1. Your initial rating will be provisional. You will see a "P" next to your rating for the first 24 games. After that is a standard rating.
2. uscf.org
3. You do not need to join a club to play in tournaments. Unless a club requires membership.
4. Most tournaments offer prizes of some sort.
5. Your membership has nothing to do with finding a coach.
For me? I had my time where i enjoyed playing in tournaments. It was a blast. Now for me they are vacations. I go to watch and hangout with friends.
It has been a long time since I was a member of the USCF. Playing in rated tournaments is fun even if you aren’t playing well because it is a chance to meet people and learn from the experience.
The website will have tournaments listed and you can search by state to find local events.
Most tournaments have sections and prizes determined by rating, including unrated.
The website may also have lists of qualified trainers.
It has been a long time since I was a member of the USCF. Playing in rated tournaments is fun even if you aren’t playing well because it is a chance to meet people and learn from the experience.
The website will have tournaments listed and you can search by state to find local events.
Most tournaments have sections and prizes determined by rating, including unrated.
The website may also have lists of qualified trainers.
Excellent point about playing OTB for the fun of it. Im playing in my first OTB tournament in over 2 years, and have done ZERO to prepare for it. Im just looking forward to seeing old friends, hopefully making new friends, seeing old students, and just plain ole playing some chess with some normal people, and not the online nutjobs.
My last rated OTB tournament was in 1991. It was a quad in which I managed a win, draw and a loss resulting in a 3 point rating increase from 1323 to 1326.
Until joining this site I had played very few games from that tournament onward.
My first major tournament was the Maryland Open in 1980. I managed a win , but lost the other 4 games. My win came in the second round against a player rated 500 points higher than my provisional rating. I blundered a rook in the opening and the opponent laughed. I played angry and when it was over he left the board scowling without shaking my hand.
Most of my other tournaments were scholastic events aside from another Maryland Open in 1981, a World Open in 1989 and that quad in ‘91.
Despite my lackluster results they were all enjoyable experiences.
I hear ya...some of my most enjoyable tournaments were the ones i did poorly in. What makes it worth it is when someone tells me that they wish they had my attitude toward chess.
The website is uschess.org though they might have purchased uscf.org for a redirect (if the US Cycling Federation has relinquished it).
There are on-line listings for various OTB and on-line tournaments (the on-line listings are free for affiliates). USChess (the rebranding from USCF will take time to win over the people that have used USCF for decades) members can opt to receive e-mails for events registered in the on-line listings. Also check your state's website for additional tournaments that organizers did not opt to enter into the national lists.
The following is a recent thread about starting play in OTB (over-the-board) events.
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/scholastic-chess/tournament-3
Did u join? If so, how's it going?
Once you join, what does getting your first ever rating look like? Do you just play random players of all ratings till they figure you out?
How do I find in person tournaments where I can still play at my skill level and have fun?
Do you have to join a club? Or I can I just walk into a tournament and play?
Can I play in tournaments for prizes and stuff even at a low rating?
And can I use my membership to find a good teacher?
And lastly, for anyone who is apart of it, is it worth it? Do you enjoy being a part of it? Why or why not?
Thank you!!