Frequently Asked Questions

What do the sections mean?

• The four Open Championship sections are the official SD State Scholastic Championship Sections: The top finisher of three sections, Grades K-5, K-8, and K-12, will be invited to represent South Dakota at the corresponding tournament of national champions held concurrently with the annual US OPEN Championship! Denker Tournament of High School Champions, Barber Tournament of Middle School Champions, and the Rockefeller Tournament of Elementary Champions. Membership Requirements: players in the OPEN sections grades 4 and above MUST have a current USCF (United States Chess Federation) membership. UPDATE as of 2-8-24: SDCA (South Dakota Chess Association) membership is NOT required for any sections! (you are welcome to join to help support South Dakota chess though).
• The I Love Chess 2! section is designed for those who are beginner, novice, first time tournament players, or otherwise not feeling ready to compete in the championship sections. NO membership requirements to participate in the Reserve Section(s). Standard Awards (Trophies for individual and teams, medals) will be earned in this section also! NOTE that this is open for all grades PLUS adults! Subsections will be created based on entries and will include individual as well as team awards!

What will the prizes for this tournament be?

Awards to anyone scoring 3.0 or more out of 5. Abundance of awards for Overall Placement, Team, and first time tournament participants! Trophies will be awarded to top place finishers both individuals and teams, in both Championship and Reserve sections.

Will there be a team element to this tournament, or will students play individually?

All students will be ranked and paired individually. However, the four students from each school who score highest in the tournament will have their scores combined. The school with the highest combined score of those four students will earn a team award. (NOTE: minimum team size is 2 players from the same school, and there will be top team awards for each of the OPEN Championship sections and separately for the RESERVE section)

How many games of chess will the students get to play, and how long will the games be?

Each student will get to play 5 rounds (games). The time controls for the OPEN Championship games will be 40 minutes +3 second delay. This means that each player will have 40 minutes on their clock, and clocks will not start for 3 seconds each move. If the only available clock does not have the delay feature, using the +3 BONUS feature will be permitted (where 3 seconds are added to the time every time the timer button is pushed). Generally, each game would last not more than 1 hour and 20 minutes.

The time control for the RESERVE section will be 30 minutes per side plus the delay or bonus of +3 seconds (clocks NOT required but recommended). IF timers are added after the start of the match, the remaining time will be split between both players.

What if I lose a game? Am I out of the tournament?

This chess tournament is NOT an ELIMINATION event! Win or Lose (we like to say Win.Draw.Learn!) - you'll NOT be eliminated from the tournament, and you'll get to play all games (except for full point byes, see below.)

Remember - if you lose your games, next game you'll be facing others who also lost their previous game(s), so give your very best because you have every chance of winning the next game!

Can I leave before the tournament ends?

You can leave the tournament at any point if you should need to. This is called withdrawing from the tournament. Out of respect for others, please be sure to notify the tournament director BEFORE withdrawing so as to avoid situations where others are paired with an absent player.

What if there are an odd number of players?

Someone will get a full point for that round, aka a Free Win :) The chess pairing software will select who gets the full point based on very strict rules; it is typically the player on the bottom of the list. The list order is based on how many points you have AND what your chess rating is.

Are there any age limits for this tournament?

This tournament is open to any student in grades K-12, living in South Dakota, regardless of age.

Is there lunch?

You'll be responsible for your own lunch. NOTE that the Convention Center will have a number of options available! (MORE INFO TO COME LATER)

Will this tournament be rated?

YES, the results from the OPEN section of this tournament will be rated USCF, and all sections will be rated with the NWRS rating system.

Are there scholarships available?

YES, if you have financial difficulty in attending, please email the host about receiving a discounted entry fee. IF you wish to help others who may have difficulty affording the event, please feel free to contact the organizer! Interested in having you or your company listed as an official sponsor? Contact the organizer for sponsorship opportunities that will help more kids receive the benefits of chess!

How much do memberships cost?

NOTE: memberships are required ONLY for the open championship sections. Any student Grade 4 and above participating in the championship sections (k-5, k-8, and k-12) MUST have a current membership for USCF (United States Chess Federation). SDCA (South Dakota Chess Association) membership is NOT REQUIRED (updated 2-8-24).

To find current rates and options for USCF membership, click here. $20/youth, $55/family are just a couple of the options available. Please enter the SDCA affiliate ID (T5009405) when you register/renew.

For the SDCA membership, $10 per player or $20 family membership. NOT REQUIRED for the tournament as of 2-8-24. NOTE that supporting the SDCA helps support chess throughout South Dakota also! (You can add this on during registration.)

Have more questions not answered here?

For questions, please email Elliott Neff: elliott.neff@chess4life.com