Kentucky Scholastic Individual Championships
The State Individual Championships determines state champions for the grades K-1, K-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12. The champions of all sections except K-1 will qualify for US Chess Federation national invitational tournaments.
Date and Location
Saturday, 28 February 2026
1107 S 17th St,
Louisville, KY 40210
This is the building formerly known as "Wheatley Elementary School," which now houses the "Hudson 6th Grade Academy". NOTE THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN THE HUDSON MIDDLE SCHOOL ORIGINALLY ADVERTISED.
The KCA is grateful for the provision of this location through a collaboration with the Jefferson County Public Schools Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Satellite Office.
Format
5 Rounds Sections: K-1, K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12
G/45; d5 for K-5, 6-8, 9-12. (45 minutes per player, 5 second delay per move)
G/30; d5 for K-1, K-3 (30 minutes per player, 5 second delay per move)
Entry Fees and Registration
- Entry Fee: By 25 Feb, $25 for the first child; $6 for each additional sibling. After 25 Feb, first child fee rises to $30. See the bottom of this posting for sibling discount instructions. Free or discounted entry is available for those who need it; e-mail k12@kychess.org to arrange this.
- Registration: Online only via King Registration. No on-site registration. Online registration closes at 11 PM ET the night before the tournament.
- Capacity: Initially capped at 140 participants. We hope to raise this as we confirm the availability and space for more tables.
- School Payments: If a school is paying for students and cannot use King Registration to pay, contact k12@kychess.org by 26 Feb to arrange alternate means of payment.
- Bye requests: No requested byes are available for this tournament..
- Non-residents: To avoid distortion of the selection process for USCF qualifiers, only residents of the state of Kentucky may compete in this tournament.
- Playing up: Because of the way USCF invites are determined, we do not permit “playing up” in this tournament, except that kindergarteners and first graders may play in K-3. For example, a fifth grader may not compete in the 6-8 section.
Schedule
- There is no check-in. Players absent for round 1 will forfeit their game after being absent 30 minutes for K-5, K-8, K-12 and 15 minutes for K-1 and K-3.
- Round 1: 9:00 AM.
- Rounds 2–5: ASAP.
- Lunch: Each section will have a break of at least 30 minutes between Round 2 and Round 3. We are looking into arranging concessions and will keep participants posted.
- Awards: As sections finish; estimated completion by 6:00 PM for slowest section. K-1 and K-3 typically finish much earlier.
Tournament Rules & Logistics
- Individual tournament: Players compete as individuals. You may play others from the same school.
- Equipment: Boards and pieces provided. Many clocks will be available, but bring your own if you have one.
- Notation: Required for grades 6+. Players not taking notation will be assessed a time penalty. Notation sheets will be provided for grades 6+. Electronic scoresheets are prohibited.
- Special Qualifications:
- National Invites: The winners of the K-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12 sections qualify for the GM Maurice Ashley National Tournament of K-3 State Champions, the Rockefeller National Tournament of Elementary School State Champions, the Barber National Tournament of Middle School State Champions, and the Denker National Tournament of High School State Champions, respectively. There is no invitational for K-1, but those players are allowed to play in K-3.
- Ties for national invites: Time permitting, ties for national play off spots will be broken by a G/10+5 playoff. This time control may be shortened to as little as G/5 at the discretion of the Chief TD. For details, see section O3 of the Blue Book.
- Girls Championship: Any girl who scores 50% or better in K-8 or K-12, 4-1 or better in K-5, or undefeated in K-3 qualifies for the inaugural Kentucky Girls Championship, a new invitational event to determine Kentucky’s nominee to the Ruth Haring Tournament of Girls State Champions.
- Technical Rules: Rule 15A (writing moves prior to making them) and 10I2 (touching rook first when castling) are in effect. Accelerated pairings may be used. The TD reserves the right to use live Regular or Quick ratings for pairing purposes. The “No-Show” or “Forfeit” time for late arrival is 30 minutes for all sections. Registering for the tournament includes consent to be contacted by the KCA for future tournaments.
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 "State Individuals" 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.