Borders Scholastic Tournaments are back for Winter 2003! The sponsor and format have changed, and
there is now a 60-player limit, so please read
carefully and register quickly. (A big thank you to Phil Sanstrum for
getting the Borders tradition started! We follow humbly in your footsteps,
Phil!)
WHEN: Sunday afternoons:
Feb.
2
Feb. 23
March 30
Date
TBD soon -- Invitation-only Trophy Cup Finals
WHERE: Borders Books,
TIME: Check-in
FORMAT: USCF-rated G/45 Quads (see below for details about Quads)
WHO: USCF members, grades K-12 (new USCF members without ratings
are welcome)
ENTRY FEE: $10.00
AWARDS: All players with 2 points or more earn a Borders Tournament
medallion and an invitation to the Trophy Cup Finals. Top player in each
quad also takes home a $10 Borders Gift Card (tie-breaks resolved by blitz).
BRING: Players must bring tournament-style boards and sets, and
clocks if you have them. A very limited number of each will be available. Bring
your own scorepads and pencils.
ENTRY LIMITS: Due to space considerations, only the
first 60 registered *and paid* players will be able to play. All must be
USCF members with dues up-to-date (join or renew online at www.uschess.org)
We will keep a waiting list for last-minute cancellations. Yes, this
is about 1/3 smaller than previous years. While our scholastic players
were well behaved in the past and Borders welcomed us back warmly, the
number was dictated by both Borders staff and the organizers' desire to
reduce overcrowding.
HOW TO ENTER: Reply to this e-mail: director@chessfamilies.org with player name(s),
approximate rating (we'll confirm exact ratings just before each tournament),
grade level, contact e-mail, and phone number. Payment options include online
via PayPal (preferred) or by snail mail to: ChessFamilies, Inc.
ENTRY DEADLINE: Enter ASAP to secure a spot. We must receive
payment no later than Jan. 21st, or the space will be released to the next
player on the waiting list. (Sorry to be such a stickler about this, but with
the quad format and limited space, we want to ensure that we have an
absolute minimum of no-shows on tournament day).
ABOUT QUADS: A quad section consists of 4 players, all as
close as possible to the same playing level, according to USCF
rating. Play is round-robin, so each player plays three games. Each player
gets up to 45 minutes to play, for a possible total game length of 90 minutes.
Games among lower-rated players tend to be much shorter. Most games will be
self-starting, which means that quads run at their own speed, without having to
wait for large sections to finish before starting the next game. Likewise,
awards will be presented as groups of quads finish.
QUAD ASSIGNMENTS: To account for recent USCF-tournament
performance, we will use the very latest ratings published on the USCF web site
(often shown as "unofficial" between bi-monthly supplements). We
will try very hard to avoid quads with siblings and, if possible, also separate
members from the same team. However, there are no guarantees; forming
well-balanced quads will take priority. Unrated players will be in quads with
other unrated players; WSRS ratings and/or age may also be factors as
we attempt to provide everyone with a quality experience. In any case, unrated
players will earn a rating as a result of play in this tournament.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES: Borders is asking us to enforce two rules: No
outside food, and no lawn chairs in the aisles. We will be working with them to
ensure there is sufficient seating for spectators (or a place set aside to set up
lawn chairs) and a wider variety of affordable food that appeals to kids
in the Cafe'. Also, the quad format will likely get the younger players home to
dinner sooner. Thanks for helping us be good guests.
Hope
to see your registration, soon!
Amy
Boyett