The 2020 US Chess / ChessKid K-12 Showdown

US Chess is proud to announce, in partnership with ChessKid.com and Chess.com, the 2020 US Chess / ChessKid K-12 Showdown! This event will take place online from December 12 to December 13. Players will be competing in 13 different sections, one for each grade.

The first advance entry deadline for the 2020 US Chess / ChessKid K-12 Showdown is at midnight Central Time on Monday, November 23. You must be a member of US Chess through at least the end of December 2020 to participate. You can renew your membership online!

This event is intended to provide an alternative for the 2020 National K-12 Grades, which was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID-19. There are a few very important things to know before you enter, so please read this email all the way through. Also, please take time to read the tournament website at http://www.uschess.org/tournaments/2020/k12onl/ for more information. Please be sure to read and understand the rules for this event before you sign up!

This event will be shared between two servers! If you are in grades 6 through 12, you will be playing on Chess.com. If you are in grades K through 5, you will be playing on ChessKid.com. So, you’ll need to set up a login on the server where you’ll be playing. Then, if you have not already done so, you will need to create a user account on the US Chess website and add your Chess.com or ChessKid.com login to your user dashboard at US Chess. This step is important because Chess.com and ChessKid.com will be validating your US Chess membership using that information! You can read instructions on how to set up a user account at US Chess, as well as how to link your Chess.com/ChessKid.com login to your US Chess user profile.

The K-12 Showdown will be online rated by US Chess. There will be some special rules in place. They are detailed on the tournament website at http://www.uschess.org/tournaments/2020/k12onl/. Please note the Chess.com terms and conditions for the event. You and your parents need to read these terms before entering. We will be using the 2020-21 Scholastic Regulations to determine eligibility and ratings. Please check the tournament website for the Chess.com terms and conditions, as well as a link to the current Scholastic Regulations. When you enter the tournament, you agree to follow the US Chess and Chess.com event rules – so be sure to read and understand them!

The K-12 Showdown will not require cameras for players, as it is not a national championship event. The Chess.com and ChessKid.com fair play algorithm, endorsed by US Chess, will be used to make decisions about potential cheating violations.

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!

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 tournament website: http://www.uschess.org/tournaments/2020/k12onl/.