Information for the 2021 National Online Scholastic Championships

This is a general information page for the 2021 National Online Scholastic Championship. Below are informational videos on how to register for the event, how to deal with the web interface, and how to become a member of US Chess, among other important topics. Please check back with this page for updates as the tournaments approach.

To register and to check advanced entries, please click on the links below.

Qualifying Weekend 1 (April 24-25)

Qualifying Weekend 2 (May 8-9)

Note about weekend 2: See the blast archive below, 05.07 posting, for clarification about the use of tablets for this weekend.

Championship Weekend (June 12-13)

Note: A section-by-section list of qualifiers is now posted under the “Advance Entries” link on the tournament website. That list will be updated with requested byes, withdrawals, or other information as needed.

Informational Town Hall!

Join us Thursday, 05.06.2021, for a town hall help session.

Attendance is open to all.

THURSDAY, 05.06.2021, 7:00PM ET/4:00PM PT

Join here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88621563580

Can't attend? See the video from our 05.04 Town Hall here:

https://youtu.be/nKPXHKbp2Fw

Intended audience:

● Players who are new to online rated events

● Players who are new to US Chess

● Parents and Coaches

● Experienced players who want a refresher

Tournament rules for all NOSC events

US Chess Online Events Technical Guide for use during events hosted by the Internet Chess Club

Event FAQs

Tournament Information Contact: Click here to show email address. NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE! Email is the fastest way to get a response.

Welcome to the NOSC from the Dean of Scholastic Chess, Dewain Barber

https://youtu.be/7uhN_OBo6V8

Past Informational Email Blasts

06.08.2021: Important Information for Championship Weekend

If you have not yet confirmed your participation in NOSC Championship Weekend, please email Click here to show email address by 11:59pm ET today, June 8. Please include your name (or the player’s name if you are a parent/coach). Any player who does not respond by today’s date may lose their place in the field.

The tournament website for Championship Weekend has a list of confirmed participants. This list is updated several times throughout the day. Please check this list to see if your confirmation has been received. If it has, you do not need to do anything else.

If you have requested a bye in any round, that is reflected on the “Advance Entries” portal of the tournament website (it’s in the left hand menu). If you look at your entry there, and do NOT see a bye that you requested, please notify us immediately.

The first NOSC Town Hall is tonight at 6pm CT! Chief TD Glenn Panner along with representatives from the Internet Chess Club will be in attendance to field any questions and get you ready for the weekend. Attendance is not required but if you have any concerns, join via the link below. (Again, note the times for the town halls are given in Central Time.)

Town Hall 1. Tuesday, June 8 2021, 6pm CT:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82089584323

If you are unable to attend, there will be a second Town Hall Thursday:

Town Hall 2. Thursday, June 10 2021, 6pm CT:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86369327851

For Championship Weekend, Zoom use is mandatory. The rules for the event clearly detail a two camera setup. You can view an example of the required camera setup in the rules document.

To join Zoom, please use the real name of the player participating. Only players whose Zoom usernames match the participant list will be allowed to join.

There will be a Camera Check-in hosted by tournament director staff on Friday, June 11 at 6pm CT. The purpose of this check-in is to ensure your setup complies with the rules. TDs will be present to assist you with any questions.

Friday night Camera Check-in:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84924008810

Once again, there will be a live help desk during the event. Click here to join the Slack help channel. Once joined, please find the appropriate channel for your section. The channels are labeled according to section (k1 is the K-1 section help channel, and so on). Help will only be given via the section channels. The main channel is for tournament announcements only. To get help, join your section channel and ask a TD for assistance, e.g.: “Hi I need help in the K-3 section please.”

Remember, you will be using the same login, password, and play site that was used for the Qualification Weekend in which you earned your place for Championship Weekend. ICC will be sending out a reminder email this week.

Finally, bookmark the tournament website. This will be your primary source for all tournament information, including round times, results, and any additional news. The tournament website also has Zoom links for all sections.

Help requests: nationalevents@uschess.org
Event hashtag: #NOSCC

05.10.2021: Thank You For Playing

Thank You For Playing in the NOSCC!

Thank you for participating in the 2021 National Online Scholastic Chess Championship’s Qualification Weekend 2. Your support of US Chess national events is appreciated.

So, what did I win?

Please note, the results will not be final until the post-event fair play review has concluded. The fair-play review should be completed by May 30. The tentative results can be found by clicking here.

The total number of awards is based on event attendance. You can find the breakdown by clicking here. All players will be emailed a participation certificate soon.

I think I qualified for the Championship Weekend. Where can I get information about that?

If after fair play review it is determined that you have in fact qualified for the Championship Weekend, you will be emailed directly with all necessary information. The event website will be linked to from here when it is ready.

I want to play more chess! Where can I get information?

Our National Events calendar is here. Find an online tournament or event near you here.

Again, thank you for your participation and support of US Chess.

05.07.2021 Tablet Use Clarification

Clarification of Tablet Usage for NOSC Qualifier Weekend 2

This communication is intended to clarify and update the tournament regulations surrounding tablet usage during the NOSC Qualifier Weekend 2.

The technical guide to the event expressly prohibits tablet usage during NOSC Weekend 2. This prohibition was due to connectivity and stability issues - playing on a laptop or desktop will ensure a far more stable connection and reduce the risk of disconnection and forfeit. Connecting via a tablet or mobile device is less stable and has been found to cause connectivity problems. In an effort to provide players with the best possible experience, the language in the technical guide was included to encourage players to participate on devices that allow for the best possible experience.

However, some recent guidance was given that contradicts the relevant section of the technical guide. Additionally, tablets were not expressly covered in the final rules publication for the event.

To avoid confusion for NOSCW2, US Chess is modifying its stance on tablets for this event. Tablet use will be permitted for NOSCW2 only, but US Chess strongly discourages their use due to the reasons indicated above. Please be advised this modification only applies to NOSC Qualifier Weekend 2.

Any further questions should be directed to Click here to show email address

05.05.2021: Pre-Event Checklist

NOSC Pre-Tournament Checklist

The big day is almost here!

The National Online Scholastic Championship Qualifier Weekend 2 - sections K-1, K-3, K-5 and K-6 - starts this Saturday! Round 1 is on May 8th at 11am ET. Don’t be late! Please log in between 10:30 and 10:45 each day to make sure you’re ready to go!

If you miss a round - especially the first! - join the live Slack help desk and immediately speak to a TD to let them know you want to keep playing.

Pre-Event Checklist:

● Log in to ensure your username and password combo is working

● Test the playing page in your browser

● Join the Slack channel for live updates and during-event help

● Review NOSC help videos

1. NEW! Town Hall Help!

Join the live Town Hall Q&A tomorrow night at 7pm ET by clicking on the below link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88621563580

2. Log in to ensure your username and password combo is working!

By now, you should have received an email from the Internet Chess Club containing your unique username for the event along with a special use password. Please do not reset or change your password - if you do, we may not be able to help you on the day of the tournament. Please visit: play.chessclub.com/uschess and select “Member Login” from the menu at the upper left. This will also allow you to …

3. … Test the playing page in your browser

On the day of the tournament, all you’ll need to do is visit the same link - play.chessclub.com/uschess - and login. That’s it! Your game will start automatically.

There is a warmup blitz tournament where you can test out your username this Friday. Again, simply login to the play page (play.chessclub.com/uschess) by 5:30pm ET. Games start at 6pm ET. Have fun!

4. Join the Slack channel for live updates and during-event help

The Slack channel will have LIVE support staff available starting Saturday morning, April 24th, at 10am ET. Use this link to join.

5. Don’t forget to check out our help videos!

Look for a Twitter Takeover this weekend on our US Chess Twitter account by Nicholas Rosenthal, a former US Chess 7th, 9th, and 11th Grade National Co-Champion! Nicky will be Tweeting about the #NOSCC and games that catch his interest.

Finally, we invite all participants to view the welcome message from Dewain Barber, the Dean of Scholastic Chess!

Help requests: nationalevents@uschess.org

Event hashtag: #NOSCC

05.03.2021: Two Town Halls this Week

TWO TOWN HALLS THIS WEEK!

Join us either Tuesday, 05.04.2021, or Thursday, 05.06.2021, for town hall help sessions.

Attendance is open to all on both nights, however suggested attendance per sections is noted below.

TUESDAY, 05.04.2021, 6:00PM ET/3:00PM PT, K6 and K3 Sections

Join here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83439440364

THURSDAY, 05.06.2021, 7:00PM ET/4:00PM PT, K5 and K1 Sections

Join here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88621563580

Intended audience:

● Players who are new to online rated events

● Players who are new to US Chess

● Parents and Coaches

● Experienced players who want a refresher

04.29.2021: Final Entry Deadline; Warmup Blitz Event

National Online Scholastic Championship

Final Entry Deadline Tomorrow!

Qualifier Weekend 2 - sections K-1, K-3, K-5, and K-6 - closes registration tomorrow, April 30, at 11:59pm CT. Absolutely no entries will be accepted after that time - no exceptions! Register by clicking here.

All changes - including bye requests, team codes, etc. - are also due by tomorrow, April 30, or else will incur a $30 change fee.

Players who registered by the morning of April 27 should receive their login credentials in the next day or two. This email will be sent by the Internet Chess Club to the email address you used when you registered.

Players who registered later than the morning of April 27 should receive their login credentials by Monday, May 3.

PLEASE - Once you receive them, test your login credentials in advance, to ensure you are able to log in successfully.

Important Information for Registered Players

Join the Warmup Blitz on Friday, May 7. Login at 5:30pm ET, games start at 6pm ET - play.chessclub.com/USChess

Join our Slack help desk! This will be live starting Friday night for the warmup blitz as well as during play Saturday and Sunday. Use this invite link to join.

US Chess takes Fair Play very seriously. Even though Zoom cameras are not required for this event, US Chess and the Internet Chess Club will be using state of the art methodology reviewed by a team of experts to ensure players compete fairly. You may think that, because there’s no TD watching you, it will be easy to get some help, and no one will know. That would be a terrible mistake. Keep the tournament fair for all: cheating isn’t worth it - don’t do it. You will get caught...and there will be serious consequences for anyone caught cheating.

Did you know you can check the status of your entry and view the other players pre-registered to compete in your section? It’s easy! Navigate to the tournament website and select Advance Entries from the menu in the upper left.

On the Advance Entries page, you can search by section, grade, last name, or state. If you see your name there - and all details look correct - you’re good to go! If you see anything that needs to be corrected, please email Click here to show email address with your name, section, and requested change. DON’T WAIT - change requests after April 30 are $30 each!

Finally, participants are also advised to watch our instructional videos on how to register, sign in, and play in the tournament.

Help requests: nationalevents@uschess.org

Event hashtag: #NOSCC

04.28:2021: Q2 Fair Play Statement

National Online Scholastic Championship

Fair Play Information

US Chess takes fair play and the integrity of competition very seriously. All games will be monitored during the event both by live TDs, ICC staff, and state of the art technology. Any anomalies will be thoroughly investigated. No outside assistance of any kind is allowed. Outside assistance includes, but is not limited to the following:

● Help from another person - including parents, coaches, etc.

● Assistance from any sort of chess playing program, bot, or engine

● Assistance from a book or any written material

No tournament result is final until every game from the event has undergone a vigorous post-event review. This review can take up to 3 weeks to complete. Any results posted either by US Chess or the Internet Chess Club are tentative until they have been certified by the review team. Once certification is complete, an announcement will be posted on USChess.org with final standings.

Have a concern? Here’s how to report it:

First: finish your game. Do not let a concern about a fair play violation impact your play. If it’s happening - we will catch it.

Second: communicate with your section TD in Slack. Join the Slack support channel, which will be staffed with official US Chess TDs. Find your section channel and ask a TD for help. Do not post accusations in the main channel. Wait for a director to assist you. Chat abuse or spam may result in removal from the event at the director’s discretion. Here are some examples of how to ask for a TD:

● “I need help in the K-9 Section.”

● “Can I speak to a Tournament Director?”

A director will then bring you into a chat and assist you.

**Please note!** if you played in Qualifier 1, we are using a different Slack channel specific to weekend 2 only. Join using the above link!

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the official rules for the event, as established by the US Chess Scholastic Council, as well as the technical guide for the event.

In addition, please remember the following provisions:

● Cameras will NOT be required for the qualifying stages. This is intended to remove as many barriers to participation as possible.

● The chief tournament director's decisions about forfeiture from the event will be final.

● The ICC fair play algorithm, endorsed by the US Chess Executive Board and Ratings Committee, will be in use for all games.

● Fair play violations will be subject to the same disciplinary process in this event as a cheating violation at a US Chess over-the-board event.

● Any section affected by a fair play violation will have individual and team standings adjusted using US Chess Rule 28I2.

One last warning: You may think that, because there are no TDs and no cameras in your house, you won’t be caught if you decide to cheat. Do not make this mistake. You WILL be caught. And there WILL be severe consequences.

Summary: Play fair, have fun, and we will “see” you May 8th!

Help requests: nationalevents@uschess.org

Event hashtag: #NOSCC

04.23.2021: Read the Rules!

By now, you should have read the NOSC Rules and our Technical Guide. However, there is one rules section that we want you to especially go over and make sure you fully understand; this section discusses login and disconnection issues. The relevant parts are:

3.10. Player Usernames.

3.10.1. Every player will be assigned a unique Username for the qualification events. Usernames will be of the form “US Chess ID number plus the player’s section designation”—e.g. 12682999K03 or 12682999K12. These Usernames cannot be changed. US Chess and the chess platform vendor will not honor any requests for Username changes.

(US CHESS TIP: Test, Test, Test! Do not wait to test your login credentials. If you need help regarding your username and password during the tournament, please report to the Slack Channel. The TDs will assist you to make sure you have the right information and can log in correctly.)

3.10.2. Players who already have their own Username on the chess platform MUST NOT USE IT for the qualification events. All players must use the Username assigned to them for this tournament. A player who logs-on to the game server using a Username other than the one assigned to him/her for this tournament WILL NOT BE PAIRED to play.

3.10.3. Players will receive their Username and unique password no later than 3 days before the tournament.

3.15. Disconnects from the Game Server.

3.15.1. A player who is disconnected from the game server, and whose clock runs out of time before getting re-connected, shall lose that game. If this happens the affected player must IMMEDIATELY CONTACT US CHESS through the Section’s Slack Channel, or the player will not be paired for the next round.

3.15.2. A player who does not make any moves shall lose his/her game by Forfeit and shall be withdrawn from the tournament.

(US CHESS TIP: If a player disconnects from ICC while playing, the player who disconnected will not lose the game automatically. Instead, the game will be suspended temporarily. [On the screen it might seem as if the board has been reset, but actually the game position has been preserved/adjourned.]

It is the player’s responsibility to log back in as soon as possible. Once the disconnected player has logged back in, ICC will issue a “challenge” enabling the players to resume their game. Both players must accept the "challenge" to resume the game in progress!

If there is a disconnection by either the player or the opponent, both players should go to the Slack Channel to communicate with the TD. The TDs will help figure out who is disconnected, and advise the player to reconnect or to wait patiently. ICC will resume the game once both players are back online!)

If you have any questions or concerns, please contactClick here to show email address or seek out help in the Slack channel.

For results and pairings tomorrow, see the left menu here.

Thank you, and good luck tomorrow!

04.23.2021: Early Entry Deadline for K-1 through K-6

IMPORTANT UPDATES!

The second early registration deadline for Qualification Weekend 2 ends TONIGHT, April 23rd, at 11:59pm CT.

If you have already signed up your login credentials for Qualifier Weekend 2 will be coming next week. Please look for them via email from the Internet Chess Club.

Important Information for Registered Players:

If you haven’t signed up yet, it is not too late to register for the National Online Scholastic Championship (NOSC), Qualification Weekend 2. The NOSC is a replacement event for the recently canceled SuperNationals VII. Registration for weekend 2 is open until April 30th.

The second weekend qualifies players to the championship in the following sections:

● K-1

● K-3

● K-5

● K-6

If you need assistance, please watch our instructional videos on how to register, sign in, and play in the tournament.

Help requests: nationalevents@uschess.org

Event hashtag: #NOSCC

04.21.2021: Updates for K-1 through K-6

National Online Scholastic Championship

Important Updates!

If you haven’t signed up yet, it is not too late to register for the National Online Scholastic Championship (NOSC), Qualification Weekend 2. The NOSC is a replacement event for the recently canceled SuperNationals VII. The second early registration deadline for Qualification Weekend 2 ends Friday, April 23rd, at 11:59pm CT.

Important Information for Registered Players:

Did you know you can check the status of your entry and view the other players pre-registered to compete in your section? It’s easy! Navigate to the tournament website and select Advance Entries from the menu in the upper left. There, you can search by section, grade, last name, or state. If you see your name there - and all details look correct - you’re good to go!

The second weekend qualifies players to the championship in the following sections:

● K-1

● K-3

● K-5

● K-6

Need help registering? Watch our step-by-step videos!

US Chess created detailed instructional video guides to make every step of the registration process as easy as can be. Click here for the videos. Topics include:

● How to register

● How to become a US Chess member (required for participation)

● Logging in to the game server

● How to play a game in the NOSC

Already registered? Keep an eye out for your login credentials!

Login credentials - including both a special single-use username and password - will be coming soon for players who have already signed up for weekend 2. This information will be sent directly to the email address you listed at registration. Save this email! You will use the provided username and password to play in the event - no other username will work for the tournament. It is also recommended to log in before the tournament date to make sure everything is working properly.

Have any changes or updated to your registration? Maybe need to change a bye? Add a team code? All changes need to be sent in by April 30th, 2021, or they will be subject to a $30 change fee.

Help requests: nationalevents@uschess.org

Event hashtag: #NOSCC

04.21.2021: Pre-Event Checklist

NOSC Pre-Tournament Checklist

The big day is almost here!

The National Online Scholastic Championship Qualifier Weekend 1 - sections K-9 and K-12 - starts this Saturday! Round 1 is on April 24th at 11am ET. Don’t be late! Please log in between 10:30 and 10:45 each day to make sure you’re ready to go!

Pre-Event Checklist:

● Attend Thursday, 4/22 Town Hall Meeting (Update on 4/23:
If you missed the 4/22 Town Hall, you can find it here. Passcode: vjqFt6H& )

● Log in to ensure your username and password combo is working

● Test the playing page in your browser

● Join the Slack channel for live updates and during-event help

● Review NOSC help videos

1. NEW! Town Hall Help!

Join us tomorrow night, Thursday 4/22/21, for a town hall help session.

Intended audience:

● Players who are new to online rated events

● Players who are new to US Chess

● Parents and Coaches

● Experienced players who want a refresher

Ask us your questions about the event - this is your time! Experienced directors will be available to field your questions about the tournament.

When: 6pm ET - 7:30pm ET

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87020411175

The Town Hall will be recorded and posted here on Friday, April 23.

2. Log in to ensure your username and password combo is working!

3. ... Test the playing page in your browser

On the day of the tournament, all you’ll need to do is visit the same link - play.chessclub.com/uschess - and login. That’s it! Your game will start automatically.

4. Join the Slack channel for live updates and during-event help

The Slack channel will have LIVE support staff available starting Saturday morning, April 24th, at 10am ET. Use this link to join.

5. Don’t forget to check out our help videos!

Finally, we invite all participants to view the welcome message from Dewain Barber, the Dean of Scholastic Chess!

Help requests: nationalevents@uschess.org

Event hashtag: #NOSCC

04.16.2021: Entry/Early Deadlines

National Online Scholastic Championship

Final Entry Deadline Tomorrow!

Qualifier Weekend 1 - sections K-9 and K-12 - closes registration tomorrow, 4/16/21, at 11:59pm CT. Absolutely no entries will be accepted after that time - no exceptions! Register by clicking here.

Players who registered before the first pre-entry deadline (April 2nd) or by the second deadline (April 9th) should now have their login credentials along with playing instructions. This email was sent by the Internet Chess Club earlier this week to the email address you used when you registered. If you do not have it, please check your junk/spam folders. If you are unable to locate it, contact Click here to show email address.

PLEASE - Test your login credentials in advance, to ensure you are able to log in successfully.

Qualifier Weekend 2 - covering sections K-1, K-3, K-5 and K-6 - also has a deadline tomorrow, 4/6/21. The early-bird rate for weekend 2 expires at 11:59pm CT tomorrow. You can register for weekend 2 via this link.

If you have a change for Qualifier Weekend 1, such as a section change, grade change, or any other change, get it in by tomorrow, Friday, April 16th. Any changes for Qualifier Weekend 1 submitted after April 16th will incur a $30 change fee.

Important Information for Registered Players

Finally, participants for both weekends are also advised to watch our instructional videos on how to register, sign in, and play in the tournament.

Help requests: nationalevents@uschess.org

Event hashtag: #NOSCC

04.14.2021: Fair Play

National Online Scholastic Championship

Fair Play Information

● Help from another person - including parents, coaches, etc.

● Assistance from any sort of chess playing program, bot, or engine

● Assistance from a book or any written material

Have a concern? Here’s how to report it:

First: finish your game. Do not let a concern about a fair play violation impact your play. If it’s happening - we will catch it.

● “I need help in the K-9 Section.”

● “Can I speak to a Tournament Director?”

A director will then bring you into a chat and assist you.

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the official rules for the event, as established by the US Chess Scholastic Council, as well as the technical guide for the event.

In addition, please remember the following provisions:

● Cameras will NOT be required for the qualifying stages. This is intended to remove as many barriers to participation as possible.

● The chief tournament director's decisions about forfeiture from the event will be final.

● The ICC fair play algorithm, endorsed by the US Chess Executive Board and Ratings Committee, will be in use for all games.

● Fair play violations will be subject to the same disciplinary process in this event as a cheating violation at a US Chess over-the-board event.

● Any section affected by a fair play violation will have individual and team standings adjusted using US Chess Rule 28I2.

Summary: Play fair, have fun, and we will “see” you April 24th!

Help requests: nationalevents@uschess.org

Event hashtag: #NOSCC

04.09.2021: Event Updates

National Online Scholastic Championship

Important Updates!

The second early registration deadline for Qualification Weekend 1 ends TONIGHT, April 9th, at 11:59pm CT.

Players who registered before the first pre-entry deadline (April 2nd) should now have their login credentials along with playing instructions. This email was sent by the Internet Chess Club earlier this week to the email address you used when you registered. If you do not have it, please check your junk/spam folders. If you are unable to locate it, contact Click here to show email address.

PLEASE - Test your login credentials in advance, to ensure you are able to log in successfully.

Important Information for Registered Players:

If you haven’t signed up yet, it is not too late to register for the National Online Scholastic Championship (NOSC), Qualification Weekend 1. The NOSC is a replacement event for the recently canceled SuperNationals VII. Registration for weekend 1 is open until April 16th.

The first weekend qualifies players to the championship in the following sections:

● K-9

● K-12

If you are in grades K-6, you can also play on Qualification Weekend 2, for elementary-age players only! You can find out more about Qualification Weekend 2 here. The first early entry deadline for the K-1, K3, K-5, and K-6 sections is April 16th.

Participants for both weekends are also advised to watch our instructional videos on how to register, sign in, and play in the tournament.

Help requests: nationalevents@uschess.org

Event hashtag: #NOSCC

04.07.2021: Event Updates

National Online Scholastic Championship

Important Updates!

Important Information for Registered Players:

If you haven’t signed up yet, it is not too late to register for the National Online Scholastic Championship (NOSC), Qualification Weekend 1. The NOSC is a replacement event for the recently canceled SuperNationals VII. The second early registration deadline for Qualification Weekend 1 ends Friday, April 9th, at 11:59pm CT.

The first weekend qualifies players to the championship in the following sections:

-K-9
-K-12

Login credentials - including both a special single-use username and password - will be coming soon for players who have already signed up. This information will be sent directly to the email address you listed at registration. Save this email! You will use the provided username and password to play in the event - no other username will work for the tournament. It is also recommended to log in before the tournament date to make sure everything is working properly.

Already registered? Keep an eye out for your login credentials!

If you are in grades K-6, you can also play on Qualification Weekend 2, for elementary-age players only! You can find out more about Qualification Weekend 2 here.

Need help registering? Watch our step-by-step videos!

US Chess created detailed instructional video guides to make every step of the registration process as easy as can be. Click here for the videos. Topics include:

-How to register
-How to become a US Chess member (required for participation)
-Logging in to the game server
-How to play a game in the NOSC

Help requests: nationalevents@uschess.org

Event hashtag: #NOSCC

04.02.2021: Early Registration Ends Tonight

National Online Scholastic Championship

Early Registration Ends Tonight!

The first early registration deadline ends tonight for the National Online Scholastic Championship (NOSC), Qualification Weekend 1. The NOSC is a replacement event for the recently canceled SuperNationals VII.

The first weekend qualifies players to the championship in the following sections:

● K-9

● K-12

Already registered? Make sure your email address is on file!

Special usernames and passwords will be provided for use during the event. These credentials will be provided to you via email. Email is a required field on the registration form. If you omitted your email, or are worried you might have, please check this list of players whose email addresses are missing as of today’s deadline.

If you are in grades K-6, you can also play on Qualification Weekend 2, for elementary-age players only! You can find out more about Qualification Weekend 2 here.

Need help registering? Watch our step-by-step videos!

US Chess created detailed instructional video guides to make every step of the registration process as easy as can be. Click here for the videos. Topics include:

● How to register

● How to become a US Chess member (required for participation)

● Logging in to the game server

● How to play a game in the NOSC

Help requests: nationalevents@uschess.org

Event hashtag: #NOSCC

Already registered? Make sure your email address is on file!

03.19.2021: Open for Entries

The 2021 National Online Scholastic Championships are OPEN FOR ENTRIES!

US Chess is proud to announce, in partnership with the Internet Chess Club (ICC), the 2021 National Online Scholastic Championships (NOSC)! The NOSC is intended as a replacement for the cancelled SuperNationals VII. This event will be formatted a bit differently than the over-the-board Spring Nationals.

The NOSC will declare national individual champions in six different divisions: K-12, K-9, K-6, K-5, K-3, and K-1. There will not be “under” sections. However, as you will see on the tournament websites, the top 15% of players in each division will receive awards! Also, there will be LOTS of class prizes for lower-rated players!

This event will take place online over three different weekends. The first two weekends are called “Qualification Weekends”. These will determine who advances to the third and final weekend, called “Championship Weekend”.

Qualification Weekend 1 will be for players in the K-12 and K-9 divisions. It is scheduled for April 24-25. The final deadline for Weekend 1 entries is 11:59pm Central time, Friday, April 16. The website for Qualification Weekend 1 is at http://www.uschess.org/tournaments/2021/noscw1.

Qualification Weekend 2 will be for players in the K-6, K-5, K-3, and K-1 divisions. It is scheduled for May 8-9. The final deadline for Weekend 2 entries is 11:59pm Central time, Friday, April 30. The website for Qualification Weekend 2 is at http://www.uschess.org/tournaments/2021/noscw2.

Championship Weekend will be for the top finishers in each division. It is scheduled for June 12-13. There will be no entry fee for Championship Weekend. Additional details for Championship Weekend are being developed and will be publicized shortly.

The Qualification Weekends will not require cameras for players, as the fields will be too large to manage that many camera feeds simultaneously. Those who qualify for Championship Weekend WILL be required to have cameras available. The ICC fair play algorithm, endorsed by US Chess, will be used to make decisions about potential cheating violations in all three NOSC weekends.

There will be team prizes in both Qualification Weekends. There will NOT be official national team champions declared in the Qualification Weekends since there will be no cameras. There will be NO team competition involved in Championship Weekend – just the individual national championships.

All three NOSC weekends will be online rated by US Chess. There will be some special rules in place. They are detailed on the tournament websites linked above at http://www.uschess.org/tournaments/2020/k12onl/. Please note the ICC terms and conditions for the event. You and your parents need to read these terms before entering.

Special rules for the NOSC have been written by the US Chess Scholastic Council and approved by the US Chess Executive Board. Please check the tournament websites for the rules, as well as a link to the current Scholastic Regulations. When you enter the tournament, you agree to follow the US Chess event rules and ICC rules of play – so be sure to read and understand them!

Entrants will be assigned a username and password for this event. You will be required to use this exact username and password to play your tournament games. Your username will be

For players in grades K-6: You can play BOTH Qualification Weekends if you like! You will need to go to each weekend’s website and register separately. You will be issued a unique username and password for each weekend. Also, if you do qualify for Championship Weekend in two different divisions (say, K-9 and K-6), you will automatically be entered in the lower division by grade.

Do not use another browser window, another device, or help from a parent/coach/friend. You do not want the trouble that will cause you. The simplest way to avoid any problems is to make sure you, and you alone, are making your own moves. Just play honestly, as hard and as well as you can!

ICC will be providing a special web-based interface to participate in this event. You will not need to download any client or additional software to participate beyond just your normal web browser! You will need to compete from a standard desktop or laptop computer – no tablet or smartphone will be permitted. Additional information on the special ICC interface, as well as appropriate link for your weekend, will be provided online shortly.

US Chess and ICC are developing instructional videos to help with all aspects of registering for the NOSC, how to use the ICC web interface, and how to join US Chess. These videos should be available online by early next week

Additional details, such as how to communicate with tournament directors and details about possible warm-up events, will be available at the tournament website as soon as they are finalized.

For more information, registration, list of pre-registrations, and prizes, please see the website for Qualification Weekend 1 (K-12 and K-9) at http://www.uschess.org/tournaments/2021/noscw1, or the website for Qualification Weekend 2 (K-6, K-5, K-3, and K-1) at http://www.uschess.org/tournaments/2021/noscw2.

IMPORTANT: Registration for the NOSC will be online only! No mail-in or phone registration will be accepted. You must enter through the website for the appropriate Qualification Weekend.

If you have additional questions after reviewing the websites, please email Click here to show email address. Your question will be promptly answered. Please note, you will need to have a US Chess membership that is current through the end of the NOSC to participate. If you need to renew (or purchase) a membership, please visit our membership webstore at https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess.

Sign up today, and take advantage of the lowest entry fees for the Qualification Weekends! We will “see” you in April and May for the 2021 National Online Scholastic Championships!

Videos for players and parents:

Registering for the NOSC and other key information

https://youtu.be/YHQpmMZWkG0

Becoming a US Chess member

https://youtu.be/KAxvRrxB3do

Logging into the Play Page

https://youtu.be/IqcaJgaTdBA

How to Play Games at the NOSC

https://youtu.be/mOjWOZsqAQg

Troubleshooting

https://youtu.be/G73qe2mEOwc