Canadian
Youth Chess Festival
1997-1998

Sponsored by

The Chess'n Math Association

Canada's National Scholastic Chess Organization

The Chess'n Math Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of chess in Canadian schools, is proud to announce the fourth annual Canadian Youth Chess Festival.

The Canadian Youth Chess Festival is the official national youth championship. Winners will represent Canada at the 1998 World Youth Championships next October in Spain.

Regulations

Eligibility

The event is open to all citizens and permanent residents of Canada who meet the age requirement and have resided in Canada a minimum of six months prior to the national finals. Participants must compete in their own province. Residents of the territories play in the province of their choice.

Categories

The competition is divided into four categories by age: Under 10 (Mosquito), Under 12 (PeeWee), Under 14 (Bantam), Under 18 (Minor). Eligibility is based on age as of 1 January 1998. For example "Under 10" means 9 years old and younger. A ten year old must play in the "Under 12" category etc. Proof of birthdate may be required prior to the national finals.

Competition Structure

The competition consists of three stages: Regional, Provincial, National:

1. Regional tournaments are open to all eligible players. Pre-registration may be required by some organizers.
2. Provincial tournaments are restricted to qualifiers from regional tournaments and to players seeded by rating.
3. The national finals are restricted to qualifiers from provincial tournaments and to one seeded player per category. Players seeded to the national finals will be announced after provincial tournaments are completed.

Seeded Players

Players with established CFC, FQE, or Chess'n Math ratings higher than that given below qualify to play at the provincial level without competing at a regional tournament:

Category    CFC      FQE    Chess'n Math
========================================
Under 10    1500     1200      1000
Under 12    1700     1400      1200
Under 14    1800     1600      1500
Under 18    1900     1700      1600
        

These players may participate in a regional tournament without risking their seeded status. If they do take part in a regional, they are eligible for prizes but do not take away a qualification spot from other players.

Regional Tournaments

Regional tournaments will be held in November 1997. The number of qualifiers from the regional tournaments to the provincial level is based on the number of participants in each category. There is one qualifier for every five participants or part thereof. For example, if there are 10 players in a category, 2 qualify for the provincial. If there are 11 to 15 players, then 3 qualify.

Provincial Tournaments

Provincial tournaments will be held in December 1997. The top player in each category qualifies for the national finals. If a qualifier cannot attend the national finals, the runner-up qualifies.

Quebec and Ontario only

Because of the large number of participants in these two provinces, an expanded format is used. The top three players in each category from the December provincial tournament will join three seeded players for the provincial championship. The 6 player round robins will be held January 10-11, 1998. The top two in each category qualify for the national finals.

National Finals

The national finals will be held 31 January - 1 February 1998 in Montreal. The winner in each category is national champion and qualifies for the World Youth Championships. Summary of participants:

Provincial          # Players
=============================
Quebec                  2
Ontario                 2
British Columbia        1
Alberta                 1
Newfoundland            1
Prairies (MB SK)        1
Maritimes (NB NS PEI)   1
Seeded                  1
        

World Youth Championships

This event, organized by F.I.D.E. (World Chess Federation), is a two week tournament scheduled for October-November 1998 in Oropesa del Mar Castellon, Spain.

Entry Fees

The entry fee is $10 at the regional tournaments and $20 at the provincial tournaments. There is no entry fee at the national finals.

Prizes

All participants at the regional level receive a participation prize. Qualifiers at every stage of the competition receive a special prize. Champions are awarded trophies or plaques. Other qualifiers win medals.

Travel

One half of the airfare to the national finals will be paid for those qualifiers who reside beyond reasonable driving distance to Montreal. Some financial assistance will be given to those driving to Montreal. Accommodation in Montreal will be provided.
Airfare will be paid for the four national champions who attend the World Youth Championships. The organizers of the World Youth Championships provide accommodation.
Accompanying parents or coaches must cover their own expenses at both events.

Tournament Rules

All tournaments will be run according to CFC rules.

• The touch move rule applies to all categories. (Organizers may waive this rule in the Under 10 category.)
• Chess clocks should be used when available.
• The recording of moves is only required at the national finals.
• Spectators are not allowed in the playing area. This includes parents and coaches. Players are required to leave the playing area when they have finished their games.

Tournament Format

The national finals is a 5 round Swiss system. The Swiss system is a method of making pairings so that players with the same score play each other. The time control will be 90 minutes sudden death. That is, each player has 90 minutes for the entire game.
When possible, provincial and regional tournaments will also be 5 round Swiss systems. A four round Swiss system may be sufficient for groups of 7 to 12 players. The time control will be 30 minutes sudden death. This is known as "active" chess. A slower time control may be used at the provincial level if time permits.
For tournaments with 6 or fewer players in a category, a single round robin will be held. Each player plays one game against every other player. With 4 or less players in a category, a double round robin is recommended.
Organizers must notify the national coordinator if they intend to use a different tournament format.

Tie Breaks

Ties for a qualification spot or prize may only be broken by means of a playoff game. A quicker time limit may be used. In the case of multiple ties, the playoff format is left to the organizer's discretion.
Ties for qualification to the national finals must be broken. Ties for qualificaiton to the provincial level may be allowed to stand within reason.

Ratings

The national finals are rated by the Chess'n Math Association and the Chess Federation of Canada. Provincial tournaments are rated by the Chess'n Math Association. Regional tournaments will be rated by the Chess'n Math Association at the organizer's request if all necessary information is submitted within 14 days of the event.

Chess Challenge

The Canadian Youth Chess Festival is a completely separate event from the Canadian Chess Challenge. The youth festival is an age based competition leading to the World Youth Championships. The Chess Challenge is a grade based competition leading to interprovincial team play at the national finals.

National Coordinator