2009 Vermont State Scholastic Chess Championships

The 22^nd Annual Vermont Scholastic Chess Championships will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2009 at the Berlin Elementary School in Berlin, VT, conveniently located just off Interstate-89 exit 7. Directions are included below.

PARTICIPATION

All Vermont students from Kindergarten through Grade 12 are eligible to compete for the State Championships in the following divisions: Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Middle School (Grades 7 & 8) and High School (Grades 9 through 12). Team Championship plaques will be awarded in the Middle School and High School divisions based on the top four scores from each school. All abilities are welcome and encouraged to participate; no prior tournament experience is necessary.

This tournament is named in honor of John Balch, a great promoter of scholastic chess in Vermont, who passed away in 2004. He was a teacher of hundreds of Vermont youth.

OVERVIEW

The Swiss pairing system will be used, and all players will play 4 or 5 rounds (no eliminations) depending on the number of participants in each division. USCF Membership is not required. Matches will be “Game 30” meaning each player will have 30 minutes, for a total of 1 hour maximum per game. Clocks are recommended for upper grades and will be required for top boards. Also, clocks may be used in younger grades to ensure a game completes on time. Players in grades 7-12 are required to notate (write down their moves.) Notation is recommended but not required at lower grades. Please bring your own chess set(s) and chess clock(s) if you have them. Please label your belongings so they can be returned to you if lost or misplaced.

RULES

The tournament will follow standard United States Chess Federation (U.S.C.F.) rules for scholastic tournaments, with certain exceptions as follows. USCF Membership is not required. USCF ratings may be used for initial pairings. Estimated ratings may be assigned to unrated players by the tournament director to improve initial pairings. Players in grades 7-12 are required to notate their games. Notation is recommended but not required at lower grades. Clocks are recommended for upper grades and will be required for top boards. Also, clocks may be used in younger grades to ensure that a prolonged game completes on time.

Sections may be combined or split at the discretion of the tournament director depending on the number of participants. If two sections are combined, trophies will still be awarded to the top players in each grade level. For example, if grades 1 and 2 are combined due to a low number of players in one or both groups, the top finishing 1^st and 2^nd grader in the combined group will each be awarded 1^st place trophies for their grade level.

All sections will play a minimum of four rounds. Sections with more than 16 participants may require 5 rounds of play to determine a clear winner. Sections with more than 32 participants will use accelerated pairings to increase the likelihood of determining a clear winner in 5 rounds.

Tie breaking will follow USCF rules (for an explanation, click here) with the exception of first place. If there is a tie for first after all rounds are complete, first place shall be awarded to the player who won in head-to-head competition if they faced each other during the tournament. If the players have not yet played each other, a playoff match will be held. A coin toss or random draw will determine color. Standard timing rules apply. If the tie-breaking game is a draw, additional games will be played at decreasing time allotments (i.e. Game/10, Game/5) until a winner is declared.

Non-Vermont residents may be allowed to participate with advance permission of the tournament director. However, non-Vermont residents may not claim any prize, trophy or title as a result of their participation.

SCHEDULE

Registration begins at 8:30 am and closes at 9:30 am. Pre-registered players must check-in during this time. Games will start at 10:00 am or as soon as the first round pairings are complete. Each student will play at least four games, unless they receive a bye. The tournament director must be informed of any early withdrawal.

Prizes will be awarded as each division finishes. The tournament may be completed as early as 1:00 pm for the youngest division, and as late as 5:00 pm for high school division. Parents and spectators are allowed to accompany their children to the playing rooms, but only players and room monitors are allowed in the rooms while games are in session. Seating will be available in the gymnasium for players, families, and friends. Special arrangements must be made with the director if your child will be without adult supervision for any portion of the tournament.

Reasonably priced, quality breakfast food, lunch and snacks including vegetarian options will be available. Chess equipment, books, and souvenirs will be available for sale by the Rochester Chess Center. Tournament souvenir T-shirts will be sold on a first come basis.

REGISTRATION

Entry Fees and registration options:

1. $10 for registration with payment by mail that is postmarked on or before April 6^th.
2. $15 for email registration received on or before noon on April 10 with payment at tournament.
3. $20 for registration the day of the tournament.

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Vermont Scholastic Chess

Mail to: Michael Stridsberg, 633 Junction Rd., Berlin, VT 05602
Email to: mike@vtchess.info.

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2009 VT STATE SCHOLASTIC CHESS TOURNAMENT
Please provide the following information for each player:

1. Player’s Name: ___________________________________

2. Grade: _________________________________________

3. School Name: ____________________________________

4. Date of birth: _____________________________________

5. Home Address: ___________________________________________________

6. USCF Member? (Yes or No) If yes, include member number: _________________

7. Email: ___________________________________________
(optional, will only be used to inform of future scholastic chess tournaments)

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Questions about the tournament may be directed to:

Mike Stridsberg, Tournament Director: mike@vtchess.info or (802) 223-1948

2009 Vermont Denker Selection

The Denker Tournament of State High School Champions is a national competition with a representative from each state. It corresponds with the U.S. Chess Open and is being held in Indianapolis, IN from August 1^st through 4^th. The top finishing student in the High School division of the Vermont State Scholastic Tournament will be selected as the Vermont representative to the national Denker tournament. If the top student is unwilling or unable to attend the Denker tournament, an alternate will be selected based on performance in the state tournament and other scholastic tournaments, U.S.C.F. rating, and possibly a playoff.

2009 Vermont Polgar Selection

The Susan Polgar National Invitational Tournament for Girls is a national competition for girls under the age of 19. It is being held in Lubbock, Texas from July 26^th through 31^st. A representative and an alternate will be selected based on performance in the state tournament and other scholastic tournaments, U.S.C.F. rating, and possibly a playoff.

DIRECTIONS to the Vermont State Scholastic Chess Championship:
Berlin Elementary School is located in central Vermont outside the Capital city of Montpelier. It is approximately 38 miles southeast of Burlington, and 50 miles north of White River Junction. Take Interstate 89 exit 7, turn left at the first light, and turn right into Berlin Elementary School.

NEW - Event T-Shirts

Commemorative T-shirts will be available for purchase at the event for only $10. See the illustration below for approximate design. If you would like to pre-order a shirt to assure that you get your size, send an email to mike@vtchess with quantity and size (Youth M to Adult XXL) and we'll have it waiting for you at the registration table.

NOTICES

The following notices or their likenesses may be used for advertisements, newsletters, or other promotional material.

PRESS RELEASE
The 22^nd Annual Vermont Scholastic Chess Championships will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2009 at a new location at the Berlin Elementary School in Berlin, VT, conveniently located in central Vermont just off Interstate-89 exit 7.

All Vermont students from Kindergarten through Grade 12 are eligible to compete for State Championships in each grade Kindergarten through Grade 6, Middle School (Grades 7 & 8) and High School (Grades 9 through 12). All abilities are welcome and encouraged to participate.

The tournament will follow standard USCF rules. Registration is from 8:30 AM until 9:30 AM. Games will start at 10:00 AM. Complete rules and registration information can be found at http://vtchess.info or by contacting Mike Stridsberg, Tournament Director, at mike@vtchess.info or (802) 223-1948.