152 players! Wow! And there would have been many more but for the bad ice and snow that morning!
Elementary chess is surging in popularity. And there still aren't
many elem. tourneys up here in NW Wa. -- if any other schools,
parents or teachers are interested in the possibility of organizing
a tournament, contact Randy Kaech.
Below are the official, WSRS-rated crosstables. If you spot any errors, do report them.
Your new WSRS chess rating is listed under the "end" column, followed by the number of career rated games you've played. For example, BINDER, DEREK is now rated 951 and has played a total of 47 rated games.
Congratulations to all players for participating in the first ever Edison Chessfest!
Come and play at the...
Edison Elementary Chessfest
Chess tournament and playday for Kindergarten to 8th grade chessplayers!
Where:
Edison Elementary School, 5801 Main Ave., Bow-Edison, WA.
What:
A five-round no-elimination WSRS-rated chess tournament.
Three sections: K-3, 4-6, 7-8th grades. One hour (30/30) games.
Trophies and Medal awards in each section. Winners qualify to play in the State Elementary Championships. (K-6).
When:
Saturday, December 16, 2000. Check-in from 8:30 - 9:05am.
Awards ceremony around 4:30pm.
To Enter:
Players, please register in advance to play. Entry fee is $5 in advance and must be received by Dec. 14. (Entries received at the door are $8.) Checks payable to Edison Elementary, mail to Edison Elem. Chess, 5801 Main St, Bow, WA 98232. Include Name, Address, School, Grade, Phone, Email. Players must still check in that morning before 9:05.
Bring:
Something to write with. And if you can, a chess board & set, and a chess clock.
How to get there:
On I-5 take Bow Hill exit #236 at the casino. Go west up the hill. Drive approx. 5 miles to a stop sign. Cross Chuckanut Dr. and proceed straight ahead on the West Bow Hill Rd. for one mile. The school's on the left.
More Info:
Email Tourney Organizer Darryl Kvistad.
But I don't know how to play chess!
Now's a great time to learn! Have a friend show you! Only three things you need to know to play:
- The starting position.
- How the six different pieces move.
- How the game ends. (Get the King!)
Edison Elementary Chessfest FAQ
I'm not a good chessplayer. Should I play?
Sure! Come jam with the rest of us patzers. We're all learning, and you don't have to be a Grandmaster to have fun at chess. Besides, the Swiss pairings system will match you with opponents of equal ability (after a few rounds). And just think of how much better you'll be after a day of chess jamming.
Do I have to write down the moves?
Yes, scorekeeping is required. To learn how, have a teacher or friend show you, or go here. Hey, it's good for you! One of the best ways to improve is to review your games after a tournament. (Besides being able to show your friends the awesome move you made that clinched the game.) Also, learning chess notation opens you to the whole wide world of chess literature. (So, bring a pen or pencil!)
If I haven't taken my hands off of the chess piece yet, can I change my mind?
In a rated tournament, if you even touch a chess piece, you must move it! And if you touch an opponent's piece, you must capture it! So sit on your hands until you know what you want to do. If a piece needs to be centered or adjusted, you may do so by first saying "I adjust".
This tourney is an Elementary State Qualifier tournament? Tell me about State.
The largest chess tournament in the state every year is not the Washington Open, the Seafair Open or the State High School Team Championships, it's the State Elementary Championships. Last year it was held in Olympia and saw 700+ players compete! And consider this: to attend, players had to first qualify by posting a winning record in a qualifying tournament!
To qualify for Elementary State, a Washington student "in grades 1-6 must score at least 3/5 in a WSRS-rated Scholastic Chess Tournament in Washington State with at least 32 players per section, and three or more schools participating. Players in Grade K need to score 2/5 in a divison which includes K-2 players."
This school year's Washington State Elementary Chess Championships will be held March 24, 2001 in Vancouver, Washington. (For more info contact Alan Svehaug.)
Will we use chess clocks? How do they work?
Yes, we'll use clocks. Chess clocks are a great invention. They keep slow players from slowing and losing players from stalling. Here's how it works: After your move, you hit the button nearest you on the chess clock. Your timer stops, and your opponent's timer begins. In this tournament each player will get 30 minutes, thus ensuring that no game goes over an hour. If a player uses up all 30 minutes, it's a loss just like checkmate.
Should we bring food?
Concessions will be available.