t=406680
   
• Chess.com: log onto zoom and let Judit know that you would like to participate in the practice.
  Zoom meeting: 
  
   

4. Teams scores

• Minimum 3 players from same school or chess club may for a team. Top 4 players' scores count towards team score.
• Commemorative medals to Top 3 teams in the Non-USCF sections combined and also Top 3 teams in the USCF-online rated sections combined.
   

5. Byes

• Players in the non-rated sections played on ChessKid are not able to request any byes, as the tournament is automatically paired and run by the platform.
• Players in the K-12 Championship sections, run on Chess.com, may take two (2) half-point byes in any round. Byes in the last two rounds must be selected before round 1 and are irrevocable after round 1 begins.
   

6. Fair Play

Monitoring requirements:

• ALL players in the K-12 Championship sections must be logged into a tournament-specific Zoom meeting with at least one webcam.
• Zoom link will be distributed closer to the event and will also be linked via the Google sheet.
• Zoom participation is first and foremost to be able to communicate with players and guide them. Of course it'll also be used to monitor all players for fair play.

Player's setup requirements:

• The location in which you are playing must have a reliable high-speed internet connection (upload capability of 2+ megabits per second [Mbps]). An unreliable or slow internet connection and/or technical setup errors might result in a loss or forfeit loss. A player’s internet connection and, more broadly, all aspects of the player’s technical setup are the player’s responsibility—not US Chess’s.
• Play in a quiet room with no background noise and with no one else in the room.
• A player may not have in or around the player’s ear a device that can receive and/or transmit data or sound (such as headphones, headsets, earbuds, etc.). All hearing aids (even medically prescribed ones) must be removed before the start of a game. Furthermore, a player’s face, ears, and entire head must be fully visible; they may not be covered by a hoodie, hat, or headwear of any kind. While monitoring players, tournament directors need a full, unobstructed view of the player from the neck up. Let TDs see clearly that you have nothing to hide.
• Play only on a device with a large screen (10+ inches) such as a laptop, desktop, or large tablet. Use a web browser, rather than chess.com’s app, because browsers are more reliable (they have fewer bugs and glitches). Playing on a device with a small screen (<10 inches) such as a mobile phone or small tablet is prohibited.
• Players must abide by US Chess’s Rules of Chess and Code of Ethics, as well as by chess.com’s Community Policies. Players may not use external chess assistance of any kind: no computer engine, no database, no chess program, no book, no hand-written notes, no other person, etc.
• Parents are strongly encouraged to monitor their kids' activity during the tournament to ensure fair play.

Fair Play screening:

• All games will be screened by both chess.com and by Dr. Kenneth W. Regan, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo.
• Parents - Please help us educate your child that IT'S SIMPLY NOT WORTH THE RISK!
• Award distributions and rating submission will take place AFTER all games have been screened.
• Organizers may forfeit the game(s) of any player found to have committed a fair-play violation and expel the player from the tournament.
• Results of the games of a player found to have committed a fair-play violation will be adjusted according to US Chess Official Rules of Chess.
• Players found to have violated fair play are subject to the following:
  • being brought before the US Chess Ethics Committee.
  • having US Chess membership revoked.
  • being banned from competing in future tournaments (both online and over-the-board) rated by US Chess.
  • being banned from competing in future games rated by the online platform providers.
    
     

7. Information / Communication during the event

• During the event if there is any announcement for the ChessKid event please tune in to: the discord channel: https://discord.gg/NZvK2c8dqC
• For Chess.com Sections: Standings, Pairings and LIVE results (aka updated as soon as the games are over) will be via a Google Sheet: 
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Kvy06juhJKmGmniSfe2UCc3OakuVgoTuW6F8EnGevBM/edit#gid=228280701
• Standings and Pairings will be posted on this webpage too: Standings -- Pairings
• Did you see something that's incorrect? Please report it within 2 rounds of the error via email to us: chessroom @milibrary.org
   
• The event will be covered LIVE via TWITCH: www.twitch.tv/mechanicschess: join 3-times US Champion, GM Nick de Firmian, FM Paul Whitehead and Chessroom Director Abel Talamantez
   

8. Awards

• Commemorative Medals to Top 10 players in each section.

• Commemorative medals to Top 3 teams in the Non-USCF sections combined and also Top 3 teams in the USCF-online rated sections combined.

  • Medals will be mailed by Mechanics' Institute upon completion of the fair play review.

     

    Section	Individual Awards	Team Awards
    Kindergarten - Grade 1	Top 10 players	Top 3 Teams
    Grade 2-3	Top 10 players
    Grade 4-5	Top 10 players
    Grade 6-12	Top 10 players
    K-12 Championship u1000	Top 10 players	Top 3 Teams
    K-12 Championship u1600	Top 10 players
    K-12 Championship 1600+	Top 10 players

    
    Tie-break - using US Chess Scholastic regulations (20.3)

    When individual scores are equal, the following order of tie-break systems will be used to determine individual awards:

    1. Modified Median
    2. Median
    3. Solkoff
    4. Sonneborn-Berger
    5. Cumulative
    6. Coin flip
    When team scores are equal, the following order of tie-break systems will be used to determine team awards:
    1. Total Individual Median
    2. Total Solkoff
    3. Total Sonneborn-Berger
    4. Total Cumulative
    5. Coin flip

9. Registration 

• This is a FREE event, but registration is needed! Only players with confirmed registration will be able to participate in this event.
• Registration deadline: Friday 6PM SHARP! No exceptions, no late registrations.
   

10. Eligibility 

• Players must have current US Chess Federation membership. Expiration date of their US Chess membership must be later than the last day of the tournament.
• Not sure if you have a membership? Need to check the expiration date of your members? Visit: https://new.uschess.org/player-search
• Become a member or renew your membership: https://new.uschess.org/player-search
• Players must have a chess.com account in good standing. Any previously closed account must be disclosed to the organizer by sending a confidential email to [email protected].
• Don't have a chess.com account? It's easy to set up: https://www.chess.com/register?returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chess.com%2F
   

11. Tournament rules

• Standard US Chess rules apply, with special focus on the Chapter 10 Online Chess rules.
• Forfeit time is 15 minutes: if player is not logged in by 15 minutes after round time starts, the opponent will be awarded a forfeit win.
  
   

12. Staff 

• Broadcasting team: Abel Talamantez, GM Nick de Firmian, FM Paul Whitehead
• Chief TD: Judit Sztaray
• Pairing Chief TD: John McCumiskey
• Zoom TDs: Aaron Thompson, Reka Sztaray, Allyson Wong, Michael Hsu, Vincent Ng

13. FAQ

• What are the time controls mean?
  Time controls are telling you how much time you have for each game.
  G15+5 for example: Game in 15 minutes with 5 second increment. This means you get 15 minutes, your opponent gets 15 minutes and with each move every player gets 5 second added to the clock. So one game can last up to 30-35 minutes.
• How many games/rounds?
  All sections of this tournament will have 5 rounds, players will play 5 games win or lose. Chess is not an elimination game.
  The are three reasons why you would not get a game in a round are: 1) you requested a half point bye (this is only available in the K-12 Championship section); 2) there are an odd number of players and you are receiving a full point bye; 3) you were not active on the ChessKid website and the platform assigned you a zero point bye (this is only a possibility in the non-rated sections played on ChessKid).
• Do I need to join the club on chess.com to play? 
  For the non-rated sections, played on ChessKid: yes, players have to join Mechanics' Institute's Group on ChessKid.
  For the K-12 Championship sections, played on Chess.com: no, players do not need to be part of Mechanics' Club on Chess.com but it's highly recommended.
• Players Database
  For players who are interested in play in our online tournament.
  PLEASE fill out our online Players database: https://forms.gle/ZFjPmgvPGsKdzWc27 to get email notifications about last minute changes and invitational opportunities.