India Fest 2025

Chess Contest

This year's contest will return to a chess tournament only - no puzzle contest!

This is NOT an HRCA Scholastic Cup event.  It does NOT count for ODS required tournament participation.

This is not a drop-off event for players under the age of 14.  A responsible adult must remain on site.

Venue: Hindu Temple of Hampton Roads, 217 Sampson Creek Rd, Chesapeake, VA 23322. 

Contest Date: Saturday, August 22, 2026

Eligibility:  Youth Pre-K through 12th grade

Capacity:  120 players

Award Ceremony: At India Fest on Saturday, October 3, 2026

You MUST register online!  NO ON SITE ENTRIES!

The DEADLINE TO REGISTER for this event is 11:59 pm on THURSDAY, AUGUST 20th.

SCHEDULE:

• 9:00-9:30 AM: Check-in -- You must check in to be paired for Round 1!
• 9:30 AM:  New Player Orientation (overview of tournament rules and procedures)
• 10:00 AM:  Round 1 pairings posted, subsequent rounds "ASAP"
• Approximately 11:45 AM - Lunch Break
• Completion time estimate 2:00 PM; 3:00 PM for play-off finalists
• There is no award ceremony on site the day of the contest.

PARTICIPANTS:  

This event is for youth only -- must be in Pre-K through 12th grade for the 2026-2027 school year (must not have graduated) 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: Rising grades Pre-K through 5th (for the upcoming school year) with limited or no experience at chess tournaments.  No rated players allowed.  US Chess membership is not required. 
• Senior Rookie: Rising grades 6th-12th (for the upcoming school year) with limited or no experience at chess tournaments.  No rated players allowed.  US Chess membership is not required. 
• Novice (U500): Rising grades Pre-K through 12th with regular OTB US Chess ratings below 500 or unrated.  The August supplement will be used.  US Chess membership is allowed to be lapsed / expired.
• Open: Rising grades Pre-K through 12th with regular OTB US Chess ratings 500 and up.  No unrated players.  The August supplement will be used.  US Chess membership is allowed to be lapsed / expired.

FORMAT:

The chess contest consists of a four round Swiss tournament.  This is not an elimination event.  You will play all rounds unless assigned a bye for one round for an uneven number of players.  The time control for the tournament is G/20; d3, meaning each side has 20 minutes to make all their moves, and there is a 3 second grace period before the clock starts counting down.  This is not a rated event.  

 

 

The puzzle contest from last year has been eliminated.  Your tournament results will determine if you are in the top three for awards.  In the event of a tie for 1st with perfect scores in any section, there will be a play-off to determine the winner.

AWARDS:

Trophies will be awarded to the top three players in each of the four sections. Trophies will be presented at India Fest on October 3, 2026, Time TBA.

ENTRY FEE: There is no entry fee.  This is a free event.  Due to a high "no show" rate for free events, players must check in by 9:30 AM to be paired.

Event Organizers: For more information/questions, please contact:

tournaments@hrchessclub.org, 757-472-5909.  Email is the fastest way to reach us.

 

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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.