Hampton Roads Chess Association
presents the 3rd Annual
Chess Girls Rock Weekend
A weekend empowerment event for girls ages 4+ and women
Generously subsidized with a grant from US Chess and the St Louis Chess Center
June 6-8, 2025
Virginia Beach, VA
♥ FREE guaranteed swag bags & t-shirt to participants registered through May 11
♥ Weekend FULL of events to empower and inspire!
NO ONSITE REGISTRATION FOR EVENTS.
We have a full lineup of activities available! Some are for just girls, some for both girls and women, and some are open to families! NOTE: For the girls, one fee covers all activities for the weekend. Participation in Saturday's tournament or camp is required. Friday and Sunday events are optional but highly encouraged! For the Ladies, there is one fee for Saturday's events, and Sunday rock climb is an add-on for those players who would like to participate.
These are NOT drop-off events due to risks/public nature of the activities. Girls ages 14+ may be dropped off for Saturday tournament only.
If not participating in Friday night pool or pizza parties, swag bags for pre-registered players will be available Saturday morning. New tournament players are encouraged to attend orientation Friday night- no orientation will be offered Saturday morning.
Key Dates:
May 11 - Last day to register with guaranteed swag bags/shirts. After this time, swag bags will be issued first come, first served - subject to availability of items.
June 1 - Available spots will open to waitlist
June 3 - last day to withdraw from any activities without penalty
June 5 @ 10PM - Registration closes for Tournament and Activities.
Schedule of Events:
Friday: Games, pool party, pizza party
Saturday: Tournament or beginner camp with lunch, variety of side contests between rounds
Sunday: Clinic (tentative - if space is available) and rock climb.
Add-ons for GUESTS -
A shopping link will be available to purchase additional meal and activity tickets for families IF there is space available. Purchases are non-refundable, so the link will be available in May, closer to the event. Some activities do have a capacity limit and will only be available to guests if there is extra room. Meal tickets are open to all families. More information and Guest prices are listed on the Google Registration Form.
Friday, June 6th: Chess Girls - Meet and Make New Friends!
What: Games, Pool Party, Pizza Party
Who: Girls ages 4-18 (+ Families for pizza party)
Where: Kempsville Recreation Center, 800 Monmouth Lane, Virginia Beach, VA 23464
Notes: There is a capacity limitation for this event. All participants must be able to swim independently. An adult in swim attire must be in the pool for every 3 children under age 9. Additional guests only if space permits.
Schedule:
Saturday, June 7th: Play Some Chess and Show Off Other Skills (Girls 4-18 & Women)
What: Tournament OR Beginner Chess Camp and side contests
Who: Girls ages 4-18 and Ladies
Where: Location: Kempsville Recreation Center, 800 Monmouth Lane, Virginia Beach, VA 23464
Notes: various puzzles and side contests are available throughout the day.
Schedule:
Sunday, June 8th: Combat Chess Clinic (TBD) and Climb Some Rocks
What: Chess Clinic (TBD) and Indoor Rock Climbing
Who: Girls ages 4-18 + Tournament Ladies. Families are welcome if space available
Where: Latitude Climbing and Fitness at Pembroke Mall, 4554 Virginia Beach Blvd, Ste 970, Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Schedule:
Registration Information
Fees: Thanks to a grant from US Chess subsidizing a significant portion of costs, we are able to offer one low rate for the weekend.
$60 per youth girl -- includes all above listed activities and 2 meals for the weekend. Fee is all-inclusive for the weekend and will not be refunded or prorated for any events not attended.
$25 for Ladies -- includes Saturday tournament and lunch. T-shirts also included for early registration. Optional Sunday rock climb for $20 if playing in the tournament.
About the Tournament:
This is a "Swiss" tournament, which is similar to a bracket system. It's not an elimination event. You will play all rounds unless assigned a bye for an uneven number of players. We will play 4 or 5 rounds based on the number of entries we receive. The time control for this tournament is G/25; d3 -- this means each player has 25 minutes to complete all their moves, and the clock doesn't start counting down for the first 3 seconds (a "delay" or grace period). Chess notation will NOT be required in ANY section. The event is "Quick rated" ONLY.
This is a female-only tournament including tournament staff leadership! NO residency restrictions to participate.
HRCA is an inclusive organization that follows the US Chess Transgender policy. ALL girls are welcome!
Sections:
*Unrated girls who are NOT US Chess members - "Rookie" section based on 2024-2025 school grade level*
*Rated girls who ARE US Chess members Rated section based on ability.
*Unrated players who are US Chess members - may register for either section.
These sections are US Chess rated. We will use your Regular over-the-board (OTB) rating (though the tournament is QUICK rated) from the JUNE 2025 supplement for sectioning and prizes.
*Adult Ladies (NEW!) - section for ages 18 (and no longer in school). Need not be affiliated with a girl in the tournament.
* Beginner Chess CAMP (NEW!) - For participants not ready to play in a tournament. They will participate in everything the other girls do, but during chess rounds on Saturday, they will attend a mini-camp with an HRCA coach to learn the basics.
Awards:
We will present the following trophies at a minimum. If entries exceed our expectations, we will add more trophies!
Junior Rookie: Top 5 girls overall, Top girl grade K-1, Top girl grade 2-3
Senior Rookie: Top 5 girls overall.
Novice U500: Top 5 girls overall, Top U300, Top Unrated
Open: Top 5 girls overall, Top U700
Ladies: Top 5 women overall
Side Contests: Awards for all side contests on Saturday will be broken down by age / grade (K-1, 2nd/3rd grade, 4th/5th grade, Middle/High School, Ladies) and consist of medals and special prizes.
Top 3 TEAMS comprised of a player in the Ladies section and a player in any of the girls' sections who are attending together (e.g. Ladies player could be mother, grandmother, aunt, older sister, guardian, friend, etc.)
We always need VOLUNTEERS! From assisting with check-ins, to judging contests, to providing extra support, there are many ways to get involved in this special event. CLICK HERE to Volunteer!
After registering for the tournament, please come back to this info page and complete the mandatory Google Activity Form for each participant!
There is no charge for the additional activities for registered youth players - we just need a headcount for planning. Ladies playing in Saturday's tournament may sign up for Sunday rock climb at a discounted price of $20.
Siblings may be able to participate on a space-available basis, at the actual cost for activity.
Questions/Contact:
For more information, email organizer Christina "Tina" Schweiss at cschweiss2@hrchessclub.org or call / text 757-472-5909. This line is not monitored 24/7 -- please leave a message! Email is the fastest way to reach us.
There are no refunds or prorations for this event. Any withdrawals should be done by June 3, so that others on the waitlist may have a spot. No-shows for any registered event will be automatically moved to waitlist status for future HRCA events AND classes for the upcoming year.
All registrations are subject to HRCA's Code of Conduct, General Liability Waiver, Photo Release, and Safe Play guidelines. Payments and any applicable waivers must be completed before participation for players and guests. Additional information on the Google Registration form.