March 15-16 2008

Downloadable Registration Form (PDF, Adobe reader software required)

Entries received to date

2008 WISCONSIN SCHOLASTIC CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 15-16

SCHEDULE: The Wisconsin Scholastic Chess Championship is a six-section event open to any Wisconsin high school, middle school, junior high school or elementary school team or individual. Players of all abilities are encouraged to participate. Please note that USCF memebership is not required for this event nor is it USCF rated. USCF ratings will be used for pairing purposes if the player has one.

The Varsity Division I, Division II and Division III sections are five-player boarded team, team Swiss tournaments based on match points. Schools may enter teams in multiple Varsity divisions. The divisions are based on team strength and not school size. The varsity teams will be split into three approximately equal sized sections based on the team’s USCF rating (average of your five player’s USCF ratings). Teams desiring to play in Division I for the state championship will be allowed to move up and the sections will be rebalanced. Then teams desiring to play in Division II will be allowed to move up and the sections will again be rebalanced. Please circle your option on the form.

The Junior Varsity Section is an individual Swiss tournament open to students in grades K-12. If a high school team has three or more players, they must be represented in a Varsity section before being eligible for the Junior Varsity section. Team (top four scores) and individual prizes are available.

The K-8 and K-5 sections are individual Swiss tournaments with participation limited to any student in grade K-8 or K-5 respectively. Team (top four scores) and individual prizes are available.

The Varsity sections will play five rounds. The Junior Varsity, K-8 and K-5 sections will play six rounds.

Time control is Game in 90 minutes except for rounds 1-4 in the Junior Varsity, K-8 and K-5 sections which is Game in 60 minutes. Clocks will be available for checkout. Please have your players bring a student ID, USCF membership card, driver's license or other form of ID to check out these clocks.

USCF TEAM RULES: All varsity divisions will be seeded based on USCF ratings. Please refer to section 31 of the USCF’s Official Rules of Chess for a full explanation of team rules. In particular, players must play in rating order (Rule 31B). Unrateds may play on any board (Rule 31B2). Players within 50 rating points of each other may permanently switch positions prior to the tournament. Teams will be seeded based on a team rating derived from the rating average of the five players. Rule 31C1 will be used to calculate team ratings when unrateds are involved. The March rating supplement will be used. March ratings should be available from the USChess website in early to mid-February.

ELIGIBILITY: All Varsity teams must be composed of entirely 9th through 12th graders or 8th graders and below. All players must be from the same school unless that school does not have students covering all the grades in any bracket. If a high school does not have a 9th grade, then they may tap 9th graders from eligible feeder schools. Students in grades K-8 may play as a team in a Varsity section if from the same school or in either the individual Junior Varsity, K-8 or K-5 sections. Only Wisconsin students are eligible.

PLAYING SITE: The playing site is the Gruenhagen Conference Center, UW-Oshkosh, corner of High and Osceola St., Oshkosh, WI 54901. The Varsity divisions will play in the University Room and Badger State Room on the lower level of the Conference Center while the Junior Varsity will play in the River Center across the parking lot from the front desk and the K-8 and K-5 sections will play in the Titan Lounge on the main level of the Conference Center. The skittles room will be the Terrace Room on the Conference Center's main level. Please bring your own sets and boards for the skittles room. The Breakoff Room will be the Varsity TD room. The Library Room will be the JV, K-8 and K-5 TD room. Please note that UW-Oshkosh will be in session during this event. Parking will be at a premium but they have a new parking ramp across the street from Gruenhagen. Cars should use this ramp. Levels 1 and 2 only. Level 3 is reserved for resident students. Other lots include Lot 6, 10 (no vans) and 30.

PRIZES: In each varsity division trophies will be awarded to the top six teams, first place team members and their coach and each board champion (including all ties!). In each of the Junior Varsity, K-8 and K-5 sections, the top ten individuals and the top six teams will be awarded trophies. The state championship traveling trophy will be presented to the Varsity Division I team champion. Any non-trophy winning Varsity individual who scores at least 3 points or any non-trophy winning Junior Varsity, K-8 or K-5 individual who scores at least 3.5 points will be awarded a medal. All entrants in the K-5 section will receive participation certificates.

ENTRY FEE: The early bird entry fee is $11 per player if received by the director before March 8. Entries received March 9 - Noon, March 14 are $15. If you’re not sure of your exact order of players, please send me a tentative list and then finalize it with an evening phone call or e-mail before the tournament or during an at-site registration session. The at-site registration fee is $20 per player. At site registration session I will be held 9 P.M. Friday night in the Terrace Room after a brief coach's meeting. At site registration session II is from 7:30-8:30 A.M. Saturday, March 15 in the Breakoff Room downstairs. If possible, PLEASE register in advance by using the enclosed form and then check in with the Tournament Director upon arrival at the Conference Center. Phone inquiries can be made any evening before Friday, March 14 to Mike Nietman at (608) 467-8510 or via e-mail at mike.nietman@charter.net. Players who pre-register but then cannot play will have their entry fee refunded only if the director is notified before the end of at-site registration. We will have up-to-date entries viewable on the WCA website. Sorry, I am not able to accept credit cards or purchase orders. Cash or check only.

EQUIPMENT: Please bring boards and sets for your Varsity . The Wisconsin Chess Association will provide boards and sets for the JV, K-8 and K-5 sections. Please bring clocks for all main and side events. No skittles sets will be available for use.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Dorm rooms are available at the Conference Center. Full service rooms are available for $35 single or double. Full Service includes beds made, towel set, soap, and drinking cup. Student service rooms are available for $25 single or double. Student service includes bed linens only. To reserve your rooms, please call Gruenhagen directly at (920) 424-1106. Mention chess and specify the type of service you desire. NOTE: There is a 5 P.M. Friday, March 7 cutoff for lodging room reservations. Making this deadline will better assure you of having your team stay together or even to get a room! Gruenhagen asks that one person per team pay for the rooms and pick up the keys. Please note that Gruenhagen charges $25 for lost keys. Reserve rooms early -- space may be limited. A 24-hour cancellation policy exists. You will be charged one night’s lodging for rooms booked but not taken upon check in.

FOOD: Gruenhagen and UW-O Food Service will be setting up an ala carte food service in the lobby of Gruenhagen for breakfasts and lunches both Saturday and Sunday. Times will be 8 - 9:30 A.M. and 11 A.M. – 2 P.M. Saturday and 7:30 – 9 A.M. and 11 A.M. – 1 P.M. Sunday.

CHAPERONES: All teams staying in the dorms are required to have a chaperone staying in the dorms. Gruenhagen policy states:

“Conference groups utilizing Gruenhagen Conference Center and composed of minors must be supervised by adults who are responsible for the behavior and activities of the participants. Chaperones will be responsible for upholding the standards of behavior and policies as determined by the University. Within Gruenhagen Conference Center this includes compliance of the policies regarding window screen removal, excessive littering, disturbing noise, abuse to elevators, use of alcohol and drugs and damage of University property.

“In order to maintain supervision, it is mandatory that groups and camps have a chaperone available whenever participants are in the Conference Center together during free time.

“Gruenhagen Conference Center staff personnel will be available at any time to discuss troublesome situations, or to assist in dealing with specific problems. Chaperones are urged to consult with the GCC staff if questions or concerns arise.

“Consideration of others is expected at all times, with courtesy hours observed 24 hours a day.”

Please note that that among other violations, Gruenhagen charges for furniture that has been moved between rooms and for tampering with the smoke detector. Serious offenses will disallow a student from staying at the conference center in the future.

CHECK IN/OUT POLICY: All coaches or their adult designee are responsible for checking out each and every lodging room assigned to their team upon check in and check out. A check in form will be provided to each team for each room and should be returned to the desk as soon as possible. Any damages discovered by Gruenhagen in your rooms will be billed to your school.

WISCONSIN SCHOLASTIC CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

The Varsity Division I, Division II and Division III team winners will be determined by match points. One match point for a win, 1/2 point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. A match is won by the team scoring the most game points.

Game points will be given to the board positions as follows:

Teams tied in match points will have their ties broken using the following order of tiebreak systems:

1. Team Solkoff
2. Team Opponent’s Cumulative
3. Team Cumulative
4. Team Modified Median

RULES

1. USCF rules will be followed as closely as possible.
2. Varsity teams are to be in USCF rated order. In lieu of ratings, players are to be ranked from the best player on 1st board to the lowest ranked player on 5th board. Any violation of this rule will result in the forfeit of that board and all succeeding boards.
3. At the beginning of each round a team with less than five players must play the boards starting at board number 1.
4. Touch move and all standard chess rules apply.
5. Clocks must be used when available with a time control of Game/90 or Game/60 as outlined on the flyer.
6. If no clock is used a time limit of 3 hours (2 hours, if applicable for Junior Varsity/K-8/K-5) will be enforced.
7. As clocks become available during a match, they will be put on games that are moving too slowly.
8. Teams must register as teams. No individual registrations.
9. The coach will present all disputes to the Director for arbitration.
10. The top rated board will act as coach for the team in absence of the regular coach.
11. Any player or school may withdraw at any time upon notification to the Director. If a player forfeits a board; that player is dropped for the tournament and subsequent boards will also be declared forfeited. If a TEAM forfeits their game, the entire team will be dropped from the tournament. If the forfeited high school wishes to be invited to future State Tournaments the school must send a letter of apology to the school they were scheduled to play. This will be a coach's decision.
12. No skittles play in the tournament rooms.
13. No kibitzing! Basically, this means you can not talk about a game in progress within earshot of the players playing that game. It is legal for the coach/captain to ask their own player to offer or accept a draw for "the benefit of the team" and not because the position on the board is drawish.
14. JUNIOR VARSITY/K-8/K-5 Any number of players may enter the tournament. The team trophies will be determined by the top four players representing that school. If a team with less than four players achieves the highest score, that team will be declared the winner. Trophies will be given to each of the top six teams and top ten players.
15. Junior Varsity/K-8/K-5 players may enter individually or as a group.
16. If a Junior Varsity member substitutes as a Varsity Player after the 1st round, any wins on Varsity are added to the wins on Junior Varsity; unless that player would be eligible for a Varsity board trophy.
17. New USCF rule 15A requiring a player to make a move on the board before writing it down is waived unless the player is using an electronic scorekeeping device. Players in grades K-3 are encouraged to keep notation but are not required to keep notation.

We will discuss and ratify all rules and changes at the coach's meeting scheduled for a to-be-determined room after the 2nd varsity round starts.

ADDED EXTRAS: Three time Wisconsin State Champion Bryan Lilly will give a 24 board Saturday night simul! The participation fee of $2 will be collected as the simul begins. (Do not include with entry fee.) More information will be given out during the day. Prizes will be awarded for winning or drawing games with him. Participation is reserved to the first 24 players in the State Scholastic and then to coaches and parents only if futher seats area available up to 24 seats.

Waupaca High School will sponsor the State Scholastic Bughouse Tournament Saturday night in the varsity playing room. For more information: http://wsd.waupaca.k12.wi.us/whs/organizations/chessclub/state_bughouse.html.

New event: The WI Chess Academy will sponsor and run the WI Scholastic Speed Chess (Blitz) Championship Saturday night in the Titan Lounge. Entry fee is $5 per player and collected by NM Alex Betaneli and his associates all day Saturday. Late registration is 7:15-7:45 P.M. Players play all rounds (minimum 8 games). Nice trophies as prizes. 5 minute games. Clock move. Questions to Alex at abetaneli@hotmail.com.

Chess book and equipment vendors Tim Tobiason and Luke Ludwig will have tables set up in the Terrace Room to sell chess books, chess CD’s and chess equipment.

For information on other state tournaments please check out the Wisconsin Chess Association (WCA) web site.