Taste of India Contest Mania
Chess Contest
NEW EXCITING FORMAT!!! BLITZ TOURNAMENT AND PUZZLE CONTEST!!!
This is NOT an HRCA Scholastic Cup event. It does NOT count for ODS required tournament participation.
Venue: Hindu Temple of Hampton Roads, 217 Sampson Creek Rd, Chesapeake, VA 23322.
Contest Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025
Register here, but entry fee paid directly on Taste of India website. No refunds.
Eligibility: Youth Pre-K through 12th grade
Capacity: 120 players
Award Ceremony: At Taste of India on Saturday, April 26, 2025
SCHEDULE:
- 8:00 - 8:30 AM: Check-in and late registration (if space available) -- You must check in to be paired for Round 1!
- 8:30-8:45 AM: Brief overview of the rules for the Blitz tournament
- 8:45-10:30 AM: Blitz tournament
- 10:30-10:45 AM: Transition / cleanup
- 10:45-11:30 AM: Puzzle contest
PARTICIPANTS:
This event is for youth only -- must be in Pre-K through 12th grade in any schooling format - public, private, virtual, or homeschooled.
This event will not be rated.
All students with an existing US Chess rating, even with an expired US Chess ID, must enter their ID number on the registration form and must play in the appropriate section -- Novice or Open only.
HRCA membership is not required.
Section choices are:
- Junior Rookie: Grades Pre-K through 5th with limited or no experience at chess tournaments. No rated players allowed. US Chess membership is not required.
- Senior Rookie: Grades 6th-12th with limited or no experience at chess tournaments. No rated players allowed. US Chess membership is not required.
- Novice (U500): Grades Pre-K through 12th with regular OTB US Chess ratings below 500 or unrated. The March supplement will be used. US Chess membership is allowed to be lapsed / expired.
- Open: Grades Pre-K through 12th with regular OTB US Chess ratings 500 and up. No unrated players. The March supplement will be used. US Chess membership is allowed to be lapsed / expired.
FORMAT:
This year's contest consists of two parts: 1) A Blitz tournament, and 2) A Puzzle contest
1) Blitz tournament.
Explanation for new players: Students will be divided by the above groups for play. They will be assigned to play four different students during the tournament, playing each one twice, once with the white pieces and once with black, for eight total games. For each game, each player will have 5 minutes on their clock to complete all their moves. This is NOT an elimination event. It is similar to a bracket system. You will play all four double rounds (unless given a bye for one round for an uneven number of players). You must be present for the entire Blitz event. All equipment is provided.
Description in chess terminology: Four double rounds Swiss System; G/5; d0. The event is not rated because we are opting -- based on overall event participant experience level -- to use the FIDE Blitz rule that the first illegal move does NOT result in immediate loss, but rather 1 minute added to the opponent's time. The SECOND illegal move will lose the game.
2) Puzzle contest.
After completing the Blitz tournament, chess equipment will be put away, and students will receive a chess puzzle worksheet suitable for their ability level and given up to 45 minutes to complete it.
The final contest score will be a combination of your score from the Blitz tournament (1 point for every win, 1/2 point for every draw, 0 points for every loss) and your puzzle worksheet score. Possible points on puzzles will vary by ability group.
AWARDS:
Trophies will be awarded to the top three players in each of the four sections. Trophies will be presented at Taste of India -- 1st place on stage and 2nd/3rd for pickup at the awards booth.
ENTRY FEE: The Entry Fee for this event is $5 but is NOT paid here in King Registration like our other events. You will pay directly on the Taste of India website. No refunds.
Event Organizers: For more information/questions, please contact:
HRCA: Tina at cschweiss2@hrchessclub.org, 757-472-5909. Email is the fastest way to reach us.
TOI: JJ Jawahhar, jawahhar@gmail.com, 773-971-9660
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 at any time.
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 area 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.