The 2025 South Texas Scholastic Chess Championship is open to the following participants:
Texas Residents Only:
Participants must be residents of Texas or attend a school in Texas.
Grade Levels:
The tournament is open to students in grades Pre-K through 12.
Players must register in their grade-appropriate section. Playing up is allowed under the following conditions:
K-1 students are allowed to play up in the Primary (K-3) or Elementary (K-5/6) sections.
Primary sections (K-3) are open to students in grades Kindergarten through 3rd grade only. Elementary students (4th-6th grade) cannot play in the Primary sections.
Elementary students (K-5/6) must play in their respective Elementary sections and cannot play down into Primary or K-1 sections.
Elementary students (K-5/6) can play up within the Elementary sections but cannot play in the Middle School or High School sections.
Middle School students (grades 6-8) can only compete in Middle School sections and cannot play in the High School sections.
This ensures that an elementary student becomes the Elementary Champion, a middle school student becomes the Middle School Champion, and a high school student becomes the High School Champion as per Texas Chess Association (TCA) guidelines.
School-Based Teams:
Teams must consist of students who attend the same school or are part of the same home-school support group.
No composite teams from multiple schools are allowed, following Texas Chess Association (TCA) rules.
Age Requirements:
Players must meet the age requirements for their school grade.
Students may be asked to provide documentation, such as proof of enrollment or age, if needed.
Exceptions:
Private school 6th graders who attend a K-6 school can compete in elementary sections.
9th graders are allowed to play in the High School section.
All participants must meet the following membership guidelines:
US Chess Federation (USCF) Membership:
All players must have an active US Chess Federation (USCF) membership to participate.
USCF membership can be purchased or renewed online at USChess.org.
Proof of membership will be required at registration. Players without active membership will not be paired until membership is confirmed.
Texas Chess Association (TCA) Membership:
Texas Chess Association (TCA) membership is not required for individual players but is strongly recommended for players and coaches.
Membership is required for some awards or special TCA-sanctioned events, so joining TCA can provide additional benefits throughout the year.
TCA membership information can be found at Texas Chess Association.
Team Membership Rules:
Schools and teams must comply with USCF and TCA guidelines.
Coaches must ensure that all team members have active USCF memberships before the tournament begins.
Registration Confirmation:
All registrations will be confirmed through the email address provided during registration. USCF membership numbers must be submitted along with the registration forms.