DO NOT RE-REGISTER for this tournament. If you already registered for 2/15, then your registration will transfer to 2/22.
Register for this tournament now ONLY if you did not register for the tournament originally scheduled for 2/15. That is, register now ONLY if you are a NEW registrant who is not already registered.
Recent History of the Tournament and/or Site
This tournament is supported generously by the McDuffies & the Baltimore Kids Chess League.
MCA’s 18 annual scholastic tournaments are sponsored by Silver Knights Chess, which runs before-school and after-school chess programs. Contact Joe Summers at joe@silverknightschess.com or 443-832-3336 for more information.
All K-12 players are welcome.
94 Trophies: 67 Individual & 27 Team
Players in the Varsity section can earn Maryland-Sweet-16 Varsity Points to qualify for the MD Sweet 16, an annual invitational tournament at University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The MD-Sweet-16 Champion will receive a 4-year MD-Sweet-16 UMBC Chess Scholarship valued at $39,056. The top 16 players who compete in at least 1 of MCA’s 9 MD-Sweet-16 qualifying tournaments from September - February, will qualify for the MD Sweet 16 on March 1-2. (There are 2 additional types of UMBC Chess Scholarships.)
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute & Western High School
1400 W. Cold Spring Lane
Baltimore, MD 21209
5 SECTIONS
- Round 1 for all sections: 9:30 AM. Subsequent rounds: as soon as possible.
- The sections below are listed:
- primarily in descending order of rating strength;
- secondarily in descending order of grade range.
- Players rated 1400 - 1449 may play either in Varsity or in Junior Varsity.
- High-School & Middle-School players rated 750 - 799 may play either in Junior Varsity or in HS & MS Intermediate.
- Elementary-School players rated 750 - 799 may play either in Junior Varsity or in ES Intermediate.
- Elementary-School players rated 100 - 399 or unrated may play either in ES Intermediate or in ES Novice.
- Players who register for the lower section for which they qualify, enhance their ability to win an individual trophy.
Varsity
- Rated 1400+
- Grades K-12
- Trophies: top 8 individuals, top under-1500 individual not receiving a place trophy, top 2 team
- 2-SS, G/90 inc/30 (2-round Swiss system, 90-minute game per player & 30-second increment per move)
Junior Varsity
- Rated 750 - 1449 or strong unrated high-school players
- Grades K-12
- Trophies: top 14 individuals, top under-1000 individual not receiving a place trophy, top 7 teams
- 4-SS, G/60 d/5 (4-round Swiss system, 60-minute game per player & 5-second delay per move)
Intermediate: High-School & Middle-School
- Rated under 800 or unrated
- Grades 6-12
- Trophies: top 12 individuals, top under-600 individual not receiving a place trophy, top 5 teams
- 5-SS, G/45 d/5 (5-round Swiss system, 45-minute game per player & 5-second delay per move)
Intermediate: Elementary-School
- Rated under 800 or unrated
- Grades K-5
- Trophies: top 10 individuals, top under-600 individual not receiving a place trophy, top 4 teams
- 5-SS, G/45 d/5 (5-round Swiss system, 45-minute game per player & 5-second delay per move)
Novice: Elementary-School
- Rated under 400 or unrated
- Grades K-5
- Trophies: top 18 individuals, top under-200 individual not receiving a place trophy, top 9 teams
- 5-SS, G/30 d/5 (5-round Swiss system, 30-minute game per player & 5-second delay per move)
Registered Players
- Individuals (Attendees)—updated automatically after registration (only new ones)
- Individuals (alphabetically)—updated manually on 2/21 11PM
- Individuals (by section)—updated manually on 2/21 11PM
- Teams (by section)—updated manually on 2/21 11PM
Tournament Registration Fee
- $15 (Early), if received by 11:59 PM, Tuesday, 2/18 (online or received mail)
- $20 (Regular), if received by 7 PM, Thursday, 2/20 (online)
- $30 (Last-Minute), if received by 8 AM, Saturday, 2/22 (online) (half-point bye possible in Round 1)
- $35 (At-the-Door), 8:30 - 9 AM, Saturday, 2/22 (only if space is available; half-point bye likely in Round 1)
Registration by Mail
- Include: player's name, USCF ID #, USCF expiration date, section, grade, school, phone #, email address, & check (written in ink & made payable to Maryland Chess Association).
- Mail to: Maryland Chess Association, 1827 Thornton Ridge Road, Towson MD 21204-1841.
US Chess Federation Membership
- Players must have a current USCF membership at USCF-rated tournaments; MCA tournaments are USCF-rated.
- Players without a current USCF membership are ineligible to play and will not be paired. They will receive a half-point bye in Round 1 and 0-point byes in subsequent rounds, until they purchase a new USCF membership or renew an expired one. Half-point and 0-point byes reduce a player's ability to win an individual trophy and a school's ability to win a team trophy.
- A USCF membership can be purchased online or by mail, along with registration for the tournament. If you’re purchasing by mail, then include: player's name, date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy), home address, gender, and USCF ID # (if available). Select 1 of the 2 options listed below [ages refer to the member’s age on the day of the tournament]:
- ages 1-12, $8, Scholastic: 3 Months, Chess Life for Kids (2 issues)
- ages 13-24, $10, Youth: 3 Months, Chess Life (3 issues)
Which Players Are Required to Record Their Games?
- Players in grades 4-12 must record (notate) their games, unless they are unable to. K-3 players in all sections are exempt from the recording requirement.
- Recording affords several benefits:
- it helps to resolve disputes;
- it discourages cheating;
- it enables players to improve their skills through post-game analysis.
Do Players Need to Bring Anything?
- Players do NOT need to bring any equipment. MCA will provide all necessary supplies: boards, pieces, scoresheets (for recording), and pencils. (MCA’s pencils might be dull and do not have erasers. If you want a sharp pencil with a good eraser, then bring your own.)
- Players do NOT need to bring a clock; however, we encourage them to bring one. A game may be started without a clock, if neither player brings a clock to the board. Clocks can be purchased at the tournament.
- Food (pizza, candy, soda, etc.) can be purchased at the tournament.
How to Register Online for an MCA Scholastic Tournament
Which USCF Rating Determines the Section(s) in which a Player May or Must Play?
MCA's Refund Policy & Fees for Registration Changes
Tournament Announcements before Round 1 & Section Schedules
Procedures, Rules, and Etiquette for Players and Spectators at an MCA Scholastic Tournament
Increment Time Control for the Varsity Section
Even when More Than 1 Player in a Section Can Achieve a Perfect Score, There Will Be No Major Variations; However, There Might Be Minor Variations. The following might be changed for any section, according to the number of players in the section: whether there are natural pairings (the norm at a Swiss-system tournament) or accelerated pairings in Rounds 1-2, and the number of trophies.
How MCA Determines the Winner of a Section when There’s a Tie for First Place
How to Find a Player’s New USCF Rating after an MCA Scholastic Tournament
For further information, contact the Maryland Chess Association at tournaments@mdchess.com.