ChessKid.com 2014 National Online Invitational Championship

ChessKid.com is set to host the 3rd Annual Online National Chess Championship, June 6th-8th 2014. First founded in June of 2012, last year's event was the second ever "online" National Chess Championship. The event is both USCF Rated and recognized as the only National Championship of its kind.

IM Rensch's full recap of last year's event can be found here, but as he explains, events of this nature represent a rare opportunity for America's most talented youth to square off only against players of similar age, strength and experience. The "by-invitation-only", Round Robin format is just one of the things that makes this tournament a special occasion - and with all the games played online - travel expenses and other logistical inconveniences are not an issue in bringing the nation's best together.

Though the 2014 edition will feature fewer rounds, as well as less players per section, we believe this year's format will provide for an even better experience, with thougher competition in each matchup. We have also added a section (so nearly the same amount of players overall will participate) to include the youngest ever (as far as we know) Round Robin Championship: a "6 and Under" section.

Full details, including rules and prizes, see below. Look for an updated announcement (closer to tournament time) once the field of 30 players is confirmed.

ChessKid.com is the "scholastic extension" of the world's largest chess website - Chess.com. By bringing so many of the nation's best and brightest youth chess players together for an event of this magnitude, ChessKid.com and the USCF hope to provide more exposure for the great game of chess, as well as all the benefits the game has on a child's cognitive development and critical thinking skills.

UPDATE:

TOURNAMENT DESCRIPTION
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• WHEN: This event will take place June 6-8, with a total of 5 rounds over 3 days (1/2/2 rounds on F/S/Su). Round 1 Friday at 7pm EST, 4pm PST. Round 2, Saturday 11am EST, 8am PST. Round 3, Saturday 5pm EST, 2pm PST. Round 4, Sunday 11am EST, 8am PST. Round 5, Sunday 5pm EST, 2pm PST.
  
• WHAT: The event is a National Championship which means the winner will be the official "8 and Under National Champion", etc. The games are also "USCF rated" meaning the results will affect the official "USCF rating" of the participants.
• SECTIONS: 6 and Under; 8 and Under; 10 and Under; 12 and Under; Girls 13 and Under.
  
• HOW PLAYERS ARE DETERMINED: This is an Invitational Tournament, with 6 players per section. This means 30 total kids over the 5 sections will compete. The invitees are determined by the USCF Top Rated Players list, February 2014.
• INVITATIONS: The Top 15 players in each age group will receive participation invites (either as a confirmed invite or "alternate", should someone ahead of them decline participation). In the event that a player qualifys in the Top 15 in two age groups (ie, an Under 8 Player also qualifies for the Under 10 division) the player will be given the right to choose his group of participation and the next player (in either section) will be invited accordingly. 
• RATING TIES: In the event that two players are tied, "peak lifetime published rating" before the February supplement will be used to break the tie. If the two players are still tied (same peak rating), then whoever has the highest March supplement rating will be invited before the other. In the extremely unlikely event that the players are still tied, Chesskid.com reserves the right to find another tiebreak method.

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TOURNAMENT FORMAT & RULES

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• ROUND ROBIN: This is a single "Round Robin" tournament, which means every player will play every other player exactly one time. We will attempt to provide exact pairings two weeks in advance of the event, but may experience delays based on player participation confirmation.
  
• TIME CONTROL: The games will be played online on Chess.com with a time control of "G/90 + 30 sec increment", which means both players get 90 minutes for all their moves and each time they make a move they get an additional 30 seconds added to their clock.
• LIVE COVERAGE: Every single round will be covered live and viewable on ChessKid TV or Chess.com/tv.
  
• WHERE THE KIDS PLAY FROM: Because the games are played online, most players will be playing locally. Some kids will play from home, and others from public locations in their home towns (or nearby), like local chess clubs or a public library, or even a rented conference room at a hotel, in the case of several players in the same area. All kids will be encouraged to play from a highly stable internet connection, and possibly a hard-wired (ethernet) setup.
  
• T.D. MONITORED: Most typical "over the board" tournaments are monitored loosely by the Tournament Director, or TD, who is physically present to discourage any type of cheating. Online tournaments are different because your opponent and the TD can't see you. Because of this, all players must provide a local neutral adult chaperon to be present and monitor them while they play. In addition to this, Chess.com has top of the line cheat detection.
  
• TAKEBACKS: Though "mouse slips" can and do happen in an online setting, this year we will not allow ANY takebacks to be issued under any circumstances. We recommend the most careful observation of your position and usage of the mouse before making a move!
• RELAYING MOVES TO A BOARD: While all players will be allowed to use a real board to show only the current position in their game (no moving the piece for analysis), no player is allowed to have someone else enter their moves on the computer.  This rule/clarification has two reasons behind it:  1) If a player in severe time trouble calls out a move and the 'relayer' doesn't make the move in time, then there will be difficult questions about whether the player deserves to lose on time; 2) If a 'relayer' makes a different move for any reason -- accidentally or on purpose -- then the opponent will be analyzing the wrong move, and it's also possible to mouse-slip a superior move.  Both of these scenarios are best avoided.
  
• TIE-BREAKS: In the event of a tie for first place, a clear winner will be determined via an Armageddon Rapid Game. White will receive 25 minutes, Black will receive 10 minutes and "draw odds". 5-second time increment will be in place. The lower rated player will have choice of color / odds.
  
• In the event of a tie for other places, USCF Standard Tie-Breaks will be used.
  

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• Each player will receive a free 1 year Diamond Membership on Chess.com;
  
• Each player will receive a free 1 year Gold Membership on ChessKid.com;
• Each player will receive a free ChessKid.com T-shirt, A Chess.com Hoodie or Jacket, A Chess.com Hat, and a Wristband;
• Top 3 finishers in each section to receive Custom Plaque with name engraved;
• 1st place in each section $300 Scholarship (an estimated 3-5 hours of lesson time) towards lessons with a Top Chess Trainer (coaches assigned by Chess.com);

Full rules and details shared with participants and on-site proctors / directors upon accepting invitations.

ChessKid.com is the "scholastic extension" of the world's largest chess website - Chess.com. By bringing so many of the nation's best and brightest youth chess players together for an event of this magnitude, ChessKid.com and the USCF hope to provide more exposure for the great game of chess, as well as all the benefits the game has on a child's cognitive development and critical thinking skills.