2020-2021 BJHS Chess Team Tryout Information

Every student who would like to be named to the Bob Jones High School Chess Team for the 2020-2021 school year must complete this application. Because of the gobal pandemic, we are modifying our tryout procedure for both new and returning members.

We will be utilizing the ChessKid.com program to help us conduct tryouts. If you do not have a ChessKid gold account, one will be provided for you for the summer tryout period. If you do have a ChessKid gold account, you will provide your Username in the application.

Puzzles

Every new applicant will be added to the BJ Chess Team Club on ChessKid and will be required to solve at least 100 chess puzzles in the month of July. There will also be a July puzzle contest among those new members trying out, and at the end of the contest at 9 p.m. on July 30th, everyone trying out will be assigned points based on their ranking in the puzzle contest. First place will receive the most points, and last place will receive the least points (number of points determined by the number of people trying out). So, the more puzzles you solve in the month of July, the better your chances to make the team in the fall.

Tournaments

Online chess has become increasingly important during the pandemic, during periods of quarantine, and in the chess world. The USCF has now added published ratings for online blitz and online rapid chess games. Also, online playoffs have been utilized by the Alabama Chess Federation to determine our state's Denker and Barber representative during the pandemic when over the board games could not be played.

Online Tournaments - play in a minimum 10 tournaments in the months of June and July. Options include:

1. ChessKid: MCCL Monday Night Blitz at 7 p.m.; MCCL K-12 Saturday Tournaments at 2 p.m.; ChessKid Official Club Tournaments that you send me a link to so I can verify you participated, adding date and time of tournament.
2. Chess.com: Any tournaments hosted by MCCL whether rated or unrated or that MCCL fields a team for such as an international match like 2020 Chess; any other Chess.com tournament that you provide a link and date/time of tournament in the form below. [You can set up a free account on chess.com and ask to join the BJ/DMS Chess Team on Chess.com so I can monitor your chess.com tournaments.] We will likely hold some BJ/DMS Chess Team tournaments on Chess.com later in June.