Grant and Adams County chess players K-12 of all skill levels
are invited to the 18th annual ...

Waypoint Foundation Scholastic Chess Tournament

Saturday, February 1, 2025
at Parkway Elementary, Ephrata



Advance entry required -- registration online here


High School Team Championship:
This tournament is a high school Regional Qualifier. Winning high school teams qualify to compete in the 59th annual Washington State High School Chess Team Championships, being held this year February 28 and March 1 at Lincoln Hill High School in Stanwood. Team score is the sum of the best five results from a school.

Elementary State Qualifier:
This tournament is also a qualifier for the Elementary State Championships, being held April 26, 2025 at the Tacoma Convention Center. Students 1st-6th grades who score three or more wins qualify to compete in Elementary State Championship divisions.

Location: Parkway Elementary School gym, 1011 Parkway Blvd, Ephrata.

Who Can Play: Students K-12 (public, private, home) in Grant and Adams counties.

Format: One section K-12, five rounds no elimination, so all players play all five rounds. Swiss pairings are used, so players of similar score face off each round. One point is awarded for a win, zero for a loss, a half point for a draw.

Schedule: Check in promptly from 7:45-8:20am in the cafeteria. Round 1 starts at 8:30am. Round 2 and 3 will follow approximately 15 minutes after the end of the prior round. Round 4 will begin after lunch at approximately 12:00pm with Round 5 approximately 15 minutes after the end of Round 4. Playoff rounds to determine a sole winner, if needed, after Round 5.

Tournament Rules: FIDE tournament rules are in effect. Those are clarified in the FAQ below, but the main ones are:

  • If you touch a piece, you must move it. (Accidental bumps don't count.)
  • Clocks will be used. 30 minutes per player, so a one hour maximum round time.
  • Both players must record the moves, until one player has 5 minutes or less on the clock. Then both players may cease recording if desired.

Cost: No entry fee, courtesy of the Waypoint Foundation's generosity. Pre-registration required and space is limited, so register early.

Awards: Cash prizes to be awarded to participants, with first prize of $500. Top finishing high school teams earn a berth to the 59th annual Washington State High School Chess Team Championships. Top finishing elementary students qualify to compete at the Elementary State Championships.

To Enter: Advance registration required. Register online. Deadline to enter is noon Friday, January 31, but event may fill up before then, so don't delay.

Lunch: Pizza lunch will be provided for youth participants, not spectators. Participants who would prefer to not eat pizza are welcome to bring a sack lunch.

Prep Classes: Classes are held to explain tournament rules, chess notation, and such. Class participation is not required, although it is recommended for first-time participants. Parents are always welcome. Visit the Waypoint Foundation Facebook page for date and location information.

Questions: Read the Waypoint Foundation web site, the registration page and the FAQ below. If further questions, contact Troy Pugh at troy@waypointfoundation.org.

Sponsored by: Waypoint Foundation. Sanctioned by the Washington High School Chess Association (WHSCA) as a Regional Qualifier for State.

Pawns


Waypoint Tournament Regional Qualifier FAQ

I'm not a good chessplayer. Should I play?
If you enjoy chess, come play. Doesn't matter if you're experienced or not. Swiss pairings will pair you with other players around your same skill level. For example, if you don't win your first games, you'll play someone else with the same score. We're all learning together.

How do I record my moves?
Yes, scorekeeping is required, just like at State. To learn how, check out this web page. It takes some getting used to, but it's not hard. It will help you improve, as you'll be able to review your games. It helps avoid disputes. And, once you can read chess notation, you can read chess books from all around the planet. Scoresheets will be provided, but do bring a good pen or pencil.

I grabbed a chess piece. If I haven't taken my hands off of the chess piece yet, can I change my mind?
In a rated tournament like this one, if you even touch a chess piece with your fingers, you must move it. And if you touch an opponent's piece, you must capture it. So sit on your hands until you know what you want to do. You have time. If a piece needs to be centered or adjusted, you may do so on your turn only, by first saying "I adjust". If you accidentally brush against a piece, you don't have to move it.

My opponent touched their knight, but then moved another piece. What do I do?
If you ever have any kind of issue, dispute or question during a game, raise your hand and a Floor Judge will come assist you. So, for example in this scenario, you'd politely (quietly) say "You touched your knight, and are required to move it." If they refuse, say "Let's get the floor judge." Pause the clock and raise your hand, or rise and find a floor judge. The floor judge will listen to both players and resolve matters according to USCF rules.

Chess Lady I have no experience with chess clocks. What do I need to know?
Chess clocks are a great invention. They keep the game moving, and add a new dimension of excitement. So, after you move and release your piece, press the button nearest you on the chess clock. Then record your move. Your timer stopped, and your opponent's timer began. If you use up all your time, you lose, just like checkmate. If you want to get familiar with timed chess, download a chess clock app on your smartphone and use it, or just play a few games on lichess or Chess.com. In our tournament, each side will start with 30 minutes, which means the game could last for an hour.

Other clock rules to know:

  • You have to make moves and press the clock with the same hand. (You might sit on one of your hands, until you get the one hand habit going.)
  • The player with the black pieces gets to choose what side of the board the clock will be on.
  • You cannot pause the clock unless you are calling over a floor judge.
  • When "time trouble" happens, which is when one player has five minutes or less on the clock, a couple things happen. First, both players no longer have to record the chess moves. Second, if a player makes an illegal move, like leaving their king in check, the other player gets two extra minutes on the clock. Call over a floor judge if this happens.

How does high school team scoring work?
The best five results by players attending the same school are added together to determine the team score. Remember, scoring is 1 point for a win, 0 for a loss, and 1/2 for a draw. So for example, six players from Moses Lake High School are playing, and their final scores after five rounds are 4.0, 3.5, 2.0, 2.0, 1.0 and 0.5. Their team score would be 12.5 points.

Top finishing teams will qualify for State, as per WHSCA Table 1. At State, teams are not allowed to enter unless they have at least five players. In our tournament, four players from a school will constitute a team, although they'll be at a handicap. Three players from a school is not a team. So, using WHSCA Table 1, if for example we have five teams competing, the top three teams would qualify to compete at State.

How do you determine who plays who? How do Swiss pairings work?
Check out the Wikipedia article or this video. But the basic Swiss Tournament rules are:

  • no elimination - everyone plays all rounds
  • players of similar score are paired together
  • you never play the same person twice
  • the computer tries to arrange it so you have the black and white pieces equally

What if there's a tie after five rounds?
After Round 5, if there's a tie for first, playoff rounds will determine a sole winner. For other positions, ties will be broken by the standard "Modified Median" tiebreak method. Basically, if you played opponents who scored well, you'll have high tiebreak points. Tiebreak systems calculate who has played the toughest opposition. Here's the Wikipedia article on the topic.

This tournament is rated by the NWSRS? What's that?
There are international, national and regional chess rating systems, which provide chess players with a number that is a rough indicator of their playing strength. It's similar to a golf handicap, bowling handicap or tennis ranking. Players enjoy improving their playing strength and their rating, and tournament directors can use ratings to place players of similar strength in playing sections together. Our tournament will be rated by the Northwest Scholastic Rating System.

I attend a small school. What chance does our chess team have against those huge 4A schools?
Two new developments are in place this year to assist small schools. First, state champions will now be recognized in each size class -- 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A, 2B, 1B. Second, following the WIAA's lead, 1B and 2B high schools may now use 8th graders. (School size charts here.) This rule is intended to assist small schools in fielding a full team of five. Clarify with WHSCA in advance of a Regional or State if your high school team will include an 8th grader.

Catch the High School State vibe - here's a 40 second video from the start of Round Five at the 2020 Wa. State High School Chess Team Championships held at Mount Vernon High School.

Catch the Elementary/MS State vibe - here's a 40 second video from the playing floor of the 2020 Washington State Middle School and Elementary School Championships, held at the Tacoma Convention Center.