2024 South Texas State Grade Championships, Kindergarten to K-5

Tournament Venue: The event will be played in the Student Union of the Brownsville Campus of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. 650 Ringgold Rd, 78520 Brownsville, TX. Interactive Map of UTRGV Brownsville Campus ; PDF Map of UTRGV Brownsville Campus

Chief Tournament Organizers: GM Bartek Macieja and LTD Colt Smith-Munoz, Payments: Ms. Dulce Aguilera.

Senior Arbiters: Chief Tournament Director: STD Victor J. Flores; Assistant Chief Tournament Directors: STD Brandon Flores and STD Victor Bailey; Pairing Directors: STD James Houghtaling and LTD Remy Ferrari.

Communication: For pre-tournament communication, please contact us at Click here to show mail address or (956) 882-5761. During the tournament, to improve the efficiency of mass communication, we will be using Telegram for the announcements. We recommend you installing it in advance.

Eligibility: Only Texas residents or students enrolled in secondary or primary schools (including home schools) in Texas may play in this event.

USCF and TCA Membership Requirements: Current USCF membership is required. Current TCA membership is required. For most participants, "Junior Online" membership is most suitable. It costs $3 and allows them to participate in all Texas championships within a year without any additional payment to TCA. USCF and TCA Memberships will not be processed by the organizers.

Sections: There will be 6 sections: Kindergarten (includes Pre-K), 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade.

System of competition: Swiss System, 6 rounds. The tournament will use October 2024 USCF ratings.

Schedule: For the sections from Kindergarten to K-2, the first round on both days will start at 10 am. The following rounds will start shortly after the conclusion of the previous rounds. The Awards Ceremony will be conducted shortly after the conclusion of the sixth round. Telegram will be used for the start time announcements. Time control G30;d5.

For Grades 3-5: October 26: Round 1 at 10 am, Round 2 at 12:30 pm, Round 3 at 2:30 pm, Round 4 at 4:30 pm; October 27: Round 5 at 10 am, Round 6 at 12:30 pm, Awards Ceremony at 2:30 pm. Time control: G45;d5.

Registration and Entry Fee Payment shall be made online. No PO's. $40 by October 15, $50 by October 21, $60 by October 25, $80 by October 26. Entries on October 26 will be permitted till 9:00 am. Players not registered by the cutoff time shall be paired from Round 2 only, unless the Chief Tournament Director decides otherwise. One 1/2-point bye is allowed if requested by October 26 at 9 am. Refunds by October 18; $10 refund charge.

Pairing rules: The latest version of Swiss Sys will be used. Pairings created by this program are considered legal and will stand even if a pairing is not ideal, especially if pairings have been already posted. Current version is 11.55.

Tiebreak system: When individual scores are equal, the following order of tie-break systems will be used to designate individual awards: 1) Modified Median, 2) Median, 3) Solkoff, 4) Sonneborn-Berger, 5) Cumulative.

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

Awards: Trophies will be awarded to the top 6 individual finishers in each section. A trophy will be awarded to the top team in each section. Awards will not be split between participants / teams with the same number of points – the tie-break point system described in the Tournament Regulations will be used. Awards will not be given out in advance and must be picked up at the Awards Ceremony.

Team Rooms: Upon timely request, team rooms in a walking distance from the playing venue are available. The cost of a standard-size room is $200 (total for both days). Please send us an email to Click here to show mail address advising how many people from your school (participants and accompanying people combined) will be attending the event, so we can assign a proper-size team room for you.

Safety: UTRGV remains committed to your safety, success, and experience. Read more

Parking will be free during the championships. Per university rules: "Any vehicle parked on university property must display a permit at all times, except on weekends and university-approved holidays that require campus closure."

Food: Upon timely request, pre-ordered lunch combo (3 Tender Combo, Turkey Cheddar Melt, Grilled Cheese, or Hot Dog) is available. Use this link to order it at $9.95. All combos come with side of chips, cookie, and water.

Additional Information: Chess sets, notations, pens, and clocks will be provided. Electronic notation devices shall not be used except for players with a disability and only with prior authorization. Free game analysis will be provided by members of the UTRGV Chess Team on both days. Accommodation for participants with disabilities will be ensured.