Do You Miss Saturday Morning Chess Tournaments?!!!
Do you miss a Saturday Morning Tournament? I know I do.

After attending the Tournament Director Webinar hosted by USCF, on organizing and running online tournaments, I have decided to step out and offer a Saturday Morning Tournament online via chess.com.

Date: Saturday 16 May 2020
Time: 10:00 AM sharp
Location: Chess.com
Type: Standard, 4 Round Swiss System, G15/i10.
Affects chess.com rapid rating only.
Covid - 19 Safe: Assuming you are covid-19 safe online in your own home.

In the webinar, I learned that one can offer USCF rated tournaments with cash prizes. So, I plan to proceed in a step by step approach with this tournament that is chess.com rated only and then advance to USCF rated and cash prize tournaments.

You must be a member of the GC 4H Tournament Club. This was recommended by USCF as a way to coordinate who can join the tournament. Not so important for this first tournament, but will be needed for rated and cash prize tournaments. See instructions below on how to join the club.

Then between 9:00 AM and 9:55 AM on 16 May 2020 you join the tournament. The tournament name on chess.com is "Saturday Tournament Action". See details below on how to join the Tournament.

To join the GC 4H Tournament Club on chess.com:

1. Go to chess.com and sign up. It is free to sign up. There are various levels of paid versions available as well that give additional benefits.
2. At the chess.com home screen, hover your mouse courser over connect, then move to the courser to the right and click on clubs.
3. Click in the search box at the far right of the screen and type in GC 4H Tournament Club and press enter.
4. GC 4H Tournament Club window will appear. Click on the club name and join.
5. Send me an email to let me know you have requested to join and let me know your chess.com user name.
6. I will see that you have requested to join on chess.com and approve.

To join the tournament you will do the following.

1. At the chess.com home screen. Hover over play, then click on live chess.
2. In the window at the far right click on Tournaments.
3. Click on Saturday Tournament Action.
4. Click on join.

Note that while you can see the tournament now. You will not be able to signup until 1 hour before the tournament start time. Sort of like checking in with the TD for an OTB tournament.

The first round starts at 10:00 am sharp. If you do not make your first move withing a few minutes of the start time. Your game is lost and chess.com will not pair your for subsequent rounds.

Round start times after the first round are paired within seconds after the last game of the previous round. Like the first round you must make a move on your turn within a few minutes of the game start time.

You can watch other games after you finish your game. Go to the tournament tab and then look to the right of an individuals score for the checkered board. Click on the board and it will take you to a game. This can give you an idea of how long it will be before the next round will start. Also, while watching a game you can play guess the next move by moving a piece on the board. This is a fun way to stay active before your next game. It can also be instructional if you are watching a high level rated player and comical if you are watching one of my games.

If you do not have experience on chess.com, recommend that you sign up, join an open tournament and play some games ahead of time.

This is easier than it may seem with the instructions above. I just wanted to give you the details with step by step instructions so you could get signed up and play.

Open to feedback on this tournament's frequency, time control, sections, etc.

Hope to see you there.

Best Regards,

Dean Creech