Register now for Fall Scholars, Bughouse tourneys

MADISON – A weekend full of chess play will fill the calendar with the upcoming Fall Scholars Chess Tournament and the Back-to-School Bughouse Tournament.

Registration is open now for both tournaments, according to Todd Guthrie. Guthrie is Director of Madison City Chess League or MCCL.

Madison Elementary School, 17 College St. will host Fall Scholars on Sept. 21. The tournament offers three Rated sections (Championship, Under 1,000 and Under 500) and two practice sections (Non-rated for grades 3-5 and Non-rated for kindergarten through grade 2).

Players can register online through 8 p.m. on Sept. 18. Late or on-site registration will not be available. To register, visit madisonchess.com/events/1100/2024-fall-scholars-tournament-921.

Registration fee is $20 for MCCL members or $30 for players who are not MCCL members.

The Fall Scholars Chess Tournament will open at 9 a.m. with a mandatory player meeting. The Championship Section will have four rounds — 9:15 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Time control will be G/45, d5.

All other sections will have five rounds — 9:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:45 p.m. and 3 p.m. Time control is G/30, d5.

Rated sections will include Championship, Under 1,000 and Under 500. Players for all Rated sections must have US Chess membership. In addition, Practice Sections will include Non-Rated for grades 3-5, along with Non-Rated for grades K-2.

Players who need to miss a particular round can request a bye. “You can receive a one-half point bye for any round except the last,” Guthrie said. “If you request a final round bye, it will be a zero-point bye.”

Advance registration will be available online through 8 p.m. on Sept. 18. Players cannot pursue late or on-site registration.

For prizes, players in the Rated sections will receive trophies for first through third places. Players in fourth through sixth places, along with Top Female, will earn medals. In the Practice Sections, players in first through tenth places and Top Female will receive medals.

In addition, registration is open for the Back-to-School Bughouse. This Bughouse tournament is free, but only current MCCL members can enter.

The Bughouse tourney on Sept. 22 will be held at Madison Public Library. Two-player teams play in Bughouse. Players who have a partner should enter the partner’s name in the “Notes” section during registration.

If a player registers without a partner, tournament officials will try to pair this player with another competitor immediately before the event. Only MCCL members can register. Players can register on the MCCL website at madisonchess.com/events/1102/2024-back-to-school-bughouse-922.