Tournaments
Let’s get ready for a Chess Tournament!
Tournaments are a great way to test your chess skills against other players. We encourage everyone to make new chess friends and relationships at our tournaments. If this is your first time then take a deep breath and try to relax- mistakes will be made, their may be a heartbreaker or two, but it is all part of learning the game.
Chess is a great way to learn many lessons about life. Patience, planning, and sportsmanship under pressure are just some of the many skills we can improve. We can also learn a lot about ourselves through how we play chess. Some children play very aggressively and some play very defensively, this is an excellent opportunity to assess your child’s current strengths. The best players are balanced and know when to be aggressive and when to be defensive and sometimes when to simply be patient. This all takes time and practice.
USCF Rated chess tournaments require chess notation (writing down all the moves) for players in 3rd grade and above and that the child be a scholastic USCF member.
Chess Tournament Locations
- Raleigh:
Montessori School of Raleigh
7005 Lead Mine Road
Raleigh, NC 27615 - North Raleigh:
Lafayette Village
8450 Honeycutt Road
Raleigh, NC 27615 - Cary:
Cary Academy
1500 North Harrison Avenue
Cary, NC 27513 - Wake Forest:
Franklin Academy Middle
1127 Chalk Road
Wake Forest, NC 27587
Click here for a schedule of our tournaments.
Tournament Details
Individual Tournaments
USCF Rated and Not Rated Sections
New Players Welcome -Spotted Rating 40 X Current Age
Raleigh and Wake Forest Formats: Round Robin (Groups of 4)
Cary Format: Swiss (Groups of 8 to 10)
Entry Fee: $20 Online or $25 at Site
Participant Ages: 17 Years and Under
On-site Registration: 1:00 to 1:15 at MSR and CA 2:00-2:15 at FA
Trophies & Awards: 4:45
Time Controls: GAME/30 for most sections, GAME/45 for Top Section Players
Blitz Tournaments
USCF Rated and Not Rated Sections
New Players Welcome -Spotted Rating 40 X Current Age
Lafayette Village Format: 6 Rnd Double Swiss (Adult Section, K-8, K-5)
Entry Fee: $10 Online or $15 at Site
Participant Ages: Adult and Youth Welcome
On-site Registration: 2:00-2:15
Trophies & Awards: 4:30
Time Controls: GAME/5 with 2 second delay
K-8 Team vs. Team
USCF Rated and Not Rated Sections
3 Round Swiss: 1:30, 2:35, and 3:40
Sections: Will group in Teams of 4 based on Average Team Rating
Entry Fee: $80 per Team -Pay at Site Only
Players: Minimum 3 participants up to 5 per team
Only 4 players count towards team score per round
Substitution allowed each round to rotate sub
No limit on the number of teams per school
Participant Grade Levels: K-8
Pre Registration Only: Email Participant Names Us
Payment Options: Bring payment to site -no online payments
Trophies & Awards: 4:45
Time Controls: GAME/30
Questions: info@raleighchessacademy.com
What to wear: Your school colors!
Wake County Scholastic Championships
Eligibility: Must live or attend School in Wake County.
4 Round Swiss: 1:30, 2:35, 3:40, and 4:45
Entry Fee: $20 Online or $25 at Site
Team: Top 4 participants from each school count towards section team score
No limit on the number of teams per school
Sections and Trophies: K-1, K-3, K-5, K-8, and K-12 Team and Individual
On-site Registration: 12:45p to 1:10p
Trophies & Awards: 6:00p
Time Controls: GAME/30
Questions: info@raleighchessacademy.com
What to wear: Your school colors!
Please check in at least 15 minutes prior to the 1st round.