Forum

Frequently Asked Questions What is your refund policy? Obtaining a refund for any of our tournaments is a easy and speedy process. All you need to do is to request the refund by email before the refund deadline and we will process your refund as soon as we are aware of the request. No excuse required. Please specify if you would like the refund to be issued to your original payment method or a registration credit usable for future tournaments. All refunds must be requested no later than the seventh day before the event if online or the 30th day before the tournament is in-person. Afterwards, refunds are issued only in case of duplicate registrations or our cancellation of the event. Refunds are issued for the full amount of your entry fees, but do not include any Eventbrite fees you may have incurred in the original transaction. Who is eligible to participate? Every scholastic player who is a member of the United States of America Chess Federation in good standing shall be qualified to participate in any of our tournaments, regardless of geographic location. A person is considered a scholastic player if he: (1) Is currently enrolled as, and has not graduated from being, a K-12 student or foreign equivalent; (2) Graduated from high school in the present calendar year (only applies for tournaments held on or before August 31); or; (3) Has not attained to seventeen years of age, even if he has graduated from high school. Rating qualifications for sections and class prizes are determined according to the greater of a player’s over-the-board or online USCF rating as indicated on the rating supplement for the month in which the tournament occurs. If you have a foreign (or FIDE) rating, you must disclose such rating, and we may adjust your rating qualifications accordingly. When will my gift card arrive? Gift cards are issued as prizes for our online tournaments. When the one-week fair play period has expired, we issue final standings for each section indicating who is receiving prizes and in what amounts. Although delivery times may vary, we generally email the Amazon gift cards to recipients within two to five business days following the issuance of the standings. If you have not received your gift card within a timely manner, there could have been a technical issue, so you should contact us in such case. Are registrations assignable? Entries are not assignable to other players. Do you accept same-day registrations? Same-day registrations are only accepted for our online tournaments and expire thirty minutes before the tournament commences. We do not charge any same-day registration surcharge. What forms of payment are accepted? We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discovery and American Express) if you are registering electronically through Eventbrite. If you rather pay by cash or check, please contact us for further instructions. Last Updated: March 26, 2022

INNOVATIVE CHESS SOLUTIONS Registrants, This forum has been ordained to assist you in negotiating with your opponent the time at which the two of you will play your game. It should not be forgotten that such games must commence between 4:00pm and 8:00pm (CST) during weekdays, and between noon and 3:00pm (CST) on weekends. Additionally, the time agreed upon must be reported to us within 30 minutes before the soonest time your game could begin (that is, 3:30pm and 11:30am respectively) and, if no agreement is reached, it will commence at 7:00pm on weekdays and 2:00pm on weekends. Sincerely, Caleb S. Brown President of Innovative Chess Solutions and Chief Tournament Director

Players Assembled, If you have any Questions which must be answered please submit them either in this topic, the notes or, if of a private nature, email me at csbrown.entrepreneur@gmail.com For private message: Chief Tournament Director: caleb1953 Chief Assistant Tournament Director: bmtblake Were looking forward to hearing from you!

2021 Virtual Scholastic Chess Exposition: First Round Pairings OPEN White Black Santiago Arellano (1303) (TX) Rohit Sullia (1059) (TX)Anirudh Kuppili (502) (IL) Kyler Hedderly (1271) (TX) U1000 White Black Owen Hatch (992) (TX) Sankalp Malugu (699) (WA)Beatrice Gabbard (648) (KT) Brandon Li (941) (MA)Remy Delmotte (829) (GA) Aurelia Delmotte (532) (GA)Noah Strauss (339) (NJ) Konstantin Nosov (772) (TX)Ethan Vandivier (753) (MD) FNU Diganth (298) (NC)Joseph Schneider (NEW) (TX) Nicholas Gabbard (706) (KT) U500 White Black Raghavan Ramanujam (451) (CA) Micah Brown (247) (TX)James Gabbard (217) (KT) Thomas Gabbard (363) (KT)Andy Wang (289) (CT) Lilly Wang (193) (CT) Nota Bene: Please refer to the wallchart for the chess.com username of your opponent. Also, the players cannot, by agreement or otherwise, use a different time control, or reverse colors, but must set their time controls to G/60+10 and they must play the colors assigned on this sheet. We reserve the right to disallow a game played with a differing time control, or reversed colors, and require it to be replayed, if the schedule permits; other penalties, including double forfeiture of game, may be imposed at our discretion.

Official Finalized Standings Championship Section Place Full Legal Name Rating Points Modified Median Tiebreaker 1 Daniel Videna 802 4½ 2 Walton Downs 1561 3½ 3 Santiago Arellano 1200 3 4 Blake Mathew Trimble 1040 2 5 Ronald Mathew Tam 828 1 6 Linlejia Chen 1175 1 U1000 Section Place Full Legal Name Rating Points Modified Median Tiebreaker 1 Vijay Srinivas Anandh 776 5 2 Nikita Dementyev 746 4 3 Noah Mahan 805 2 5.0 4 Konstantin Mikhailov Nosov 772 2 1.0 5 Aiden Kirkland 802 1 6 Dheekshana Karthick 602 1 U600 Section Place Full Legal Name Rating Points Modified Median Tiebreaker 1 Logan Christopher Patete NEW 5 2 Derrek Chan 515 4 3 Micah Elijah Brown 247 2 5.5 4 Connor Ma 591 2 4.5 5 Samuel Mahan NEW 2 0.0 6 Tyler Ma 602 1½ 7 Sabrina Tam 387 1 UNRATED Section Place Full Legal Name Rating Points Modified Median Tiebreaker 1 Carson Ko UNRATED 5 2 Ezra Zane Saenz UNRATED 3 3 Cameron Ko UNRATED 1 9.0 4 Cadiden Ko UNRATED 1 7.0 Blitz Place Full Legal Name Rating Points Modified Median Tiebreaker 1 Santiago Arellano 1200 4 13.0 2 Walton Downs 1561 4 11.5 3 Blake Mathew Trimble 1040 3½ 11.0 4 Logan Christopher Patete NEW 3½ 9.0 5 Micah Elijah Brown 247 2 6 Noah Mahan 805 2 7 Linlejia Chen 1175 2 Throughout these standings, it was only necessary to use the first tiebreak in order, Modified Median, which is explained in Rule 34 of the USCF Official Rules of Chess 7th Edition. For time expediency, we have only included the tiebreak points for where they would actually have an impact in the division of trophies or certificates, as the case may be; this order may not be the same as it will appear in the tournament records that will be posted at uschess.org after the tournament rating report has been submitted and approved. Thank you for your participation!

INNOVATIVE CHESS SOLUTIONS We are pleased to announce that the second annual, 2020 Waco Scholastic Chess Championship, has proceeded in an expedient manner and adjourned sine die. The tournament opened at 8:30 am and adjourned at 1:15 pm; it was directed by our President, Caleb S. Brown as Chief Tournament Director, with the ready aid of Cheif Assistant TD Blake Mathew Trimble. There were four sections, five rounds and a time control of G/30; d5; each round started after the previous round ended, with a 15-minute intermission between rounds three and four. Additionally, trophies were awarded to the top 3 in each section (blitz players receiving certificates to top 3) and the entry fee began at a low $15 per player, increasing to $20, $22, and eventually $35 overtime. Whereas 30 players were registered following withdrawals (resulting in a total of 35 entries, of which 4 withdrawals were refundable), a total of 24 players actually participated. USCF-member participants were 20. Notable local players receiving trophies include Walton Downs (2nd place of Championship), Noah Mahan (3rd place of U1000) and Micah E. Brown (3rd place of U600). Replacing Logan Clark Shafer from last year, being a resident of McLennan County, Walton Downs has, and by these presents does hereby, become the Waco Scholastic Chess Champion and thus the strongest scholastic player of the Greater Waco Area. Also, it is memourable that not all of our players reside within this State, as one, holder of 1st place in the Championship, is an inhabitant of the State of California. The standings of the tournament have been emailed to all players of record and will be shorty posted in this club. We particularly thank all of our players for the time and devotion they reposed in this tournament and look forward to their participation in future events. Adieu.

If you are participating in one of the rated sections, being an unexpired member of the United States of America Chess Federation in good standing and would like to play in the Blitz section, please note your intention to do so below. As a reminder, this Blitz side-event is optional and will not affect the general tournament; it commences about fifteen minutes after the last round, in every rated section, concludes. The time control will be G/05 (no delay) and ideally will consist of five rounds; no entry fee. Certificates will be provided to the top 3. And finally, as this will be USCF rated, you cannot play in the Blitz if you are in the UNRATED Section (but you may if your in another section, but with no rating yet). We would appreciate your participation and thank you therefor.

To all registered players: Greetings, This shall notify you that the qualifications to receive the Waco Scholastic Chess Champion title for the cycle 2020, has been and is by these presents hereby amended so that, to qualify for the title, a person must be a resident of McLennan County and have completed every round in any rated section. All rated sections will be deemed a single section to determine who is entitled to be awarded the title and if between them, two or more persons are tied therefor, the recipient of the title will be determined in accordance with the tiebreak order set forth in the Statement of Technical Arrangements. The sole privilege which this title conveys, other than the style and recognition accompanying the same, is that Innovative Chess Solutions warrants, once first granted, it (or its successors) will not confer the title upon any other person during this calendar year. Additionally, the recipient will be provided a special certificate guaranteeing his/her entitlement to the title. Our champion from 2019 is Logan Clark Shafer, who is not participating in this event.

Waco Scholastic Chess Championship STATEMENT OF TECHNICAL ARRANGEMENTS We would like to welcome you to the 2020 Waco Scholastic Chess Championship. Given that this event has been recently virtualized, this statement has been devised to provide you with information pertaining to how it will function online, so that you can succeed in your game-play, without technical difficulties. Furthermore, it should be noted that this statement is to be read in conjunction with, but not substituted for, the tournament pamphlet. General Platform: The tournament will be played using the Chess.com platform. How to Join: Each section is, for pairing purposes, its own distinct tournament. In order to join your section on the day of the tournament, you must, ideally at least somewhat in advance, complete the following steps:- Sign-up for a Chess.com account (if you do not already have one), at chess.com/register. It is free of charge. You will be asked to provide a username, password, email and skill level. Request to join the Innovative Chess Solutions Tournament Hall Club, which can be found by searching that name in the club search (see the contact part of the sidebar). Once this is done, to verify your identity, please email us your full legal name, school and username; shortly thereafter, you will be admitted to the club. On the day of the tournament, you will be capable of joining your section no sooner than one hour prior to its start; to do so, click on “live tournaments” and to the right, you should see listed all four sections of the tournament. Please take care to join only the section you are registered in. Have fun! At exactly 8:30 am, the first round will commence automatically and your game should appear immediately. Timing: Although the tournament itself will not commence until 8:30 am, we strongly advise all players to join the Google-meet call and their section no later than 8:10 am; the call itself will start around 7:50 am. The primary reason for this is to allow sufficient time for any technical difficulties or questions to be resolved/answered in a timely manner before games commence. Each round starts almost immediately after the last round concludes. Prior Experience: There is no requirement that you have a certain amount of online playing experience to participate in this tournament, but, if you are new to the platform, we suggest that you play a few games (i.e., 3 or 5), preferably on rapid time controls, to get you used to playing games on Chess.com and to establish a more reliable online rating from which your games will be paired. Google-Meet Call: The purpose of this video call is to ensure that the laws of chess are observed and to provide greater ease in the answering of questions. In order to join the call you (or a parent) will need a Google account (which you will already have if you have an account for another Google service, such as Gmail, Google+, YouTube, etc.); for more information on this subject and to register for one, see https://accounts.google.com/signup/v2/webcreateaccount?hl=en&flowName=GlifWebSignIn&flowEntry=SignUp On the tournament day, enter the following code to be admitted to the call: meet.google.com/bkn-wtpe-whn. You are requested to email us the username the player will be appear under during the call. Alternatively, upon request, we can directly invite you to the meeting and it will appear in your Google Calendar. While the tournament is ongoing, if where you’re playing is not necessarily quiet, except when you need to converse with a tournament director, please mute your microphone, but in all cases, you are expected to keep your camera on. Additionally, you are not allowed to photograph or record the Google-Meet call. We have no present intention to record the video call, but we do plan to take a small number of photographs, upon notification, shortly prior to the beginning of the tournament of all the players together on the video call, which we may publish at our discretion. Blitz: The blitz side-event is optional and occurs approximately fifteen minutes following the conclusion of the fifth round in each section; if you would like to participate you are requested, but not required, to inform us of that intention beforehand, by email or otherwise. Furthermore, it should be noted that while there is no entry fee to play in the Blitz, you must be a USCF member, as its games will be rated under the online blitz raring; thus, do not join this Blitz side-event if you are in the UNRATED section of the regular tournament. Questions: If you must ask a question after the tournament commences, please instead of speaking it, post it in the notes of the Tournament Hall Club or, if necessary, send us an email. The period prior to the commencement of the tournament on the Google-Meet call will be deemed a Q&A Session and during that period, you may ask questions verbally. Consumption of Food: You are permitted to consume food and drink during the tournament, but are advised that, from experience, doing so during a game may negatively impact your playing performance. Should you make noise eating, please mute your microphone until your meal has concluded. Fair-Play: All players are bound by honor to faithfully observe the Laws of Chess as set forth in the 7th Edition of the United States Chess Federation’s Official Rules of Chess, as amended; this will be enforced in each section, including the Unrated section. In particular, under those rules, the following conduct is expressly prohibited:- Consulting any person, other than your opponent or a TD, about your game, to extend to, but not limited to solicitation of advice; Relying on a chess book, notes from a chess coach or any other written material, whether written or electronic, to determine moves; Using chess software or other computer programs to aid in selecting or evaluating of moves to any extent whatsoever; Exercising notes “made during a game as an aid to memory,” except for notation; “Collusion to fix or throw games, whether before or during the game” Acts facilitating any of the above or otherwise in violation of the said Rules of Chess. Players are advised that, due to Chess.com’s Fair-Play systems, it is very unlikely that any attempts to use computer assistance will pass undetected. These rated games will be automatically submitted for potential fair-play violations. If we receive a report from Chess.com that a player has committed a fair-play violation (namely using a computer program to determine moves), that player will forfeit any prize they may have been entitled to the Organizer. For more information, see: https://www.chess.com/article/view/chess-com-fair-play-and-cheat-detection Draws: If a condition arises which creates a draw (i.e., triple occurrence of position, 50-move rule, etc.), one player must claim the draw clicking the draw button; Chess.com does not normally declare draws, save in a few circumstances. In a draw, each player receives ½ points. Notation: Because the platform actually records moves, notation is thereby rendered obsolete, relieving players at any requirement to notate. Rating & Pairing: For avoidance of doubt, all sections are paired in accordance with each player’s rapid Chess.com online rating, not their USCF rating (if any); a player’s eligibility for a section is determined by virtue of their regular USCF online rating. Although we cannot commit to a specific date, barring the extraordinary, it is our intention to release this tournament’s rating report to the United States Chess Federation within three business days after the day of the tournament. Standings: Throughout the tournament, in each section, the platform will display preliminary standings. While these may be helpful for reference purposes, said standings may differ from the official final standings which determine the order in which trophies are awarded. In particular, the reason why the official and preliminary standings might be different is because our tiebreakers may not be the same as used by Chess.com; thus, if you are tied for a trophy with another player(s), the official standings will control. The official final tournament standings will be emailed to each player on the same day as the tournament, likely within the hour after all rounds have completed. Additionally, each player will be mailed a copy of the official standings along with their medal (and any trophy or certificate to which they are entitled). Tiebreaks: This tournament does hereby adopt the following tiebreak order for ranking and prize purposes:- Modified Median Solkoff Cumulative Kashdan Sonneborn-Berger Coin-Flip Please refer to Rule 34E of the United States Chess Federation Official Rules of Chess for further information about how these tiebreaks work. For Chapters 1, 2 & 11 of the said rules, see: https://new.uschess.org/sites/default/files/wp-thumbnails/2019/12/US-Chess-Rule-Book-Online-Only-Edition-Chapters-1-2-11-5-11-20.pdf Platform Failure: Although we expect the platform to function correctly, from time to time, on rare occasion, Chess.com has experienced website failures, to the extent online tournaments are unable to proceed. In the unlikely event that this occurs, we will reschedule the starting time until later in the day or, if necessary, to the following Sunday (to begin at noon). If we become aware of the necessity to reschedule under this provision, players will be notified promptly. Touch-Move: If you touch a piece, by the platform’s nature, you will not be compelled to move it. However, if you drop it upon a square constituting a legal move, you are unable to alter it and your opponent’s clock immediately starts. Organizer & TDs: The affiliate that will rate this tournament is Innovative Chess Solutions. Your Chief Tournament Director is Caleb S. Brown (Chess.com username: caleb1953) and the Chief Assistant Tournament Director is Blake Trimble (username: bmtBlake). Contact: Please email us at csbrown.entrepreneur@gmail.com any time, if you have any concerns about this statement or the tournament in general. In conclusion, we hope you will enjoy this tournament, be successful thereof and ideally have fun! Sincerely, Caleb S. Brown Primary Organizer and Chief Tournament Director