National Chess Day 2024
Join us for our annual National Chess Day celebration on October 12, 2024!
FREE ADMISSION! Celebrate National Chess Day with us!
Free Activities
- Casual chess
- Demos
- Lessons
- Puzzles
- Chess Variations
- and More!
Location
Center Court @ MacArthur Center
300 Monticello Avenue
Norfolk, VA 23510
Open from 11am-7pm – Drop-in any time during the day for free activities.
Current HRCA participants should register for tournaments in ADVANCE, to help the event run smoothly and avoid overwhelming the tournament staff onsite.
Walk-Up registrations are FREE and welcome for members of the general public.
Your Participation Supports Our Scholarship Program!
Our National Chess Day Festival raises vital funds to our Scholarship program. HRCA offers needs-based financial assistance to HRCA members to help cover costs of chess classes, tournaments, and other chess-related programs. We provide an average of $5,000 each year in scholarships, and we’ve awarded over $20,000 in financial aid for chess programming since the fund’s inception.
Learn more about our scholarship program HERE
Make a tax-deductible gift to our Scholarship Fund!
Two Tournaments
Two tournaments are available — Main Event and Blitz! Open to all ages and abilities
The Main Event is a qualifying HRCA Scholastic Cup Event! HRCA membership is not required for the tournament, but is required to participate in the Scholastic Cup awards.
For more information about the Scholastic Cup, please visit https://hrchessclub.org/scholastic-cup/
Main Event
4-Round Swiss (not an elimination event – similar to a bracket system) tournament at a “Quick” time control of G/25; d3 (each player has 25 minutes to make all their moves, with a 3-second grace period per move during which no time comes off the clock).
Five sections for all ages and abilities:
- Open (US Chess rated)
- Amateur (US Chess rated U1000)
- Novice (US Chess rated U500)
- Senior Rookie (not US Chess rated, beginners in middle school (6th-8th), high school (9th-12th), and adults)
- Junior Rookie (not US Chess rated, beginners in elementary school (PK-5th).
Awards: Trophies, Medals, and Ribbons. No team trophies.
Entry Fees: Please register in advance to avoid overwhelming the organizers onsite! Entry is $35 thru 10/5. Price increases to $40 from 10/6-10/9, and is $45 for late and onsite registrations 10/10-10/12.
FREE entry to walk-up members of the public who are NOT existing HRCA players members and are not US Chess members.
Blitz:
4 double rounds (play the same player twice, once as black and once as white) Swiss system with a time control of G/5; d0. One section only, must be a US Chess member.
Awards: Cash Prizes – $100-75-50 (1st-3rd), Top U1200 $50, Top U800 $50
Entry Fees: $20 online through 10/5, $25 10/9-10/9, and $30 late and onsite registrations 10/10-10/12
Registration for Blitz is separate from the Main Event.
Event Timeline
- 11 AM — Check-in / On Site Registration Opens
- 11 AM to 7 PM — chess lessons, chess variations fun tables, coloring contest, puzzle contest, casual chess
- 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM — Blitz Tournament
- 1:30 PM — New Player Orientation
- 2:00 PM — Round 1 of Main Event
- 3:15 PM — Round 2 of Main Event
- 4:30 PM — Round 3 of Main Event
- 5:45 PM — Round 4 of Main Event
- No later than 7:00 PM — Awards Ceremony for Main Event
Volunteers NEEDED!
Volunteers are needed to help set up, clean up, teach chess basics, keep score, and be HRCA ambassadors. Certified TDs are also needed. Teens with chess experience are welcome to help!
Sign up below!
