NON-Rated Practice Event for First Timers Only + Parent Seminar!

         When?
     The next  Rising Star event will be:
     December 14th, 2024 at 10:00AM
     

         Where?
     We will be at Imagination Lab School:
     4000 Middlefield
     Palo Alto, CA 94303
        
         Register?
     You may register on this page (you must be logged in to do so). You may also pay on-location (which is necessary if claiming any kind of credit or discount). You may reach out to enrich@bayareachess.com with any questions. 

RISING STAR, IMPORTANT:

- This Event is ONLY for unrated players that have never participated in a Rated Tournament (Chesskid events do not count as rated).
- A player may not attend more than one Rising Star Event. Every participant must be experiencing their very first 'over-the-board' Tournament.
- Rising Stars are NOT Drop-in events, you must be registered in advance (cash payments can be scheduled in advance if needed).  The Price is $33.00 for the Rising Star Event (tournament, seminar and award). The price may adjust based on attendance (earlier is better!)

We know the world of competitive Chess can feel overwhelming. The Rising Star event is a format for children to experience all the conditions of a standard USCF rated tournament without the stress and worry of strict expectations, allowing them to pause and ask questions, while offering parents the opportunity to better understand everything they need to help aid their children along their journey.

BAC will try to host Rising Star events every 4-5 weeks. Always check back on this page for any new dates ;)
 

BAC Rising Star:

At our BAC Rising Star Events, new players can learn the rules and etiquette of USCF rated tournaments in an educational, fun and non-competitive atmosphere. These events hold the same format as our scholastic tournaments, except that they are non-rated (games/results will NOT be sent into the United States Chess Federation, hence no USCF membership is required to participate) and are specifically designed to introduce kids to the rules and standards of competitive Chess. Players will learn the procedure of looking up their pairings, how clocks are used in tournament play, the special rules for touching pieces, the order of operations when completing a game, general tournament etiquette, and various terms and expectations. 

Time Control: G/25; d5 (Game in 25 minutes with 5 second delay). 
   What does this mean?  Each player gets 25 minutes, and at each move, there is a 5 second delay before the clock starts running, if clocks are used. IF players use up their time, a game can last up to an hour.  The Rising Star Event will be 3-4 games, as time allows, which historically finishes in 1.5 hours. NEW tournament players routinely PLAY TOO QUICKLY.

Tournament type:  This depends strictly on the attendance. We may use a QUAD format (groups of 4 play a round-robin series), or a Split Swiss: All players will be in one or two sections. The pairing for every round will be based on the results of the previous round(s). BAC may use the term 'Swissly', as we reserve the right to modify/optimize the tournament type based on enrollment or other variables. This method keeps the tournament fairly balanced as it progresses. Tournaments are not 'knock-out' or elimination, each player will play all scheduled games.

Awards: The Experience itself is the award!  However, we will be presenting every participant with a small Rising-Star trophy or medal for joining us, regardless of their final score or performance. (Please note that Performance/Score WILL be used to determine awards in other competitive rated events). 

Materials: Sets and boards will be provided.  We will provide clocks as well, though you may also bring one if you wish. It is okay if the player is uncertain how to use clocks or record their moves, though you should practice this in our drop-in clubs (group lessons!). We will only force clocks onto games that threaten to go too long.

We try to rotate locations for this monthly Event.  Possible locations are: 
Palo Alto, San Jose, Fremont, Cupertino, Burlingame, Milpitas, Santa Clara, and more!
(suggest one at enrich@bayareachess.com!)

After this experience, players will be better prepared (and far less intimidated) to join any of the half-day RATED signature scholastic Swiss or Quad Events, by BAC! (www.bayareachess.com/signature). Note: Our TOURNAMENT Website and our ENRICHMENT Website (this one) use different login credentials.

Entry Fee: $33

Cancellation Policy: All cancellations prior to the day of the Event are subject to $3 fee.

Tandem Parent Seminar:

There will be an informational session for parents as the tournament is in progress.
Some of the features/topics covered at this event can include:
  * Explanation of the benefits of chess to your child... it goes way beyond the chessboard.
  * Introduction to tournaments and Explanation of the various tournament formats to explore (quads vs. swiss)
  * Navigating the USCF (United States Chess Federation) website. Explanation of the membership options and how to look up your child.
  * Explanation of the USCF rating system
  * Tools to aid the process of learning chess
  * Introduction to the BAC Tournament Home-Page (and creating a login there to register for Rated-Tournaments in the near future!)
And much more!

The parent seminar, depending on enrollment and venue, may be limited to one adult per player.

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