24th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tournament 2026 Georgia State Scholastic Tournament

24th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tournament

2026 Georgia State Scholastic Tournament and Qualifier for Denker (9th-12th), Barber (6th-8th), Rockefeller (K-5th), Ashley (K-3rd). Note: Each nominee must meet their invitational requirements as specified by US Chess to qualify, attend and receive the stipend.

January 18, 2026, at Shiloh High School

*Registration cap = 600*

*Change request deadline Saturday 1/17 @ 6 PM. No changes after that. Withdrawal before 7 AM Sunday to be eligible for a refund. *

NEW THIS YEAR. The 24th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Championship will be the official Georgia State qualifier for several US Chess National Invitational Nominations.  Please see below for details.

When & Where: Sunday, January 18th, 2026, at Shiloh High School.

Who: Open to players in grades K-12th with a valid USCF membership who live or attend school in Georgia.

Format: 5 rounds, Individual/Team Swiss System.

Time Control: 25 minutes per player with a 5 sec delay (G/25; d5)

Eight Sections:

K-1

K-3 Championship

K-3 U400/Unrated

K-5 Championship

K-5 U600/Unrated

K-8 Championship

K-12 Championship

6-12 U1000/Unrated

Sections may be combined if needed.

Entry Fee:

$45 through January 9

$55 after January 9 through January 14

$75 after January 14 through January 16th

Registration: US Chess membership is required for all players, and players should ensure their USCF membership is active before registering. Tournament organizers cannot activate or renew US Chess memberships.

Register for tournament: Click here.

Registration open until 1 PM Friday, January 17, 2026, or until we reach the 600-player cap (whichever comes first). There is no onsite registration for this event.

Round Times for all sections except K-1: Start Times: 10 am, 11:30am, 1pm, 2:30pm, 4pm. Kids should be seated at their boards by 9:20 AM for announcements beginning promptly at 9:30AM.

Round Times for K-1: 10:30am, 11:45am, 1:15pm, rounds 4 and 5 will be paired ASAP.  Kids must be at their boards by 10:15am for announcements beginning promptly at 10:20am.

Byes: A Bye is when you want to skip a round, usually due to a scheduling conflict. You may take a maximum of 2 byes. Byes taken during rounds 1-4 count for ½ point each. A bye taken in the 5th round is zero points. Byes should be requested when registering. No bye changes after the change deadline Saturday January 17th at 6PM.

NOTE: No bye or section changes after 6:00 PM Saturday 1/17.

Prizes: Individual – Place trophies to Top 5 players in each section; Plus Score trophies to all players with 3 or more points. Ribbons to all participants. 1st place winners of Championship sections may qualify for US Chess National Events nominations and $500 stipends (see below for details).

Team – Trophies to top scoring team(s) in each section. A team is 3 or more players in the same section from the same school; a team can have an unlimited number of players, but only the top 4 scores count towards team prizes. Only schools from the state of Georgia are eligible to compete as teams.

Note: Chessregister (https://www.chessregister.com/events) will have a pre-registration list, but the FINAL list will be posted at the tournament and should be checked for errors before Round 1. It is the parent's responsibility to verify that registration information is correct and to arrive early enough to have any errors fixed before Round 1 begins. Accelerated pairings may be used at the TD’s discretion.

Sets and boards supplied. Bring your chess clock.  Clocks will be used at all games if available. A clock may be set during the last ten minutes of a game by the tournament director if the game does not start with a clock.

Photos: We will be taking photos of the chess players for possible publication on our website. Please email us if you do not want your child's photo used.

Changes: All changes must be received by 6 pm Saturday January 17th. Withdrawals must be received no later than 7 AM the morning of the tournament, January 18, 2026, to be eligible for a refund.

NEW THIS YEAR – Nominations for four national scholastic invitational events will be determined at this tournament. Each year the GCA names players to compete in the GM Arnold Denker National Tournament of High School State Champions (9th – 12th grade eligible), Dewain Barber National Tournament of Middle School State Champions (6th – 8th grade), John D. Rockefeller III National Tournament of Elementary School State Champions (K – 5th grade) and the GM Maurice Ashley National Tournament of K-3 State Champions (K-3rd grade). The GCA will use the results of the MLK Championship sections to decide our GA State nominees:

K-12 Championship for the Denker

K-8 Championship for the Barber

K-5 Championship for the Rockefeller

K-3 Championship for the Ashley

The nominees will be the winners of each section unless the winner is ineligible for the nomination due to age/grade, state of residence, willingness to attend the tournament, etc., in which case the nomination will go the 2nd place winner and on down the standings. Each nominee will be awarded a $500 stipend to be paid only after they attend the national tournament. If interested in competing for the nominations/stipends, please make sure to register in the correct section. For example, a 5th grader is allowed to play in the K-12 Championship section but would be ineligible for the Denker 9th -12th grade nomination and thus should register in the K-5 Championship section if interested in competing for the Rockefeller nomination. Note: Each nominee must meet their specific invitational requirements as specified by US Chess to qualify, attend and receive the stipend.

Volunteers: The GCA is looking for volunteers to help with setup and scorekeeping - no experience necessary! Please contact us!

Questions:  Amrita Kumar - [email protected].

Tournament Coordinators: Amrita Kumar – Lead and Keith Sewell.

Organizers: Amrita Kumar and Keith Sewell