DATE : July 24-25, 2021

VENUE: This will be an online Chess Tournament. The game service provider is to be determined. 


ENTRY FEES & REGISTRATION



Entry Fee -  $30 per person

Registration will open in March of 2021.

Registration Deadline:  July 22nd at 11:59PM


REGISTRATION CATEGORIES 
 
Divisions: The tournament is organized into three (3) Divisions:  Novice, Amateur and Championship. A current membership in the US Chess Federation is required to participate in this tournament (www.uschess.org).

  • The Novice Section is for players who are relatively new to chess or to competitive chess.  It is for players whose US Chess rating is below 800 or for players who do not yet have a US Chess rating (e.g. an "unrated" player).
  • The Amateur Section is for players accustomed to competitive chess and have a US Chess rating of no more than 1700.  This section also is open to players who do not have a US Chess rating, but who feel they are strong enough to be competitive in this section.
  • The Open Section is intended for the most experienced players regardless of age.  You must have a US Chess rating of at least 1600 to play, preferably above 1700.
 

COMPETITION FORMAT:  This tournament will consist of 5 rounds of US Chess-rated play using the Swiss System.  This is not an elimination tournament, every player plays 5 games unless there is an odd number of players in a section. Click here to read more about a Swiss System chess tournament.  

RULES: 

  • The Time Control for all games is Game in 60 minutes with a 10-second time increment.  This means each player has as much as 60 minutes to complete all their moves, plus as additional 10 seconds per move for each player.
 
  • Bye Requests: Each player has the option to request one "half-point bye" during the tournament.  A "half-point bye" means a player has elected not to play a game for a certain round.  For example, a player may opt out of Round 3 on Saturday or Round 4 on Sunday morning due to their desire to attend religious services or another personal activity.  Players can declare their intention to take a half-point bye during the registration process, or by informing the Chief TD at least 30 minutes before the start of Round 2 of the tournament on Saturday, July 24th.  Half-point byes for Rounds 2-5 must be declared 30 minutes before the start of Round 2 on Saturday.  Bye requests after this point are considered "zero-point byes".  Byes do not impact a player's US Chess rating.  A player who requests a "zero point bye" for Round 5 is considered the same as the player withdrawing from the event and declaring themselves ineligible for any prizes.
 
  • Sectioning: For Section purposes, the Chief Tournament Director will place players in sections using the higher of their over-the-board Regular US Chess Rating and their On-line Regular US Chess Rating.  The Chief TD will make section decisions at the time each player enters the tournament.  If you are unsure of your current US Chess rating, go to www.uschess.org.
 

EVENT SCHEDULE:
Saturday, July 24 - Rounds at 10AM, 1PM and 5PM

Sunday, July 25 - Rounds at 10AM and 2PM


REFEREE
Mike Hoffpauir, US Chess Federation National Tournament Director
Email: mhoffpauir@aol.com


MERCHANDISE
2021 VA Commonwealth Games merchandise will be available for purchase during events at various locations and online

AWARDS
The Chief TD will post Preliminary Standings on the event website 1-2 hours after the tournament.  However all Preliminary Results are subject to post-event Fair Play Analysis.

Awards for the event include 2021 VA Commonwealth Games bronze, silver and gold medals for 1st-3rd places in each category/division as well as 4th-6th place ribbons.  The Virginia Chess Federation also will provide plaques to winners and other awards TBD.
 

FOR QUESTIONS 

Online Registration & Sport Specific Questions: Contact Sport Director Mike Hoffpauir at mhoffpauir@aol.com or 757-846-4805 .  Also see www.vachess.org

General Questions: Contact the Virginia Amateur Sports office at 540-343-0987 or registration@commonwealthgames.org

 

All dates, times, locations and formats are tentative at this time. Virginia Amateur Sports reserves the right to make changes to the sport information noted on this page. Some dates, locations and times may change due to registration numbers. Participants are encouraged to check sport info often for any changes.


 

Want to volunteer for the 2021 Games? 
Fill out the Volunteer Application online:

Volunteer Form