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 canceled 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. 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.
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 [email protected]. 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!
