New, rescheduled date:


Presenting the 22nd annual.... Chess Jam Logo

International Chess Jam 2019

Youth Chess Playday and Tournaments
Saturday, April 13, 2019
at Ferndale High School



Register Here

Print one page flyer here



Final Standings: Chess Jam 2019: 6-12th Grades

#NameRtngPostTeamGrdRd 1Rd 2Rd 3Rd 4Rd 5Rd 6 Tot
1Carson Roesch14281595BLH6B---W4W24W5W2W3 6.0
2Daniel Stein16061604HSC10B---W9W14W8L1W6 5.0
3Lucas Eisenberg16651656PSS6B---D13W7W24W5L1 4.5
4Adrian Read11111134SHM10B---L1W12W18L6W17 4.0
5Rhys Lewis14211420SHM9B---W11W6L1L3W18 4.0
6Colette Eisenberg12401318PSS3B---W7L5W16W4L2 4.0
7Jayden Qu17151670LRD7B---L6L3W19W25W13 4.0
8Denman Hertz13781355BCX6B---W15W16L2D13D10 4.0
9Benjamin Scollon11191126FHV7B---L2L13W28W19W16 4.0
10Sajeon Koebel8681093BLH12U---X37W17D11W14D8 4.0
11Zachary Russell10541072FER11B---L5W28D10W15H--- 4.0
12Mitchell Jansen684903KAM12U---W32L4W27W24W15 4.0
13Jonathan Garfia12251291LYE11B---D3W9D14D8L7 3.5
14Jack Simmons12701252FHV7B---W18L2D13L10W24 3.5
15Joey Aho997962FER10B---L8W26W21L11L12 3.0
16Max Trushkov9471015HOR6B---W36L8L6W21L9 3.0
17Elizabeth Steinunr.947HSC7U---W25L10W23W20L4 3.0
18Chet Linderman972953BLH11B---L14W29L4W26L5 3.0
19Trey Kaptein779802LYC6U---W30W31L7L9W26 3.0
20Draegon Finch909865BLH11B---L24L21W29L17W28 3.0
21Joshua Steinunr.919HSC6U---W22W20L15L16W25 3.0
22Rylan Neem731705WHM6U---L21W32L26W30W29 3.0
23Nathaniel Dodge625640BLH9H---H---U---L17W34W27 3.0
24Johnathon Dennis12481183SHM10B---W20L1L3L12L14 2.0
25Rafael Filogonio679675VST6U---L17W35W31L7L21 2.0
26Cathlynne Bridges479590BLH11U---W27L15W22L18L19 2.0
27Kyle Henkenunr.477VST8U---L26W30L12W33L23 2.0
28Zach Enertson597601LYC7U---W35L11L9W32L20 2.0
29Ty Lindsay516523VST8U---W34L18L20W31L22 2.0
30Nathan Lyfordunr.377HSD6U---L19L27W35L22W34 2.0
31Alexander Harrisonunr.464PRO11U---W33L19L25L29W33 2.0
32Hayden Ridingsunr.425HOR6U---L12L22W33L28H--- 1.5
33Alec Deyoung459355LYC6U---L31W34L32L27L31 1.0
34Natalie Darr-Rehmertunr.100VST8U---L29L33B---L23L30 1.0
35Alex Richardsonunr.197HOR7U---L28L25L30H---H--- 1.0
36Alex Khoxayo12521207FER11B---L16U---U---U---U--- 1.0
37Tristan Margeson400400MDI8U---F10U---U---U---U--- 0.0



Final Standings: Chess Jam 2019: 4-5th Grades

#NameRtngPostTeamGrdRd 1Rd 2Rd 3Rd 4Rd 5Tot
1Owen Scollon12231243LLL3W13W11W4D2W5 4.5
2Evan Palmer10771111CAR5W12W10W3D1D4 4.0
3Keanu Schoessler749950NOR4W14W5L2W6W10 4.0
4Odin Overson857943SAI5W16W6L1W12D2 3.5
5Maxwell Day11521110SAI5W7L3W13W10L1 3.0
6Asher Stimac924898WKE4W15L4W7L3W12 3.0
7Jaxon Nipges608733EAG5L5W8L6W14W11 3.0
8Isaiah Dorsingunr.674BIL4L11L7W9W17W13 3.0
9Piper Singletonunr.448EAG5L10D16L8B---W17 2.5
10Tony Malpica743738RES5W9L2W15L5L3 2.0
11Caitlin Jackson773729BHC5W8L1L12W15L7 2.0
12Daniel Zhang575610WKE4L2B---W11L4L6 2.0
13Sean Simmons637629WKE4L1W17L5W16L8 2.0
14Chris Luunr.411COL4L3L15B---L7W16 2.0
15Keen Mun Cheongunr.477HPV4L6W14L10L11B--- 2.0
16Benjamin Hansenunr.375CST5L4D9W17L13L14 1.5
17Luke Mitchell484380CEE5B---L13L16L8L9 1.0



Final Standings: Chess Jam 2019: 2-3rd Grades

#NameRtngPostTeamGrdRd 1Rd 2Rd 3Rd 4Rd 5Tot
1Sven Alpsteg9931147LYC3W8W2W12W6W4 5.0
2Ezra Bubb920997CDR3W15L1W9W5W6 4.0
3Xavier Tuxill764805LLL3W11D6L4W8W10 3.5
4Alexa Vendeland963964ALL2W10L5W3W12L1 3.0
5Owen Zhang808903WKE3W16W4L6L2W12 3.0
6Miles Neel946926NOR3W13D3W5L1L2 2.5
7Avery Neem751703COL3W14L12D8D10D9 2.5
8Jasmine Yeh538558WKE3L1W15D7L3W14 2.5
9Blane Hildenbrand609670TCE3L12W16L2W13D7 2.5
10Anabelle Boulos415501SAI3L4W14W13D7L3 2.5
11Oliver Douglassunr.448CEE3L3D13L16W14W15 2.5
12Jacob Baldinger994934WKE2W9W7L1L4L5 2.0
13Anah Mendozaunr.279SKL3L6D11L10L9B--- 1.5
14Mateo Brionezunr.220CEE2L7L10W15L11L8 1.0
15Katie Rehmertunr.138CIA2L2L8L14B---L11 1.0
16Logan Pinkhamunr.541ISO3L5L9W11U---U--- 1.0



Final Standings: Chess Jam 2019: K-1st Grades

#NameRtngPostTeamGrdRd 1Rd 2Rd 3Rd 4Rd 5Tot
1Benjamin Steinunr.1185HSC0W9W3W6W2W4 5.0
2Jude Bubb593825CDR0W7W5W3L1W6 4.0
3Baker Stimac659670WKE0W12L1L2W7W9 3.0
4Samuel Stein unr.802HSC1W8L6W5W9L1 3.0
5Garrett Lathamunr.685EAG0W10L2L4W11W8 3.0
6Xander Vendeland785781ALL0W11W4L1D8L2 2.5
7Mae Wan Cheongunr.522HPV1L2W10D8L3W12 2.5
8Henry Swackhamer634600SIL1L4W11D7D6L5 2.0
9Jace Hildenbrand400425TCE0L1W12W10L4L3 2.0
10Jacob Claret400343AST0L5L7L9W12D11 1.5
11Michael Yeh400373WKE1L6L8W12L5D10 1.5
12Nicholas Cancelosiunr.100SKL1L3L9L11L10L7 0.0





Come PLAY at the twenty-second annual Chess Jam, a tournament and playday for chessplayers of all abilities, from beginner to expert, kindergarten through 12th grade. Door prizes! (Bring a riddle!)

State Qualifier Tournament! Kindergarten-6th grade players with winning scores (3/5) qualify to participate in the 2019 Washington State Elementary Chess Championships, being held this year at the Tacoma Convention Center on April 27, 2019.

Site: Ferndale High School. (Ferndale is five minutes north of Bellingham.) Cafeteria for check-in, hang out and K-5 sections. Spacious FHS library for 6-12 section.

Format - Four Playing Sections:
---Grades 6-12: 5-Round McMahon Swiss, Game/45 (each player gets 45 min.)
---Grades K-1, 2-3, 4-5: 5-Round Swiss, Game/30 (each player gets 30 min.)
Computer paired. NWSRS rated, no membership required.

Schedule:
8:30am - Registration opens. Note: All pre-registrants must check in. Players who check in late will be receiving a half-point bye in round one.
8:50am - Deadline for 6th-12th grade players to check in.
9:10am - Deadline for K-5th grade players to check in.
. . . See FAQ below for full rounds schedule
3:40pm or asap - Awards ceremony for K-1, 2-3, 4-5th grade sections.
5:45pm or asap - Awards ceremony for 6-12th grade section.

Can't play in all rounds due to other commitments? You can still play in Chess Jam! See the FAQ below.

Awards: Trophies to the top three in K-1, top five in 2nd-3rd and 4th-5th grades, and top seven in 6th-12th grade division. Also trophies to the top five in 6th-12th grade Premiere (lower half) division. Medals to those scoring 3.0 or higher. Every K-1 player who completes all five rounds will receive a medal or trophy. Upset and Unrated awards. Sweet awards to top three elementary schools (determined by adding the points of the top five scorers from a single K-5 school). Sweet prizes to top three schools in the 7th-12th grade division (based on top four players). Random riddle door prizes in the K-5 division. Tiebreaks by computer.

Ferndale Elementary Championships: Chess Jam incorporates the Ferndale Elementary Schools Championships, and additional awards/titles will be presented to the top Ferndale K-5th grade students.

Let's Play! How To Enter:
Players must register in advance. Register online at the BYC Registration Page before 7 pm Friday, April 12.
Entry fee $17.

Canadian players: Please enter online, and also email us with the player's grade, ratings and school attended. Thanks!

Bring: Boards & sets for personal use in skittles area, lunch/concessions money. Pen and chess clock for the 6th-12th grade section if you have one. And elementary players, bring a riddle to write on an index card for small door prizes. It might be read publicly between rounds! (i.e. Q: I'm tall when I'm young and I'm short when I'm old. What am I? A: A candle!)

Director: Randy Kaech, 36O-255-Ol84, kaechster@gmail.com.

Last Year's Results -- 76 Players



Directions: Take I-5 Exit 262. Go west about 1 mile to downtown Ferndale. Turn right on 3rd, then next left onto Vista. In less than 1/4 mile when right lane forms, take it. At the roundabout you'll see FHS and the cafeteria to your right. (5830 Golden Eagle Dr.)

Map courtesy of www.mapblast.com



Chess Jam 2019 FAQ

If I submit a riddle for the door prize, will you read my name?
We'll be reading some of the riddles between rounds, but we'll only read your name if you are a prize winner.

I can't play in all five rounds because I have to be somewhere else for awhile that day.
Can I still play?

Yes, you can still play in Chess Jam! Tell us which rounds you will be missing when you check in. You'll get a free 1/2 point bye for each of the first two rounds you need to miss.

Chess Jam Tshirt So what's the schedule for each round?
Schedule for K-1, 2-3 and 4-5th grade sections:
Players meeting 9:15, Rd 1 9:45, Rd 2 10:55, Rd 3 12:05, Rd 4 1:15, Rd 5 2:25. Awards around 3:40pm or ASAP. Rounds may be moved up.
Schedule for 6th-12th grade section: Rd 1 9:15, Rd 2 10:55, Rd 3 12:35, Rd 4 2:20, Rd 5 4:05.

Will concessions be available?
Yes there will. Goodies from the bakery will be available for brunching, and you can pre-order lunch also.

I don't even know how to play chess. Is it hard?
Easy to learn, hard to master. Learn, and then come play with us! Have a friend show you! Or you can learn the rules of chess online here or here. Only three things you need to know to play: 1.The starting position. 2.How the six different pieces move. 3.How the game ends. (Get the King!)

I'm not a good chessplayer. Should I play in Chess Jam?
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?
At Chess Jam scorekeeping is required in the 6th-12th grade section . 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, scoresheets will be provided.

If I haven't taken my hands off of the chess piece yet, can I change my mind?
In a rated tournament like this one, 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".

Chess Lady Will we use chess clocks? How do they work?
We'll use clocks in the 6-12 section, and in the lower sections on the upper boards only, and if your game goes really long. 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 gets either 30 minutes (K-5 section) or 45 minutes (6-12 section), thus ensuring that no game goes over 60 minutes (or 90 minutes). If a player uses up all his time, it's a loss just like checkmate. If a game starts without a clock and goes really long, we may put a clock on the game, with the time equally elapsed, as one becomes available.

How do school team awards work?
The team scoring used will be similar to cross-country meet scoring. The best five results from a single K-5 school will be tallied and compared with other schools. (Best four results in 6th-12th grade division.) Efforts are made not to pair players from the same school. Eligibility rules are those used by WHSCA for State events at the MS and HS level, and at Elem. level we use the eligibility rules used at Elem. State.

The 6th-12th grade section uses McMahon Swiss pairings. What's that?
The 6th-12th graders generally have ratings that are more established than in the elementary sections. So we're using McMahon Swiss pairings, which allows players of similar strength to play each other sooner, and avoids first round mismatches (i.e. having to play someone 600 points higher/lower than yourself). It's the same as a regular Swiss tourney, except players in the top half of the field begin the tourney with a point. With McMahon, top half players play each other starting in the first round rather than the second, as do lower half (Premiere) players. It's as if the tourney began with one round already played. (Don't worry - you still get to play five games!) It's used regularly in Go tournaments. Trophies are awarded for top performances in the Premiere section.

Is this tourney 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. For example, a few years back 1,422 players pre-registered to compete in Redmond. 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 post a winning record (score over 50 percent) in a NWSRS-rated Scholastic Chess Tournament in Washington State with at least 4 rounds, at least 6 players in their section, and at least 3 different school codes represented. Players in Kindergarten need to score 2/5 in a divison which includes K-2 players.

You can find more information at 2019 Elementary Chess State.


Parents, check out the Parents FAQ on the NW Wa. Elementary School Chess page

Black did not castle, and where does it get him?

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