Welcome to UK Chess Challenge

Enter now for the 2006 British Land UK Chess Challenge

Every year thousands of children take up the game of chess through The British Land UK Chess Challenge. What makes it so popular and why has this been the biggest tournament in the world for 10 years?

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE RICH TO ENTER. The school pays the entry fee which amounts to about £1 per player, thanks to the sponsorship of British Land!
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE GOOD AT CHESS. For many children who enter it is their first time of playing chess – and the teacher or parent running the event does not need to know how to play the game. A special free booklet is provided for teachers or parents which will quickly tell them how to play and introduce the game to young children. Just tick the appropriate box on the entry form.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO TRAVEL TO OTHER SCHOOLS. There is no tiresome travelling to be arranged by the teacher running the event. The first stage is played entirely within the school during the spring term. The later stages of the event are held in May (Area Megafinals), July (North/South Gigafinals), August (National Terafinals), and the children who qualify will usually be taken there by their parents.
EVERYONE WINS PRIZES. The enduring popularity of the event is based on the chances that everyone has to shine and succeed. All the competitors will win a badge within the first two or three weeks, and then they are able to add to this by sticking gold spots on the badge each time they reach certain point goals. Children can also win little mascots – 16 different ones, each with special chess slogans - and further prizes. In that way, the interest of each child is kindled and the enthusiasm maintained throughout the event.
ONLY A LITTLE TIME IS NEEDED. Matches take place in the spring term 2006 and 7 rounds are played, one a week at lunch time or after school. The commitment of time by the teacher is quite small, the children love the competition and, for many, this is their first introduction to focused thought!
PRIZES THAT APPEAL TO ALL. Of course younger children will be mainly interested in badges, mascots, rosettes etc. But older children, especially those faced with the prospect of university and large student loans, will find the large financial prizes very attractive. This year, thanks to the generosity of the sponsors, there is no less that £20,000 to be won during the competition, including £2,000 for the overall winner, £1,000 for the top girl and £1,000 for the top Under 11 player. By valuing intellectual achievement we also help to develop the intelligence, decision making and strength of character necessary to produce the leaders of tomorrow.
IT’S A GAME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS. There is no need for physical separation of boys and girls in chess – they can all play on equal terms – something that is almost unique to chess. Due to the positive discrimination used in UK Chess Challenge, many more girls are taking up the game than ever before. (In the past, boys outnumbered girls at the chess board by 10-1!!) As girls gain in confidence through playing chess, they take the skills of analysis and decision making into other areas of life.

Chess is the game of the future, and any teacher or head teacher enrolling his or her school into the Challenge can be sure of giving their children an enormous amount of fun and a chance to introduce them to high level thinking.

HOW TO ENTER Just fill in the form and send to The UK Chess Challenge at 7 Billockby Close, Chessington, Surrey, KT9 2ED enclosing the entry fee. You can also enter and pay on line.

Right at the beginning of the spring term we will send you a pack of badges, prizes, rules and all you need to start the tournament straight away.

ENTRY FORM

Please enrol my school into The British Land Chess Challenge 2006.

I enclose my entry fee of £_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

made up of _ _ _ _ x £36 and _ _ _ _ x £15 PLUS _ _ _ _ extra trophies (@ £6 each)

£36 for first 30 players £15 per extra 15 players

Cheque made payable to UK CHESS CHALLENGE

NAME OF SCHOOL _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ School Tel. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Address of School _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _COUNTY_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _POST CODE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Parent/Teacher in charge _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Tel. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Senior School (over 11) Primary School (under 11) Other _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

School Email address (highly recommended – we will be able to inform you at the beginning of the spring term, that your box of prizes has been despatched)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Would you like a copy of “Teaching Chess the Easy Way to Learn”? Yes please _ _ _ _ _ _

Recommended to new schools enrolling if teachers or parents need to know the rules of chess and how to present them to young children.

There is also a free interactive lesson pack available on line, “The Bronze Award”. Click on LESSONS on our website, www.ukchesschallenge.com

UK Chess Challenge, 7 Billockby Close, Chessington, Surrey, KT9 2ED

Mobile: 07715 041320 Email: ukchesschallenge@aol.com

CHESS EQUIPMENT

Most schools have a collection of chess sets – if not, equipment is extremely cheap, durable and available from 7 Billockby Close, Chessington, Surrey KT9 2ED.

CHESS SETS, BOXES & BOARDS

Chess sets have 3” plastic kings and boards are high qualify roll up plastic with 1¾” green and white squares. This size of set and board has proved ideal for school chess clubs.

SPECIAL OFFER OF 10 SETS PLUS BOXES PLUS BOARDS - £70 + £10 postage Total £80

Individual set plus box, plus board £10 each post free.

CHESS PAIRING BOARD NEW!!!

Specially made for this event. Allows for up to 32 players to be paired against each other each week. Every board is supplied with a pack of 40 pairing cards.

£30 each post free.

CHESS DEMONSTRATION BOARD

A marvellous visual aid. Simply a giant slot in chess board with 3” squares that hangs on the wall in the classroom and enables you to demonstrate chess positions to a whole class of children.

£28 including postage.

CHESS CLOCKS

A wonderful double-headed invention that allows both players to be timed. A must for matches against other schools to stop time wasting!

Only £28 each including postage.

CHESS INSTRUCTIONAL BOOKS

Written by tournament organiser and chess teacher (25 years experience) Mike Basman

Activators: all you need to know £3.99

An excellent introduction with brilliant cartoons

Dorling Kindersley “Super Guides – Chess” £7.99

A lavish production with clear exposition for beginners

Beginner to Winner in 2 Months £6.95

The text book for schools, full of exercises on captures,

safe moves, threats., etc. A foundation course!

Starting Chess – by Pat Armstrong £1.95

6 mini games for beginners, lucidly explained by an

ex primary school teacher.

Manual for Chess Teachers £5.95

Advice in preparation and content of lessons, based on

experience in teaching chess in schools

Mate in One Move £2.25

Mate in Two Moves £1.25

Find the Mate £2.95

Three books to teach the art of checkmate through the

solving of puzzles

Secrets of Chess £3.95

Fundamental opening traps, end game and middlegame

sequences. A must for all new players!

Two Birds with One Stone £3.95

The standard book on tactics (fork, pin, discovery,

skewer, etc.)

Silent Encounter: a chess movie £2.95

The easiest way to learn an opening. The famous

Giuoco Piano is described move by move

Chess Openings: £9.99

Five major openings discussed in depth

Logical Chess Move by Move by Irving Chernev £12.00

The classic work on positional play, published 1948, never been bettered!

All these books available from Audio Chess, 7 Billockby Close, Chessington, Surrey, KT9 2ED. Tel: 0208 397 1826

Add 50p postage on all books; maximum postage £3

Also available from www.audiochess.com with special “pay on line” facility!

RULES (Primary, Secondary Schools and Clubs)

1. Seven rounds should be played in the tournament and sessions should last at least 20 minutes.

2. Minimum tournament size is 8 players.

3. Games are concluded by checkmate, opponent’s resignation or agreed draw. If the game is not finished by the end of the session, points remaining on the board should be counted on the basis QUEEN = 9 points, ROOK = 5 points, BISHOP = 3 points, KNIGHT = 3 points, PAWN = 1 point. A player with an advantage of 3 or more points is adjudged the winner, otherwise the game is drawn. Stalemate is also counted as a draw, as is not enough pieces to mate with (for example, king and knight v king; king and bishop v king; king and 2 knights v king).

4. Scoring in tournaments is 3 points for a win, 2 points for a draw, one point for a loss and 0 for absence. If there is an odd number of players in the tournament, a bye (scoring 3 points) is given to the player with no opponent. A player should not have more than one bye in the tournament. If a bye has to be given, it should be given to the lowest scoring player in the tournament if possible.

5. Pairings are to be done on a simplified SWISS SYSTEM. Before the first round, players are roughly listed in order of strength and the No.1 player plays No.16 (in a 30 player tournament), No.2 plays No.17 and so on. In a smaller tournament, say of 20 players, No. 1 would play No.11 and No. 2 would play No.12.

6. In the second round, players with equal points should play each other. Throughout the next 5 rounds, this principle should be observed as far as possible: that players on equal scores should play each other. Players can only encounter each other once in a tournament. As far as possible, colours should be alternated, i.e., if a player has white one round, he/she should have black the next. However, pairing players on equal scores takes precedence over alternating colours.

7. PRIZES (won as score is reached or passed)

Players winning all their games and scoring 21 points win a specially designed WINNERS CHESS BANDANNA; for wearing, hanging, using as a table cloth or as a chess board in any location.

3 points BADGE

6 points 1^st Gold Spot

9 points 2^nd Gold Spot

11 points MASCOT

12 points 3^rd Gold Spot

15 points 4^th Gold Spot & PERKY PAWN KEYRING

17 points QUALIFIES FOR MEGAFINAL

(Players aged over 11 qualify on score of 15 points)

18 points 5^th Gold Spot

21 points JACKSPOT

The overall tournament winner will receive a trophy.

If you have run more than one tournament in your school and have more than one champion, you will need to send £6 for each additional trophy. (See Entry Form).

8. Qualifying rules for Megafinal: Any player scoring 17 points (15 points if aged over 11) or more will qualify for the Area Megafinal. Besides this, the leading scorers in each school at U7, U8, U9, U10, U11, U12, U13, U14, U15, U16, U17 and U18, both boys and girls, also qualify, as long as they have played at least 5 out of the 7 rounds and providing that the place in the section has not already been taken by a player scoring 17 (15 seniors) or more points. If there is a tie for a place, the tied players all qualify.

Ages are calculated as at 1.9.05.

There will be an entry fee per player of £9 to the Megafinal and £9 to the National Gigafinal.

There will also be an entry fee of £9 to the Terafinal.

9. Disputes during the event are to be settled by the teacher/parent in charge, but any queries can be referred to the Tournament Organiser, Michael Basman (0208 397 1826).

10. Megafinals will be held in various locations during the month of May, 2006. Many of them will be held on Saturday, 29^th April, Sunday 30^th April or Monday 1^st May. You will be informed of your Megafinal by mid March but keep an eye on the website!

The Gigafinal, as last year, will be split into North and South divisions The northern Gigafinal will take place on Saturday 8^th July and Sunday 9^th July, 2006 at UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology) and the southern Gigafinal will be held in Tidworth Leisure Centre in Wiltshire, on 15^th and 16^th July. In both events the U10s will play on Saturday, and the 10s and over will play on the Sunday.

The Terafinal will be on Saturday 19^th and Sunday 20^th August, 2006.

11. The organiser reserves the right to refuse entry without explanation.