CSC Tournament Series 2012-12
The Cincinnati Scholastic Chess Series is a series of Swiss tournaments for scholastic players. Players are grouped in sections and play only other players in their own section. The tournaments are sanctioned by the US Chess Federation (USCF) and governed by USCF rules. The structure of the series varies from year to year as the organizers strive to improve the series for those who play in it. Summary information about the 2013-14 series is posted below. Please see the Forms and Info box to the left to download (a) the series flyer, (b) the entry form, and (c) the Participant Handbook for 2013-14 (for complete tournament information).
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
Four-round Swiss. Time control: game in 30 minutes with a 5-second delay (G/30 d5). Four sections: K–6 U700, K–12 U1000, K–12 Open, and K–6 Non-Rated (Non-Rated section might be split into multiple grade-based sections depending on the number of players entered.) Unrated players who play in any rated section will earn a rating. Players may take one half-point bye per tournament.
DAILY SCHEDULE
Onsite registration 8:00–8:30 am. Players who registered in advance must arrive and check off their names on the advance entry lists no later than 8:45 am. Round 1 begins at 9:00. Players arriving after 8:45 am should not expect to be paired in round 1. Later rounds start as early as possible. Tournaments normally end no later than 1:30 pm.
REGISTRATION
Players may register for one or more tournaments either in advance or onsite. Entry fees are discounted when a player registers at one time for multiple tournaments and also when a player registers in advance.
Register in advance by completing a registration form (one per player) and mailing it to Cincinnati Scholastic Chess, PO Box 499006, Cincinnati, OH 45249-9006. A registration form may be downloaded from the Forms and Info box to the left. Include a check payable to Cincinnati Scholastic Chess. (Note: Checks payable to the US Chess Federation/USCF cannot be accepted.)
Register in person at any tournament between 8:00 am and 8:30 am. Make payment for entry fees and dues (if applicable) by cash or check payable to Cincinnati Scholastic Chess (not to the US Chess Federation).
ENTRY FEES
| ONSITE | IN ADVANCE | |
| Any one tournament | $25 | $20 | Any two tournaments | $42 | $35 |
| Any three tournaments | $57 | $49 |
| Any four tournaments | $68 | $59 |
| Any five tournaments | $75 | $65 |
| All six tournaments | $78 | $66 |
Players must indicate on the registration form which dates they are registering for but may change dates later if they wish. A player who misses a tournament for which he or she registered may transfer the registration to any future date in this season. Notify Alan Hodge of any desired date changes (call or text 513-600-9915, email a.hodge195@gmail.com). No entry fees will be refunded.
USCF MEMBERSHIP
USCF membership is a requirement for participation in any rated section of a CSCS tournament. USCF dues are additional to entry fees. Details of membership options are provided on the entry form. For additional information and to purchase or renew a membership, see the "Join/Renew" page of the USCF website, www.uschess.org (link in Forms and Info box to the left). Participants may also purchase or renew USCF memberships by way of the CSCS registration form.
PRIZES
The CSC Series awards prizes both for individual tournaments and for the series as a whole. Prize winners are determined by points scored. A player scores two types of points, a tournament score and a playing score as explained below.
A tournament score is based on game results. A player scores one point for each win and one-half point for each draw. A bye counts as one point when it results from a player being paired out; otherwise a bye counts as either a half-point or zero.
A playing score is based on games played, regardless of outcome. A player scores one point for each game played, one point for each full-point bye (resulting from getting paired out), and a half-point for each half-point bye.
Individual Tournament Prizes: At each tournament and in each section, including the Non-Rated section, trophies will be awarded to those who place first and second, and medals will be awarded to those who place third, fourth and fifth. Tournament prize winners will be determined based on their tournament score only. Calculated tie-breaks will be used to determine prize winners among players with the same score.
Series Prizes: Series trophies will be awarded based on the best five scores out of six tournaments during the series for each player, counting both tournament and playing scores. A maximum of 40 points will count for purposes of series trophies. Calculated tie-breaks will be used to determine prize winners among players with the same score.
The "Cincinnati Scholastic Series Champion" trophy will be awarded to the player scoring the most points in the K-12 Open section exclusively.
The "Ron Giffin Trophy" will be awarded to the "most improved player" as measured by rating points gained in series tournaments.
A series class trophy will be awarded to each player (other than the Cincinnati Scholastic Series Champion) who scores a designated number of points: a first-class trophy for 34.0 points or more, a second-class trophy for 30.0 to 33.5 points, and a third-class trophy for 26 to 29.5 points.
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