February 27 & 28, 2024, from 9:45 am until about 1:30 pm, at the Ciociaro Club, 3745 Talbot Road North, Oldcastle.

The Chess Challenge is a big chess tournament for kids. It’s so big that we have to hold it on two days, half the schools one day, half the next. Playoffs will be held on a Saturday, after March Break. This tournament is for Grades 1 thru 8.

The process is (from your point of view)

1. Register your school’s team right away when registration opens on January 1, 2024, even if you don’t know who will be playing for your school.
2. You decide who is going to play. Enter their names by editing your original form online by February 16, 2024. Do not create another registration.
3. You collect the entry fees from the players (or your school may pay the fee), and send us a cheque or pay by eTransfer to kathleen@chesschallenge.info
4. You can make changes to your list until February 23, 2024. No changes are permitted after this date as players will have been assigned to sections by school and grade.
5. After you get section details (see #6 below), you pass along that info to the kids.

We understand that you collect the money from the players, and then write a cheque to us. What we ask is that you mail the cheque before the event, and then you can honestly reply “the cheque is in the mail” if we starting nagging you.

From our point of view:

1. We divide the players into groups, depending on what grade they are in and what day they play. Most years, there are 85 groups (called “sections” in chess parlance).
2. We fit all the sections into the available space, and rent tables (about 100, usually).
3. We produce room and section layouts, and assign volunteers to look after everything.
4. After February 23, 2024, we make adjustments as necessary to sections.
5. We produce nametags and score cards for all the players.
6. We produce a player list for each school, showing where each kid will be playing.

On the day of competition, we all cross our fingers and pray for NO SNOW. (Snowday plan, just in case). You show up with your kids, a good time is had by all.

If you want your child to play in the Chess Challenge, and there is no club at school, you can register him or her yourself. Go to the online registration, and act as if you are a teacher. Read the instructions for teachers, below.

1. The tournament consists of eight games. At the end of the playing session, the scorekeeper will award a half-point to each player for any unplayed games in order to determine the section winners. So if a student had played only seven games by the end of the day, winning four, losing three, his/her score would be 4½ (four wins plus one unplayed).
2. Students will remain inside the building unless accompanied by an adult.
3. Students are expected to behave according to their school’s code of behaviour.
4. The touch move, touch piece, rule will apply. If you touch a chess piece you are required to move it unless it is illegal to do so. If a player touches an opponent’s piece they must capture it, unless it is illegal for them to do so. Once a player releases a piece, his/her move is complete.
5. Students are not required to say “check” when attacking their opponent’s King, but it is the usual thing to do. The defender is required to see the attack on the King and get out of check by any legal option. If a defender does not see the attack on his King and makes another move, the attacker may NOT capture the King. The defender must make a different move, if possible, with the piece already touched.
6. Due to time constraints the Tournament Director may require students to use a clock to finish slow progressing games. A player who has a slow opponent may ask the scorer for a clock.
7. Each pair of players is required to together report their result to the designated scoring table in their area. After reporting their result the pair will wait for the next pair to report. Where possible students winning their games will be paired together for their next game.
8. Students may play an opponent only once in the tournament, and probably will not play someone from their own school.
9. The Tournament Directors will have the final say in any disputes.
10. Students are not allowed to comment on other students’ games while they are in progress.
11. Unless they are volunteering, parents and teachers must stay out of the playing area. Student’s games will be forfeited if parents or teachers assist students in any way.
12. Absolutely no personal electronic devices may be used at the tournament tables during active play. Students who are deemed to be cheating at play may be disqualified from the tournament.
13. Medals will be awarded after the playing session has ended.

The Windsor Chess Challenge Playoffs are a continuation of the Windsor Chess Challenge event in February. Schools enter teams to compete with others in the elementary school system. Each year, we award medals to students who finish highest in their section, and a trophy and bragging rights to the school whose top ten players’ total score is the highest.

The Playoffs are a student-to-student tournament. The top players advance to the Playoffs, and this event is much more competitive, giving students an opportunity to experience a real tournament with clocks, time controls, and trophies. It is our hope that this will encourage them to continue to play in more tournaments.