Virginia Scholastic State Championships

THIS IS AN OVER-THE-BOARD (In-person) TOURNAMENT.

WHAT: 2021-22 Virginia Scholastic State Championship Chess Tournament. All games will be rated by the US Chess Federation. Players compete in one of eight Sections:
    - K-3 Championship or K-3 Under 600
    - K-5 Championship or K-5 Under 1000
    - K-8 Championship or K-8 Under 1200
    - K-12 Championship or K-12 Under 1400
Player ratings used for sectioning, pairings, and awarding of prizes will be from the US Chess FEBRUARY Rating Supplement. Players will be paired using the higher of their Over-the-Board and Online Regular (slow) Ratings.

WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, March 26th and 27th, 2022, with BLITZ on Friday evening March 25th.
    - Round 1 of the Main Tournament starts at 9AM on Saturday, March 26th
    - Round 1 of the Blitz Tournament is at 6:30PM on Friday, March 25th

WHERE: Fredericksburg Convention Center in Fredericksburg, VA
    - For Hotel deals, see www.vachess.org.  There are 3 nice hotels immediately adjacent (walking distance) from the Convention Center.

MAIN EVENT SCHEDULE:
    - Saturday, March 26th: Rounds 1-3 at 9 am, 12:30 pm, and 4:30 pm. 
       + Rounds 1 and 2 use a Time Control of Game-60 + 5
       + Round 3 uses a Time Control of Game-90 + 10
    - Sunday, March 27th: Rounds 4 and 5 at 8:30 am and 1 pm.
       + "Awards Ceremonies" by Section as soon as sections finish.

BLITZ SCHEDULE: All Blitz games will be played on Friday, March 25th
    - Players register to play in either of two sections:
       + K-5 (players in grades Pre-K through 5th)
       + 6-12 (players in 6th-12th grades)
    - Registration for Blitz closes at 6:00 PM sharp!  Players not registered by 6 PM will be paired for Round 2.
    - Round 1 is at 6:30 PM.  Other rounds played "as soon as possible" 

REGISTRATION: Go to www.vachess.org
    - Main Event Entry Fee: $60 through midnight on Saturday March 19th, increases to $75 on Sunday March 20th, increases to $85 on March 24th and On-Site. $5 retained from any entries who withdraw prior to Round 1. 
    - Blitz Entry Fee: $30 through midnight on Saturday March 19th, increases to $40 on Sunday March 20th and On-Site.
    - ALL PLAYERS must be current members of the U.S. Chess Federation to play. Join or renew your US Chess membership at www.uschess.org.  Virginia Chess Federation membership is NOT required for these events.

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY:  All players must meet at least one of the following criteria ...
    - VA resident attending a K-12 school in Virginia
    - Out-of-State resident attending a K-12 school in Virginia
    - VA resident, but attending K-12 school out-of-state (Note, a player in this category CANNOT compete as part of a team)
    - Family member of an active duty member of the US Armed Forces who is stationed in Virginia
    - Player is home-schooled in Virginia 

TOURNAMENT EQUIPMENT:
    - Boards and pieces provided for ALL GAMES
    - Bring your increment-capable chess clock.  WE DO NOT HAVE CLOCKS TO LOAN.

DETAILED TOURNAMENT INFO, AWARDS, and RULES: Go to www.vachess.org

QUESTIONS?  Mike Hoffpauir, VA Chess Federation, mhoffpauir@aol.com, 757-846-4805 (text)