TCMS Chess - Grand Pawn Cup

TCMS CHESS - GRAND PAWN CUP

General Information:

Terrace Community Middle School's Chess Club is hosting a rated tournament one Saturday per month for TCMS Students. All proceeds go towards the TCMS Chess Club's entry into future tournaments. Participants must fill out a form, and submit it to the Chief TD prior to the tournament on 10/17. Doors will open starting around 9:15 AM, Tournament starts at 10:00 AM and it will last until around 1:30 PM at the latest.

Please remember that all participants must have supervision. One parent chaperone could watch a small group. If parents are quiet, and there are less than 10 in the playing area, they are allowed to observe unrated events. If there are too many parents, the outside patio is the waiting area with air conditioning inside by the front office if needed. There should be no talking, loud noises, or technology and any violations could result in a loss of game or consequences from the TCMS administration. Thank you for abiding by the rules and regulations of TCMS and the US Chess Federation.

Tournament Information:

Cost: $20 (Contact the Tournament Director for a registration form) - Players must have a USCF Membership. Vouchers are available for $15.

Location: 10735 Raulerson Ranch Rd, Tampa, FL 33637

Date & Time: 10/17/2026 from 9:30 AM - 1:30 AM. Will end earlier of matches end quickly; plan for a 12:00 PM Awards Ceremony followed by quick blitz playoff matches.

Style: 3 Rounds Swiss Format to decide top 6. Head-to-Head Blitz tiebreaker for tied records.

Divisions: Unrated-300; 300-600; Over 600. 100-Point Rule, a player can play up a division if they are within 100 rating points. Special circumstances must can be arranged if your rating is too far below 500 and you would like to compete in the top division. Please reach out to the tournament director at michael.belyea@tcmstornadoes.com with any concerns or requests.

Equipment: Chess notation pad & pen/pencil (Chess notation is required until 5 minutes is left on the clock). Board & clock will be provided, but are optional to bring if they meet the USCF requirements.

Awards: Top 3 receive a trophy. There are 6 potential trophies for each division - 3 Gold & 3 Silver Cups - Participation Ribbons/Lanyards.

Standard Time Control: G/20+10 (Dual) - Players should be using chess notation until there are 5 minutes left on the clock.

Tiebreaks of Tournament: Standard USCF Tiebreaks (Mod. Med, Solk, Cumul, Op. Cumul. Head-To-Head(1 on 1) if there is a tie to decide the trophy placement.

Tiebreak Time Control: G/5+3 (Blitz)

Tiebreak Details: The chess tournament will follow standard USCF tiebreaks to determine the top 6 records. At the end of round 3, tied records will have a rated rapid tiebreak to determine the award distribution of Gold and Silver cup trophies. Large for First, Medium for Second, and Small for Third. If there is a clear winner, they will receive a gold cup trophy. Tied records will have a blitz playoff to see who will receive a gold or silver trophy. This will also be a rated match, but there must be a tied record in order for the Head-to-Head tiebreak to occur. If there are too many second place awards, the top 4 records from the original top 6 prize positions will have a Head-to-Head match.

Contact: Chief Organizer/TD - Michael Belyea

(PLAYERS MUST BE TCMS STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE - EXCEPTIONS NEED TO BE APPROVED MY TCMS ADMINISTRATION BEFORE 10/16)