Hampton Roads Chess Association
presents the
4th Annual
Seven Cities School Chess Championship
May 17, 2025
Kempsville Recreation Center
800 Monmouth Lane
Virginia Beach, VA 23464
Join us for the 4th annual Seven Cities School Chess Championship! The first running of this event was originally scheduled for April 2020. Of course, due to COVID, the in-person event was cancelled, but we quickly flexed to an online format that drew well over 200 players from across our region. After working hard to rebuild in-person chess in our region, we held our first in-person championship on April 29, 2023, drawing 178 players, and on May 4, 2024, with 221 players! With school chess programs continuing to grow and thrive, we have a goal of 250 kids to participate in this special event to compete for individual and school team honors as Seven Cities Chess Champions!!!
FORMAT
This is a 5-round Swiss system tournament, which is akin to a bracket system in sports. It is not an elimination event. You will play all rounds (unless assigned a full-point bye for an uneven number of players). It is an individual-team event, meaning individuals will play their own games, and team scores will be added as described below for awards. Teammate pairings are avoided as much as possible under the rules.
To maintain the FUN nature of this event that CELEBRATES scholastic chess in our region, we are running the tournament with a "Quick only" time control of G/25; d3 -- this means each player has 25 minutes to complete all their moves, and no time is deducted from the clock for the first 3 seconds of each move (a "delay"). Chess notation is NOT required for ANY section in the tournament due to the quick time controls. Experienced players may opt to take notation.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
This event is open to youth in grades Pre-K through 12th attending any public, private, or homeschool in Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Hampton, or Newport News. Players in "outlying areas" of Hampton Roads, please contact us at hrca@hrchessclub.org to inquire about potential participation. You do not need to be a member of a school chess team to participate. Individuals welcome!
We encourage players of ALL abilities, from the youngest beginner to the highest rated teenager, to come out and play in this event! Rated players need not worry about their regular rating being affected, as the time control is "Quick only" (see above).
EVENT SCHEDULE
If you are registered and paid in advance, there is no need to check in. NO WALK-UP REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT -- YOU MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE. If you need to request or cancel a half point or zero-point bye (meaning you will miss a round) and have not already done so on this registration form, you MUST do so by Noon the day of the event.
SECTIONS
Players will register for one of the following sections:
K-3 Rookie: Players in Pre-K through 3rd grade who are not US Chess members / do not have a US Chess rating. Designed for beginners with little to no tournament experience.
K-5 Rookie: Players in 4th and 5th grade who are not US Chess members / do not have a US Chess rating. Designed for beginners with little to no tournament experience.
K-12 Rookie: Players in 6th-12th grade who are not US Chess members / do not have a US Chess rating. Designed for beginners with little to no tournament experience.
Novice (U500): Players in Pre-K through 12th grade who are US Chess members, unrated (first rated event) or rated Under 500 on the May 2025 rating supplement (we will use Regular ratings for section eligibility).
Open: Players in Pre-K through 12th grade who are US Chess members, unrated (first rated event) or rated 500 and up (no playing up) on the May 2025 rating supplement (we will use Regular ratings for section eligibility).
AWARDS
Individual Awards:
K-3 Rookie: TROPHIES to 1st - 10th place overall individual players (1st place finisher is Seven Cities K-3 Rookie Chess Champion), additional TROPHIES to top 3 players in grades PK-1st. Trophy for TOP GIRL.
K-5 Rookie: TROPHIES to 1st - 10th place individual players (1st place finisher is Seven Cities K-5 Rookie Chess Champion). Trophy for TOP GIRL.
K-12 Rookie: TROPHIES to 1st - 5th place individual players. Trophy for TOP GIRL.
Novice (U500): TROPHIES to 1st - 10th place overall individual players (1st place finisher is Seven Cities Novice Chess Champion). Trophy for TOP GIRL. Trophies for Top U300 and Top Unrated.
Open: TROPHIES to 1st - 5th overall individual players (1st place finisher is Seven Cities Open Chess Champion). Trophy for TOP GIRL. Trophy for Top U700
Medals to all additional players with at least 2.5 points. Special event participation ribbons to ALL players.
Awards listed are the minimum. Additional awards may be added based on entries as of May 3rd.
Team Awards: All team awards will be combined across sections. This recognizes that all students from the same school are one team, and schools may have team depth from beginners to advanced players.
TOP 7 ELEMENTARY (grades K-5) -- Team score comprised of top SIX individual scores
TOP 3 MIDDLE (grades 6-8) -- Team score comprised of top FOUR individual scores
HIGH SCHOOL (grades 9-12) There are no high school team awards planned. If your high school would like to enter a team, you must do so by May 3rd in order to add team trophies.
Schools with more than one grade level will be split into sub-teams by Elementary, Middle, and High School -- this primarily applies to private schools but may also apply to a few public magnet schools. Some exceptions may be made for special school formats such as 9th graders attending a Junior High or 6th graders attending an Elementary school. In those cases where a single grade is grouped with the younger students, those individual players will play in the appropriate grade section as individuals but may have their scores counted toward the younger school team. Based on the standard format of schools in our region, these exceptions are expected to be minimal and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Definition of "school" for team awards: Schools may occupy more than one campus and still be one team as long as there is a single student body under a single head of school. Homeschooled and virtual schooled students can contact us for information on forming teams if eligible. Teams require a minimum of two players from the same school in the tournament to be eligible for team awards.
MEDALS will be presented to all players below trophy standings who earn at least an "even" score of 2.5 out of 5 points. RIBBONS will be presented to ALL remaining players.
ENTRY FEES
$35 Early Entry Fee through 11:59 PM on Saturday, May 3rd.
$40 Standard Entry Fee through 11:59 PM Saturday, May 10th;
$45 Late Entry Fee thereafter.
ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSES AT 4 PM ON THURSDAY, MAY 15th. NO EXCEPTIONS. NO WALK-UPS.
Scholarship participants approved for discounts and Title I schools who need entry fee assistance MUST contact Tina in advance to register. Financial Aid relies on donor support and is limited. Please note that entry fees are required to participate and are NOT tax-deductible.
REFUNDS: If you need to withdraw, please contact the Event Organizer. No-shows negatively impact HRCA and fellow players. There are absolutely NO refunds after tournament begins. Refunds will be given as a tournament credit ONLY. Eligible withdrawals will receive a $30 credit towards a future HRCA tournament, regardless of the entry fee amount paid. This is the early entry rate less a $5 administrative fee. The credit will be valid for 1 year.
**Please check the ENTRY LIST before registering to make sure you do not register multiple times. Duplicate entries are subject to an administrative refund fee of $5 for this event.
NEW PLAYER ORIENTATION
There will be a Zoom New Player Orientation on Thursday, May 15th at 6:30 PM. The link will be sent out to all registered participants. All players who are new to tournaments are encouraged to attend the Zoom. If you are unable, the recording and slides from last year (have not changed) are provided below. There will be tournament directors available for further questions on site, but there will not be a formal new player orientation at the event itself, in the interest of time. We recognize that there will be many new players at the event. Our staff is very experienced in working with Rookies -- you will find a very supportive environment at this event!
See this link for the recording of the New Player Orientation.
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/kGcTOabf2JxgnTy23KaBqAyDw2ULqIVrOZNAH1O5AQmcYOr7wBuykISdgk9siLNX.Xvc76JRotNeaD4Eq
Passcode: Y6DtH#Vp
Click here to view the slideshow (no recorded audio).
TOURNAMENT VOLUNTEERS ARE ALWAYS NEEDED! Volunteers help ensure our events run smoothly and that players and families have an enjoyable experience. Volunteer spots include set up, clean up, hall monitors, scorekeepers, CERTIFIED Tournament Directors (TDs), and assistant/junior TDs (not certified). CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER.
Got questions? Please contact the Tournament Organizer.
Tournament Organizer: For more information/questions, contact Tina at cschweiss2@hrchessclub.org or 757-472-5909. Phone is not monitored 24/7 -- please leave a message! Email is the fastest way to reach us.
Policies and other Important Information
Please note only designated areas of the facility are open to players and guests. No one is allowed in undesignated areas (including the aquatics center or fitness centers or track) at any time.
Parent/designated guardians of elementary/middle school-aged players are expected to remain onsite for the duration of the event.
Safe Play and Code of Conduct: It is our goal to provide a fun, safe, and supportive environment. Community partnerships are vital to HRCA, and we want to ensure we remain good stewards to our partners and their facilities. There is a lot of downtime during tournaments -- parents are responsible for supervising their children when they are not playing a scheduled match. Running through the facility and horseplay/roughhousing is strictly prohibited.
By registering and attending in this event (as participant or guest), you acknowledge and agree to abide by the US Chess Federation's Safe Play Policy, and HRCA's Code of Conduct and General Liability Waiver and Release. For more information on Safe Play or HRCA's Code of Conduct and General Liability Waiver and Release, please click the BLUE links above. Violations of these policies may result in warnings, or ultimately, disqualification or dismissal from the event without refund.
Photo Policy: Please be advised that photos and/or videos may be taken at HRCA events for use in HRCA's marketing, grant reporting, educational, news, or other promotional materials, whether in print, electronic, or other forms of media, including on our website and social channels. HRCA will not identify images using the full names of those photographed without express written permission. By attending an HRCA event, you consent to have your image recorded for distribution and agree to release, defend, hold harmless, and indemnify HRCA from any and all claims, including compensation, involving using your picture or likeness. If you wish to opt-out, you can make your wishes known to the photographer, and/or the event organizers, and/or contact HRCA at hrca@hrchessclub.org.