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Upcoming Tournament

2026 San Francisco Scholastic Chess Championship

Welcome to our new website!
If you notice anything missing or in need of an update, feel free to let us know at chessroom@milibrary.org. We appreciate your feedback!


Register or Join Wait List Change Request Form

Info

  • Date: Sat, Apr 11 , 2026
  • Eligibility: K-12
  • Rating: USCF
  • Location: 750 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103
  • Capacity: 300

Registration

  • Online Registration Open Until: Friday, April 10: 11:00 pm

Two ways to check your entries:

  1. Check the live entries on the Jumbula site by clicking on the View Entries button.
  2. Check the processed entries here as we get closer to the event.

Tournament Format

  • Tournament Format: Swiss System
  • Total Rounds: 4
  • Time control: 30 min basetime + 5 sec delay
  • Round Times: 4/11 10:00am 11:30am 2:00pm 3:30pm

4 Non-rated sections based on school grade:

  • Grade K-2
  • Grade 3-5
  • Grade 6-8 (Middle School)
  • Grade 9-12 (High School)

3 USCF-rated sections based on USCF regular rating:

  • Under 500
  • 500-999
  • 1000 and over

Please note that players who have a rating already may choose to play in the non-rated sections.

 

  • US Chess rating will be used for section determination and pairings for the three rated sections.
  • Pairings are based on the April 2026 regular supplemental regular US Chess rating.

Prize Fund

  • Trophies to the top 10 players in each section.
  • Top 10 overall school teams across all sections.
  • Top 5 overall club teams across all sections.
  • Medals to all participants who did not earn a trophy.

 

Tiebreak: 

Standard scholastic tiebreak methods per this year's US Chess Scholastic Regulations will be used to differentiate between players with the same final results.

Individual tiebreaks:

  • Modified Median
  • Median
  • Solkoff

Team tiebreaks:

  • Total Individual Median 
  • Total Solkoff
  • Total Sonnenborn-Berger
  • Total Cumulative

Byes

A half-point bye can be requested if a player can't make one or two rounds.

  • Maximum number allowed: 2
  • Deadline to request any byes is 8am on Saturday morning (April 11).
  • Any byes requested onsite and during the tournament will be a zero point bye.

Eligibility

The event is free, but registration is required for all sections.

All players must be in K-12 grades.

  • Players in the non-rated sections do not need USCF membership.
  • The expiration date of their US Chess membership must be later than the last day of the tournament (I.e., your membership must be active on April 11th).
  • Do you have a membership? Need to check the expiration date of your membership? Visit: https://ratings.uschess.org

Become a member or renew your membership: https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess

Tournament Rules

Teams: 

  • Players from the same school or the same club may form a team in any section.
  • Minimum of two players to form a team;
  • The top 4 players' scores will count toward the team's standing across all sections.

FAQ

• What do the time controls mean?

Time controls tell you how much time you have for each game.

G30;d5: Game in 30 minutes with a 5-second delay with each move. This means you get 30 minutes, your opponent gets 30 minutes, and the clock counts down from 5 to 0 at each move before the player's time starts. If a player doesn't use up the whole 5 seconds, the remainder of that time is lost.
 

• How many games/rounds?

Each player will play four games. Whether they win or lose, players are expected to play their games. This is not an elimination competition.​​
 

Many thanks to the following sponsors who made this event possible!

  • Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy
  • Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
  • City and County of San Francisco
  • San Francisco Public Library for sending the Bookmobile
  • Bright Knights Chess Club

 

Our Scholastic Chess Program is generously supported by:

The Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund

 

 

 

  • Time Control: G/30;d5  (Game in 30 minutes with a 5-second delay at each move.)
  • Forfeit time: 15 minutes. 
  • What do the time controls mean?
    Time controls tell you how much time you have for each game.
    G30;d5: Game in 30 minutes with a 5-second delay with each move. This means you get 30 minutes, your opponent gets 30 minutes, and at each move the clock will count back 5 seconds before the time starts. One game may last up to 1 hour.

  • We provide clocks for selected games who are nearing time control.

  • The games in the three rated sections will be US Chess and quick-rated (so-called dual-rated). Tournament results will be submitted soon after the last round is finished.

     

Mechanics' Institute Chess Club reserves the right to update any details of this event (including but not limited to sections, time control, round times, prize fund, etc.) as we get closer to the event date to ensure an excellent tournament experience for players.

Standings

Processed entries are coming as we get closer to the event.