Tournament Website: http://northwestchess.info/custer.html
Chess Playday: Chess tournament designed for both beginners and experienced players. Swiss pairings will bring players of similar skill levels together.
State Qualifier Chess Tournament: ChessFest is both a Playday and a State Qualifier tournament. Students in 1st - 5th grades who score three wins (or more) qualify to play in the State Elementary Championship divisions on April 26, 2025 at the Tacoma Convention Center.
Parking: There is the main parking lot directly in front of the school, a smaller lot to the north of the main building, gravel along the northside of the school, as well as street parking on Custer School Road and Arnie Rd. Allow time for parking.
Who Can Play: All Kindergarten through 8th grade students, from Canada to California.
Four playing sections: K-2nd grades, 3rd-4th grades, 5th grade, and 6th-8th.
Format: Five rounds, no elimination, so all players play all five rounds. Swiss pairings are used, so players of similar score face off each round. One point is awarded for a win, zero for a loss, a half point for a draw.
Schedule:
Check-in: 8:45 to 9:15am. Be prompt - late arrivals might not be paired for Round 1, receiving a half point bye (tied score) instead.
Parent and players meeting: 9:20am
Rounds will start as soon as possible. Estimated schedule:
Round 1: 9:50
Round 2: 10:55
Round 3: 12:00
Round 4: 1:05
Round 5: 2:10
Awards ceremony 3:20pm or asap
Tournament Rules: NWSRS scholastic tournament rules are in effect. Those are clarified in the FAQ below, but the main ones are:
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If you touch a piece, you must move it. (Accidental bumps don't count.)
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Clocks will be used in the middle school section, and in later rounds, on top boards in the 3rd-5th grade section. 25 minutes per player, plus a five second time delay, so games will not last over an hour.
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In the middle school section, both players must record the moves, until one player has 5 minutes or less on the clock. Then both players may cease recording if desired.
Awards: Trophies to top three in each division. Medals to all (non-trophied) players who score 3.0 points or more.
Team awards: Podium recognition to top elementary teams and top three middle school teams. Team scoring adds up the best five results from a school for K-5th grades, and top four results for 6th-8th grades.
Concessions will be available on site. Lunch pizza orders taken at check-in. Cash, check, Venmo all accepted. All event proceeds benefit Custer PTO.
