The KING's Tournament 2011

The KING's Tournament

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Wade King Elementary School, Bellingham

A chess tournament and playday for chessplayers of all abilities, from beginner to experienced tournament competitor, from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Don't know how to play? That's okay. Learn how to play chess and come join us!
Four playing sections: Kindergarten-1st grades, 2nd-3rd grades, 4th-5th grades, 6th-8th grades.
State Qualifier Tournament! Kindergarten-6th grade players with winning scores (3/5) qualify to participate in the Wa. State Elem. Chess Championships, being held this year in Vancouver on April 20, 2013.
Location: Wade King Elementary School, 2155 Yew Street Rd, Bellingham. (Directions below). The school has a covered play area and a playground. Tournament capacity: 150 players.
Format: Five round Swiss (no elimination). Game/30 (maximum one hour for each game.) Tournament rated by the Northwest Scholastic Rating System. Pairings by computer.
Schedule: Check-in 8:15 - 8:45am. Late check-ins receive a half-point bye for Round 1. Opening ceremonies at 9:00am. Start times for each round: 9:15 (or a.s.a.p.), 10:30, 11:45, 1:00, 2:15. Awards ceremony 3:30pm or ASAP.
Awards: Trophies to the top 8 in all sections. Every player in K-1 section will get a medal. Medals will be given to all players 2nd-8th who score 3.0 or higher (unless a trophy is given). Ties broken by computer as per WHSCA rules.
Team Awards: Trophies to top five elementary schools, determined by adding the points of the top five scorers from a single K-5 or K-6 school.
Bring: Concessions available on site. Pizza will be ordered that morning. Feel free to bring your own chairs (and tables) for the skittles area, as quantities may be limited.
TO ENTER: Players must pre-register to play. No on-site entries. Please enter by Thursday, January 3. Entry fee $15. Enter online at Chess4Life King's Tourney Registration.
All players must also check-in the morning of the tourney between 8:15 and 8:45. Late check-ins will receive a half-point bye for Round 1.
Further information: Email Doug Malquist at malquist@q.com.

Download the One Page Tournament Flyer

The KING's Tournament FAQ

I don't know how to play chess. Should I come?
Sure! Before tournament day, you can have a friend show you how to play, or you can learn the rules of chess online here (one page printout) or here (KidsChess Academy) or here (flash videos) . 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?
Sure! Come play 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 playing.
I've never played in a tournament. I'm nervous! What do I do?
Have fun and enjoy the competition! You might have your parents read Tournaments - How They Work.
How do I get to Wade King Elementary?
From I-5 take the Lakeway Drive, Exit 253. Turn left (East) on to Lakeway Drive, follow to Yew Street. Turn right, school will be just over the crest of the hill on the right, 2155 Yew Street Rd. Here's a map.
How many games will I play?
All players will play five rounds, win or lose. With Swiss pairings, there's no elimination, and you'll always play someone with the same score as yourself (with a few exceptions). So for example, if in the first three rounds you have one win and two losses, you'll play someone else with one win and two losses in the 4th round.
I can't play in all five rounds. Can I still play?
Yes, you can still play! If you'll be arriving late, or must leave early, or have a soccer game in the middle, just check the schedule (above) and indicate on your entry which rounds you will be missing.
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".
Do I have to write down the moves?
Scorekeeping is required for the 6th-8th grade section, and recommended (but not required) for the other sections. 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.
Will we use chess clocks? How do they work?
We'll use clocks in the 6th-8th grade section on all boards, and perhaps the top boards in the 4th-5th grade section. And if a game looks like it may go long, we may place a clock on your game after about 40 minutes. 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 middle school player will get 30 minutes, thus ensuring that no game goes over an hour. If a player uses up all of their clock time, it's a loss just like checkmate. So bring a chess clock if you have one, but if you don't, that's okay.

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. Each year over 1000 players compete at Elementary State, even though kids can't attend unless they 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.

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