Kentucky Blitz and Bughouse Scholastic State Championships
The Kentucky Blitz and Bughouse State Championships consists of two separate tournament in one day:
- The state scholastic championship for five-minute (blitz) chess
- The state scholastic championship for bughouse, a chess variant for two player teams. For the rules of bughouse, see this video.
Date and Location
14 February 2026
Roby Elementary School
1148 KY-44, Shepherdsville, KY 40165
Format
Blitz: 5 Rounds Swiss; G/5. Sections: K-3, K-5, K-8, K-12.
Bughouse: 5 Rounds Swiss. Sections: K-3, K-5, K-8, K-12.
Entry Fees and Registration
- Entry Fee: By 11 Feb Jan, $10 for the first child; $6 for each additional sibling. After 11 Feb, the first child fee rises to $20. See the bottom of this posting for sibling discount instructions.
- Registration: Online only via King Registration. No on-site registration. Online registration closes at midnight ET on 13 Feb.
- Capacity: Capped at 150 participants.
- School Payments: If a school is paying for students and cannot use King Registration, contact k12@kychess.org in advance to arrange payment.
- This tournament will not be USCF rated. USCF membership is not required.
- Registration is capped at 130 participants.
Schedule
- Doors Open: 8:00 AM
- There is no check-in. Late players will receive 0 point byes for missed rounds.
- Blitz tournament:
- Round 1: 9:00 AM.
- Rounds 2–5: ASAP.
- Awards: estimated around 11:30 AM
- Lunch: 1 hour break after the blitz tournament (approx. 11:30-12:30 PM). Concessions will be available from 10 AM to 2 PM.
- Bughouse tournament:
- If you are coming for the bughouse tournament only, you must arrive by 12 PM, since we will be entering teams into the computer on-site.
- Round 1: Not before 12:30 PM
- Rounds 2-5: ASAP
- Awards: Estimated around 3 PM.
Tournament Rules & Logistics
- Bughouse Teams: Each student needs a partner for the bughouse tournament. You will designate your partner on-site. Please think of a team name in advance. We will provide an opportunity for unpaired students to seek partners during the lunch break. We cannot guarantee partners, but in the case of an odd number of students, we will try to find inexperienced parents willing to be partners.
- Equipment: Boards and pieces provided. We should have enough clocks, but in case of high turnout, bring your own if you have one.
- Byes: Because these two tournaments are each so fast, we do not offer byes.
- Illegal move loses: Please make sure your student is aware that in both blitz and bughouse, making an illegal move immediately loses the game.
- Technical Rules: Rule 10I2 (touching rook first when castling) are in effect. Accelerated pairings may be used. The TD reserves the right to use live Regular, Quick, or Blitz ratings for pairing purposes. Electronic scoresheets are prohibited.
- Very young kids: due to its very fast-pace and the rule of immediate loss for illegal moves, this tournament may be more challenging for very young kids than the other KCA championships. I would recommend it for K-3 players only if they have experience playing blitz and bughouse.
Amenities & Safety
- Supervision: Players under age 14 must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event.
- Seating: Parents/players are strongly encouraged to bring camp chairs and folding tables.
Contact: Ryan Gabbard, Scholastic Coordinator, k12@kychess.org; Include "Blitz" in the subject line.
Registering with the sibling discount
To get the use sibling discount, you need to use the discount code SIBLING for the second and subsequent kids. However, King Registration applies any discount code give to all kids in your cart, so you need to register in either of the following ways: (1) register the first kid in one transaction, then make a second transaction with the SIBLING discount code for the remainder, or (2) add all but one kid, apply the SIBLING discount code, and then add the last kid at full price.