Southwest Scholastic
Chess Championships
Houston, TX
5 rounds, G25;d5, USCF rated
Individual and Team Prizes Awarded!
Saturday, Sept 2nd, 2023
*1st round starts at 9am, arrive earlier.
US Chess Regular Ratings, (September 2023 US Chess Rating Supplement) used for pairings and section eligibility.
All players must have a current USCF membership.
All students in grades Pre-K thru 12th grade are eligible to compete.
GM Simul
4:30pm, Saturday Sept 2nd 2023
Cost to participate is $20 for advance registration
$25 for on-site registration
The simul will take place after the Scholastic tournament is finished.
The grandmaster is GM Joshua Ruiz Castillo.
Location
Sheraton North Houston at George Bush Intercontinental
15700 John F Kennedy Blvd, Houston, TX 77032
(take the JFK exit off of Beltway 8 in north Houston near IAH Airport)
To get our event discounted room rate of $95+taxes per night, must book by 08/25/23.
Hotel rate is only for participants who need an overnight stay at the hotel.
Google Maps Link | Discounted Room Rate Booking Link | Hotel Overview
Free shuttle service to/from IAH to the hotel (call 281-442-5100 for details)
Hotel check-in is at 3pm, check-out 12 noon
Complimentary on-site parking
Free basic internet in hotel room
Off-site overflow parking is at Doubletree by Hilton (across the street)
To book hotel room by phone you can call 281-442-5100 or 800-325-3535 and mention “2023 Southwest Open)
Online Registration Preferred
To register, click here.
Or find the “Register Button” at the bottom of this page.
Online registration will close at 7:30am CST on Saturday, 9/2
For last minute inquiries, to see if space is available, text 281.698.0068 no later than 8:15am Saturday.
Entry Fee
$35 EF if paid by 8/18/23, $40 by 8/25/23, $50 thereafter and on-site.
Withdrawal refunds will be made for the full amount minus transaction/paypal fees.
No refunds available after 8/29/23.
Sections & Prizes
Section I (1000+)
Section II (700 - 999)
Section III (400 - 699)
Section IV (unrated - 399)
All sections will use US Chess Sept 2023 Rating Supplement (Regular OTB Ratings) for pairings and prizes.
Unrated players with tournament history that did not make it into the Sept supplement calculations will be placed in a section per their latest live post tournament rating.
Trophies awarded to the top 8 Individuals and top 3 school teams in each section.
Commemorative medals awarded to all players!
This is an individual event awarding both individual and team trophies. A team will consist of a minimum of two players from the same school or home-school district. However, the top FOUR scores will count for final team standings, so it would be to your advantage to have at least fourth team members from your team (no “maximum” limit of number of players on a team). A school registering more than 10 players in one section may enter two teams (in that section)!
Round Times
After your child finishes round 3, take a lunch break & return by 1:30pm.
*these are estimated start times, the rounds will start as soon as the prior round is finished and pairings are published for the following round (back-to-back asap)
Byes
Two 1/2-point byes are available for any round. You must advise the Chief Tournament Director or Organizer upon registration or arrival to the tournament by 9am on Saturday if you need to skip a round.
Chess Store
There will be a chess store on-site to sell chess playing equipment, books, etc.
Important: Please Read
Players are expected to
#1 Bring a clock and writing instrument. We will be providing boards and sets only for the scholastic event. If you do not own a chess clock, you may purchase one at the chess store on-site.
#2 inform the organizer/TD via text message to 281.698.0068 if you will miss a round or are running very late (please do this at least 15 min prior to the start time of the round)
#3 know how to set your own clock - guidelines here
#4 parents are responsible for their children in between rounds - please ensure they are on their best behavior both during a round and afterwards
#5 if both kids arrive to a board without a clock then they will start the game without a clock and one may be added by a TD when nearing the last ten minutes of the round
Bystander Policy
PARENTS/COACHES WILL NOT BE ALLOWED IN THE TOURNAMENT ROOM DURING TOURNAMENT PLAY.
About Notation (Score-keeping)
The only three electronic chess notation devices which are approved for and allowed in a US Chess-rated tournament are the Monroi, Plycount and the Chess NoteR. You may use any of these devices, but the device must remain on top of the table at all times (you may not hold it under the table in your lap or under the tablecloth). The tournament director has the right to request to see your notation device at any time before, during or after your game.
Questions?
Contact us via email to “southwestopen@gmail.com”.
You can also text message to 281.698.0068.
Text messaging is preferred - calls will likely not be answered right away.
Please identify yourself and the player’s name for reference.
Voicemails are welcome!
Chess Control will be in the Dallas Room to address any tournament related inquiries.
Want to Compete in both the Scholastic and Southwest Open?
Register to play in the 4 day schedule, request a bye for round 2 of the Southwest Open.
Alternatively, register to play in the 3-day schedule, request byes for rounds 1 & 2 of the Southwest Open.
Alternatively, you can request byes for rounds 4 & 5 of the Scholastic to play in Rd 2 of the Southwest Open.
Take a detailed look at the round times of both events to see which rounds you will have to skip to be able to compete in both events.