Registration is Closed
17th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Tournament – USCF Rated
January 15 @ Whitefield Academy
*registration cap = 500*
Advanced Entries as of Friday Jan 12th 6:00PM (alpha by name)
Advanced Entries alpha by school
Advanced entries by section
*Change request deadline Sunday 1/14 @ 6 PM - no changes but withdrawals after that. Withdrawals before 7am Monday receive full refund*
We strongly encourage everyone, especially first-timers, to read the MLK FAQ
Who: Open to all Scholastic Players in grades K-12th with a USCF membership.
Format: 5 rounds, Individual/Team Swiss System.
25 minutes per player with a 5 sec delay for all sections (G/25;d5)
Sections by grade: K-1, K-3, K-3 U400/Unrated, K-5, K-5 U600/Unrated, 6-8, 9-12, 6-12 U1000/Unrated. (Sections may be combined if needed).
Entry Fee: $30
Registration: On-line until midnight Tuesday, January 9th, 2018 or when we reach the cap (whichever comes first). There is no onsite registration for this event.
Rounds: 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, 2:30pm, 4pm for all sections but K-1. Kids seated at their boards by 9:40 with announcements beginning promptly at 9:45.
Rounds for K-1: 10:30, 11:45, 1:15, rounds 4 and 5 will be paired asap. Kids at their boards by 10:15 with announcements beginning promptly at 10:20.
Byes: You may take up to 2 byes. Byes taken during rounds 1-4 are ½ point byes. A bye taken in the 5th round is a zero point bye. You may not take 2 byes in rounds 1-4 and one bye in round 5 – that is 3 byes even though the last round is zero pts. No bye or section changes after 6:00 PM Sunday 1/14.
Prizes: Individual – Trophies to Top 5 each section, trophies to all plus score (3 or more points). Ribbons to all participants except K-1 who will receive participation prizes. Team – Trophies to top scoring teams in each section (number of team trophies awarded will depend on section size). A team is 2 or more players in the same section from the same school – Top 4 scores are counted. Stipends (Individual only): $100 stipend to 1st place winner on tie-breaks in each section to attend Nationals in 2018 (must attend and notify the GCA treasurer by June 1, 2018 to receive it). If sections are combined then the stipend is for the winner of the combined section only.
Special Activities: There will be charitable activities between rounds to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Note: It is the parent's responsibility to arrive early enough to verify that the information is correct or to have errors fixed before Round 1 begins. We will post registration updates on the website but the FINAL registration list will be posted at the tournament. Accelerated pairings may be used at the TD’s discretion.
USCF membership required. Sets and boards supplied. Bring your chess clock (if you have one, not required). If one player brings a clock and requests its use both players must use the clock.
Photos: We will be taking photos of the chess players for possible publication on our website. Please email us if you do not want your child's photo used.
Note: Cancellations must be received by 7:00am Monday morning in order to receive a refund.
Questions: mlk@georgiachess.org
Tournament Coordinators: Katie Hartley & Susan Justice, Tournament Coordinators