LOGO

This is a special event this year.  The original founder of this tournament, Dr. Alan Kirshner, will turn 80 years old!  Please come out and celebrate his birthday!

Come and compete with hundreds of other scholastic players in what, once again, promises to be one of the largest and most popular tournaments on the West Coast.  This competition remains unique in the State. No other major chess event in California has competition according to age alone. The tradition in the United States is for scholastic youth tournaments where the players compete by school grades. Most of the rest of the world uses age as the criteria for competition.

WHEN: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2018
WHERE:  
NEWARK PAVILION
6430 Thornton Avenue,
Newark, CA 94560
DIRECTIONS: FROM 880 NORTH- Get off at the Thornton Exit, go west (left) for 1.1 miles, turn left onto Cherry, and Newark Pavilion is on the left.
FROM 880 SOUTH- Get off at the Thornton Exit, go west (right) for 1.2 miles. Turn left on to Cherry and Newark Pavilion is on the left
 

GOOGLE MAP LOCATION

STANDINGS     TEAM STANDINGS    CLUB STANDINGS    

SECTIONS: 4-5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

There are also two Special Open groups where players 13 years old or younger who wants longer time controls and/or desires competition against higher rated players than those in their own age group can join--one for ages 4-9 and the other for ages 10-13. Players whose ages are 4-9 should have a minimum peak USCF rating of 1000, and players whose ages are between 10-13 should have a minimum peak USCF rating of 1300.  Note that this is a 2-Day tournament, with the locations different on Saturday (NorCal House of Chess in Fremont) and Sunday (Newark Pavilion). If interested, please go to http://www.calnorthyouthchess.org/AgeLevel2018/AgeLevelInvitational.html.

AGE DETERMINATION: As of February 1. For example, if you turn 9 on February 1 you must compete as a 9 year old.

REGISTRATION:

Click Here To Register

$45 standard entry. The entry is FREE if born on February 1.

Credit Card registrations must be done online by Friday 11:59pm, February 2. Late entries are subject to an additional $25 fee. You must submit late online registration forms no later than 2 PM on Saturday, February 3. We will not process any applications sent after 2 PM on Saturday, February 3. Late registrations will be accepted on Sunday morning before 9:15am. Besides the $25 late fee, players will likely not be allowed to play the first round and will receive a zero point bye. One 1/2 point bye (missing a round for some reason) will be permitted for any round. If you must take more than one bye (miss another round), that bye will be recorded as 0 points. (Byes do not count in the USCF ratings). All 1/2 point byes must be requested by noon (12PM) on Saturday, February 3. After the tournament begins, half-point byes cannot be changed unless an error was made on our part.  All registrants will be posted after January 15 here.

Team entries must be submitted online by February 2.  This year, teams can either be by club or by school.  The default if not specified is school.  If you do not receive a formal confirmation of your entry, please check the posted entries after January 15 here. No refunds after Saturday, January 28.  However, if staff is notified before the tournament starts of an emergency where you cannot attend, an 80% credit of what you paid will be provided for a future Success Chess School/Weibel Chess tournament.

Registration will likely be closed if we reach 600 entries. This will include on site entries.

Financial aid is available. Contact Carl Moy at CalNorthYouthChess@gmail.com

ROUNDS:

AGES 4-5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (game in 30, no delay) will be at 9:30 AM, LUNCH BREAK\BIRTHDAY PARTY AT 11:00AM, 11:30AM, 1 PM, 2:15 PM & 3:30 PM, awards to follow. AGES 10, 11, 12, 13 (game in 60, 5 second delay) will be at 9:30 AM, 12:00 NOON, 2:15 PM, 4:30 PM, awards to follow.

We suggest you show to the site by 9 AM to locate where you will play. Clocks will be started at 9:30 AM and the game will be forfeited in 30 minutes.  If both players arrive late then the time remaining will be split.  If the round starts late, forfeit time will occur 30 minutes after the round starts.

AWARDS:

 

Ten place trophies in each age level section plus trophies for all those who tie at tenth place. Eight place trophies for the 12 and 13 age groups.  Three extra trophies will be awarded  after the 10 section place trophies for the top unrated players in each division.   Individuals can only receive one trophy.  First, Second and Third Place team trophies for academic school teams and First Place for club teams in individual age groups (except in 4-5 and the Invitational groups).  Special Age Level logo chess medals for all competitors that do not receive a trophy. The photos here are of the awards that we gave in 2013.

If there is a tie for first place in any of the 10, 11, 12, 13 age groups we will have a blitz playoff (5 minute chess) for the first place trophy for that age.  All those tying for first place will be declared CalNorth Age Level Champions and a new plate will be sent to be placed on the trophy they received.  

 

TEAM:

Academic School or Club Teams in the age groups may have as many members as they want. However, only the scores of the three players who get the most points in the age group will count for the Team award.  A team must have a minimum of two players.  A player can belong to one academic school team and one club team at the same time.

NOTES:

All players must be members of the U.S. Chess Federation. CalChess membership is not required for this event.  The entry form will have a place to join the U.S. Chess Federation for non-members. The tournament will adhere to all U.S. Chess Federation rules except as modified by those printed here or by the CalChess Scholastics: http://www.calnorthyouthchess.org/CalChessStates/Regulations.html  Rule 2.20 that applies to CalChess State Scholastics will not apply.  The U.S. Federation's rule effective as of January 1, 2012 that states that "digital time delay clocks will take preference with five second time delay and no time removed from the tournament time controls" will be used.  Clocks will be available for most players and must be used.  Any child not knowing how to use a chess clock will be instructed on the simple procedure before his/her game begins.  A new player often forgets to use the clock.  If a tournament director (TD) sees a new player forgetting to use the clock, they will be instructed to remind them.  While this is not in the rule book, we believe it is fair to all first time clock users. After the first reminder, our TD's will not interfere with the clock rule with one exception--if the game will run over the allotted time then a TD can adjust the clock to reflect the end time of the round. The TD will also remind the players to use the clock.

Players in age groups 4 through 9 have the option to notate/record their games. We always recommend that if a player can notate his/her game, they should.  Disputes often cannot be resolved without a notation sheet.  Players in the 10 through 13 age groups are required to notate their games. The U.S. Chess Federation's Scholastic Committee recommends that in youth events, the requirement to write the move on the notation sheet after making the move not be used.  We will follow this guideline.  However, if using an electronic recording device, the move must be entered only after moving the piece.  The U.S. Chess Federation recognizes the right of players to use digital notation recording devices to record their games instead of writing them on the score sheets provided.  Only those devices approved by the USCF can be used. These devices must be checked by our Chief T.D. before use to be sure they are locked and no other software is available in the program. We may also broadcast certain games outside the tournament hall.  During play, if a player gets up from the table for any reason and is using a recording device it must be left on the table where they are playing. Cell phones and other electronic devices must be left with parents, coaches or at the TD table. A player can be provided one warning if a non-approved electronic devices is found in his/her possession. A second offense will cause the player to be removed from the competition.

If a section should be so large that mathematically a fair number of players would tie for first place, the chief tournament director and/or the organizer can decide to use accelerated pairings in the first two rounds. We will try to avoid accelerated pairings wherever possible.  This system should not be necessary in the 10 through 13 year old age groups as there is a blitz playoff for the first place trophy.  See U.S. Chess Federation Rules of Chess 28R (p130) on accelerated pairings. Simply, instead of the top half rated individuals playing the bottom half the top half rating group is split in half for pairing and so is the bottom half.  After round two the normal Swiss system pairings are used--winners play winners and losers play losers based upon score groups of everyone in the section.

  FURTHER INFORMATION: 

FAQs  -- What to do after you are registered

Volunteers needed: http://www.calnorthyouthchess.org/AgeLevel2018/Volunteers.html

DIRECTORS IN CHARGE:

Chief Tournament Director: John McCumiskey, National TD, FIDE Arbitrator

Assistant Chief TD's: Kevin Moy, Local TD, Alan M. Kirshner Ph.D.,Local TD, Robert Blatt, Local TD

TOURNAMENT ORGANIZER:

Carl Moy, CalNorthYouthChess@gmail.com

ONLINE REGISTRATION:

Click Here To Register

SPONSORS:

PHOTOS FROM:

2008 Age Level Championships
2009 Age Level Championships
2010 Age Level Championships
2011 Age Level Championships
2012 Age Level Championships
2013 Age Level Championships
2014 Age Level Championships 2015 Age Level Championships 2016 Age Level Championships 2017 Age Level Championships  

 

 

Go to the http://www.CalNorthYouthChess.org for links to other photographs and tournament results.  From this index page you will also find a link to other tournaments.