FAQs
What do I need to do to play in my first chess tournament?
All of our tournaments are United States Chess Federation (USCF) rated. All tournament participants must have a USCF membership. To get the membership, simply go to new.uschess.org. Click on “join”, “Become a Member”, and choose the membership that works best for you, and that’s it! You are now ready to play in rated tournaments!
How do I find the tournament rules?
At the beginning of every tournament we will have a Tournament Director explain all the rules for the tournament. The TD will also answer any questions someone might have. If you’re looking for the official rulebook, it is available on new.uschess.org.
Do I need to bring a board or a clock to tournaments?
Some tournaments require that players bring a board and some don’t, the tournament info will always state what players need. Bringing chess clocks is optional but we highly recommend having one! At most of our tournaments we will have a limited amount of clocks available as well. By not bringing a clock players can lose specific rights during the game so we highly advise that players bring them.
How are scholarships received?
After an event the scholarship winners have 30 days to create and send information on their 529 bank account. This account allows us to send scholarship money directly and the money can only be used for college related expenses such as tuition.
How do I find my chess rating after the tournament?
Go to new.uschess.org and from there click on “ratings" and select “player/ratings look-up”. Search up your name and click on it, on the top bar select “Tnmt.Hst”. From there you will see your new chess rating that is based upon your performance at your most recent event. It typically takes anywhere from 2hrs to several days to get tournament results entered and rated.
How are cash prizes calculated?
Cash prizes can either be guaranteed or based on entries, the TLA will announce which one. If the prizes are based on entries, Blakeman Chess only recognizes fully paid entries as contribution to the prize pool. Entries given for free or at a discounted rate to titled players are not counted. Cash prizes are always split in the case of a tie.