Frequently Asked Questions

What will the prizes for this tournament be?

Trophies will be awards to top finishers both individuals and teams. Each of the 4 sections will have top 3 finishers receiving trophies and top 2 TEAMS

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

All students will be ranked individually. However, the four students from each school IN EACH SECTION 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)

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 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. Generally, each game would last not more than 1.5 hours.

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

This chess tournament is NOT an ELIMINATION game! Win or Lose - you'll NOT be eliminated from the tournament, and you'll 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.

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 always the player on the bottom of the list. The list order is based on how many points you have and what your 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.

Will students only play others in their same grade?

There are four sections: K-3, K-5, K-8, K-12. Students play only those in their respective sections. NOTE that this does mean a younger student MAY choose to play up in the K-12 section should they so desire (helpful for teams striving to have 4 players in one section)

Is there lunch?

You'll be responsible for your own lunch - either bring yours, consider utilizing local food providers, etc.

Will this tournament be rated?

YES, the results from this tournament will be rated USCF and possibly dual rated with the NWRS rating system.

Have more questions not answered here?

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

For all other questions, please email Terry Likens terryandjilllikens@gmail.com or Rapid City Scholastic rapidcityscholastic@gmail.com.