Event Overview
***2026 TCA Region I Open and Scholastic Championships***
Do you want to be an official champion of Region I? The annual TCA Region I Championships challenge players from our 48-county region, stretching across the Panhandle and South Plains from south of Lubbock to north of Amarillo, to compete for regional championship titles sanctioned by the Texas Chess Association. The 2026 TCA Region I Champion, 2026 TCA Region I High School Champion, 2026 TCA Region I Middle School Champion, 2026 TCA Region I Elementary Champion, and 2026 TCA Region I Primary (K-3) Champion will be determined at this event! Ties for first place will result in co-champions, but a playoff will determine who keeps the trophy. In addition to awarding titles, the High School, Middle School, Elementary, and Primary Champions will be invited to represent Region I in the Texas Junior Invitational, and the High School Champion will also earn a $500+ stipend to compete at the state scholastic championship in Austin in March; ties will follow USCF rules for splitting cash prizes. If the winner is unable to compete in the Texas Junior Invitationals or the Texas State Scholastic SuperState Championship, the next highest finishing eligible and available player will be given the opportunity or stipend. Note: The Region I Girls Texas Junior Invitational Representative will be determined at the Region I Girls Championship.
Memberships Required: US Chess and Texas Chess Association (TCA) memberships are required.
US Chess Membership: https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess
Texas Chess Association Membership: https://texaschess.org/memberships/
NOTE: Players from outside of Region I may register for ANY section that is appropriate, including scholastic sections. Only Region I players may be declared the Region 1 Champion, but players from outside Region I are eligible for all other prizes.
TCA REGION I (Panhandle):
Armstrong, Bailey, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Cochran, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Donley, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Haskell, Hemphill, Hockley, Hutchinson, Kent, King, Knox, Lamb, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Lynn, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Reagan, Roberts, Sherman, Stonewall, Swisher, Terry, Wheeler, Yoakum.
PURPOSE: Our goal is to expand rated chess opportunities in our community to benefit and encourage both new and experienced players.
SPECIAL PROMOTIONS: FREE registration for players with current USCF rating over 2000! Entry fee deducted from winnings.
DATE: Saturday, January 24, 2026
LOCATION: Mad Hatter's House of Games; 1507 Texas Ave., Lubbock, TX 79401
START TIME: Round 1 begins at 11am (PLEASE arrive and check-in before 10:45)
END TIME: Most sections will finish at approximately 5:30 PM. The Elementary Championship Section should finish at approximately 3:30 PM. Section awards will be presented shortly after all players in a section have completed round 4. Lower sections typically wrap up earlier than higher sections.
COST:
Regular (online) registration : Register online at https://forms.gle/EP5k54hQxzy27aMUA by Friday, January 23, 2026 and pay $21 via PayPal, or $20 cash at door; there is a $1 discount for cash payment.
LATE (onsite) registration: Register onsite the morning of Saturday, January 24, 2026 and pay $25 immediately. Cash and correct change greatly appreciated! No credit cards
DEADLINES: Early (Online) pre-registrations are due by 6pm Friday, January 23, 2026. Late (On-site) registrations must be done between 10:00 and 10:30 on Saturday, January 24, 2026.
TOURNAMENT DETAILS:
Tournament Director: Robert Moore, Region I Director – Texas Chess Association
USCF Rated Event: Current USCF membership required for ALL sections, including scholastic sections - PLEASE update your membership prior to tournament day. Contact us if you need help registering or renewing your USCF membership.
Schedule: This is a 4-round swiss style tournament for all sections other than elementary (K-5), which will have 5 rounds. Pairings will be posted 5 minutes after the last game in the previous round ends, and the new round will begin 10 minutes after the previous round is complete. This effectively adds a 10-minute break for players who are the last to finish a round. Round 1 begins promptly at 11 AM.
Equipment: Chess sets and notation supplies will be provided. Some chess clocks will be available, but please bring your own clock if you have one.
Five sections as follows:
NOTE: Only players from Region I may be declared the Regional Champion, but all players are eligible to win prizes.
Open Championship - Must be rated at least 1300. If fewer than 8 players are at least 1300, highest rated players below 1300 will be used to ensure at least 8 players in the section. Regular/Online Registration: $21 (PayPal)/$20 (cash at door); Late Registration: $25 (cash at door); FREE for players with current USCF rating of 2000 or higher (fees deducted from any cash awards!)) 4 Rounds, G/40;d5; The Region I Champion must reside in Region I, but all players are eligible for other prizes.
Reserve (U1300) - Rating below 1300 and unrated players. Regular/Online Registration: $21 (PayPal)/$20 (cash at door); Late Registration: $25 (cash at door); 4 Rounds, G/40;d5; This section is not a championship section, and all players are eligible for all prizes.
Scholastic High School Championship - Scholastic players enrolled in grades 9-12. Must live within TCA Region I. Regular/Online Registration: $21 (PayPal)/$20 (cash at door); Late Registration: $25 (cash at door); 4 Rounds, G/40;d5; The Region I Champion must reside in Region I, but all players are eligible for other prizes.
Scholastic Middle School Championship - Scholastic players enrolled in grades 6-8 in TCA. Players in 9th grade may play in this section only if they attend a middle school or junior high school that includes 9th grade. Regular/Online Registration: $21 (PayPal)/$20 (cash at door); Late Registration: $25 (cash at door); 4 Rounds, G/40;d5; The Region I Champion must reside in Region I, but all players are eligible for other prizes.
Scholastic Elementary (K-5) & Primary (K-3) School Championship - Scholastic players enrolled in grades K-5. Players in 6th grade may play in this section only if they attend an elementary school that includes 6th grade. Must live within TCA Region I. Regular/Online Registration: $21 (PayPal)/$20 (cash at door); Late Registration: $25 (cash at door); 5 Rounds, G/25;d5; The Region I Champion must reside in Region I, but all players are eligible for other prizes.
NOTE ABOUT PLAYERS' SECTION PLACEMENT: Scholastic players must play in the section that matches their grade level. At the TD's discretion, non-scholastic sections may be added, deleted, or combined. A player near the rating cut-off may be moved to maintain an even number of players in as many sections as possible. Also, at the TD's discretion, section rating ranges may be revised onsite based on natural breaks in rating distributions, which could increase the number of players in the Open Championship section to more than 8.
RATING DETERMINATION: USCF ratings as of January 19 will be used to determine section eligibility for this event.
Prizes will be determined and awarded as follows:
Cash Prizes for Open Championship and Reserve sections - Cash prize guarantees are based on 50 registered players.
The total guaranteed prize fund for 50 players is $350.
The available cash prize fund will be increased or decreased based on registration variance from 50 players.
If there are fewer than 50 players, prizes may be given for fewer than 3 places in each section.
Ties will follow USCF rules for splitting cash prizes.
Award for the Region I Champion and Region I Scholastic Champions. A blitz tiebreak will be used in case of a tie to determine trophy recipient, but players will be declared co-champions. Players must reside in Region I to be declared the Region I Champion or a Region I Scholastic Champion.
Trophies for top three finishers in Scholastic sections. Trophies will be labeled Champion, 1st Place, 2nd Place, and 3rd Place. Medals for players that tie for third but do not receive a trophy. Standard tie breaks will be used. Note: The Elementary & Primary combined section will award championship titles for both divisions: Elementary Champion (top Region I K-5 player), Primary Champion (top Region I K-3 player), 1st-3rd (top 3 K-5 players not earning the champion's trophy).
PHOTOGRAPHY: Photos may be taken during the tournament and awards ceremony. These images may be shared with Texas Chess Association, news outlets, or other interested groups or individuals. Images may be used for promotion of subsequent chess events.
CONTACT: Completing the registration form linked below should generate an email to the address used to complete the form. Prior to the tournament, another email communication will be sent with a link to check tournament registration details.
If you have any questions please email us:
Robert Moore - [email protected]; 334-233-4373
Amy Jones - [email protected]; 806-787-3568
1507 Texas Ave.
Lubbock, TX 79401
United States