2015 Barber Information & Rules

2015 Dewain Barber Tournament of K-8 Champions
Information & Rules
(Revised May 28, 2015)

General Information

The Dewain Barber Tournament of K–8 Champions invites the winners of the US Chess Federation state affiliate championships to compete for the title of Barber K–8 Champion of Champions. In case of ties, co-champions shall be recognized. This year’s invitational tournament will be held from August 1 to August 4 during the 2015 U.S. Open. The location will be the Arizona Biltmore Resort, 2400 E. Missouri Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85016. Hotel Reservations: 1-800-950-0086, Rate: $99.00 Single/Double/Triple/Quad.
The Executive Board of the U.S. Chess Federation has added the Barber Champion to its list of qualifiers for the World Youth Championship. The qualifying student in case of a tie will be the highest finishing player on tie-breaks who meets the eligibility requirements of the World Youth event for the U.S. Chess Federation delegation.

Procedures

Each state (which shall include DC for purposes of this Tournament) shall be allowed one Representative as determined by their USCF state affiliate. The exception is California, which sends two players, one representing Northern California and the other Southern California. We strongly encourage each state affiliate to identify a tournament to determine its K-8 Champion. If no tournament is held, rating or some other criterion may be acceptable. If the official representative is unable to compete, the state affiliate may substitute its next most qualified player, etc. Each state affiliate should make every effort to send a representative to this prestigious event. Jon Haskel, Barber Committee Co-Chair will mail the Barber Nomination Form to the authorized state affiliate official. The official needs to email the form back to Jon by July 5th. The Barber Committee reserves the right to appoint a representative for any state affiliate that fails to meet this deadline. To eliminate byes, the host state (state in which the tournament is held) may provide an alternate who will only play in rounds that have an odd number of players. The alternate is eligible for prizes.

Eligibility

All participants must be residents of the state affiliate they represent. They must be under the age of 16 on September 1 of the year in which the tournament is held. In the recently completed school year, they must have taken at least 50% of their educational instruction in an approved K-8 curriculum, during which the Representative may not be listed as a full-time student at any high school, college, or university. Proof of eligibility shall be the responsibility of the players and the USCF state official certifying the Representative or Alternate.

Playing Schedule

The Opening Ceremony and 6-round Swiss will consist of the following dates and times:
Opening Ceremony-3 PM Saturday, August 1, 2015 (REQUIRED ATTENDANCE AND CHECK-IN). All participants, including the host state alternate, are required to attend.
Round 1-Saturday, August 1, 2015 7 PM Same time as the round of the US Open.
Round 2-Sunday, August 2, 2015 12:00 Noon.
Round 3-Sunday, August 2, 2015 7 PM Same time as the round of the US Open.
Round 4-Monday, August 3, 2015 12:00 Noon.
Round 5-Monday, August 3, 2015 7 PM Same time as the round of the US Open.
Round 6-Tuesday, August 4, 2015 – 10 AM.
Barber Awards Ceremony – Tuesday, August 4, 2015 4 PM.

Following Tuesday’s Award Ceremony, players who complete all six rounds may compete in the US Open with a 50% discount. The host state alternate is eligible if s/he was available throughout the tournament.

Rules

Players are required to play all six rounds. Players unable to play because of illness or other emergency need to notify the TD staff so that the host state’s alternate can be substituted. Players who withdraw or are expelled forfeit all prizes. Each player is required to furnish a complete and legible scoresheet at the conclusion of each round. The time control will be 90 minutes per player with a 30 second increment added after each move.

Prizes

During the Opening Ceremony, each participant will receive a Gold Medallion provided by American Chess Equipment Inc. Cash Prizes and gift certificates are awarded during the Closing Ceremony. Cash prizes are given for the purpose of reimbursing players for expenses incurred in the participation of this tournament. Players must be in attendance to receive their prizes.

1st place – $800, 2nd Place – $500, 3rd Place – $400, 4th Place – $300, 5th Place – $200. All players tied for 5th Place will receive a minimum of $200.

Gift Certificates
These can only be redeemed with the 2015 US Open Bookstore vendor before September 9, 2015. They will be awarded in the following categories: Best Game, Biggest Upset overall, Biggest Upset in each of the other rounds and State vs State.

State versus State Championship

There are three special tournaments running concurrently at the US Open. Besides the Barber Tournament of K-8 Champions, we also have the Denker Tournament of High School Champions and the National Girls Invitational Tournament (NGIT). This year we will recognize those states whose representatives had the highest combined score. If the host state has two representatives for any of the three events, only the primary representatives’ scores will count for purposes of the state team totals. Gift Certificates will be awarded to each player from the three highest scoring states (Open to all states). In addition, Gift Certificates will be given to each player of the top state whose average rating of its players is from 1900-2099, 1700-1899, and U1700. States must have at least two players to be eligible for team prizes.

Internet Chess Club Membership (ICC)

Each of our participants will receive a free two year ICC membership and if a current participant is already a member then they will receive an extension of two years on their current ICC membership. This two year ICC membership will become available upon completion of the six rounds.

Sponsors

The sponsors are Dewain Barber, The U.S. Chess Trust, The United States Chess Federation, Dwight Barber, American Chess Equipment, Inc., The Internet Chess Club (ICC), Frank Niro and Chess Magnet School.

Travel & Accommodations

Players are responsible for their own travel and accommodations. Players sharing rooms should make their arrangements carefully, as neither the USCF nor the tournament is responsible for any consequences arising from such arrangements. Please note that registration in a hotel room will require a person 18 years of age or older to be present.

Contact Information-Confirmation of Participation

Each state affiliate needs to request and complete the Nomination Form from the Barber organizer (Jon Haskel). Each player must provide the Barber Co-Chair/Representative with a phone number of a parent or other responsible adult in case of an emergency. Parents are required to confirm participation with Jon Haskel – jon@bocachess.com.
Barber Organizer/Co-Chair: Jon Haskel, 2385 Executive Center Dr. #100, Boca Raton, FL 33431 (561) 479-0351 E-Mail: jon@bocachess.com

Find out more at: www.barberchess.com