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The aim of this section is to answer questions, particularly for new parents.
If you have any suggestions of questions you would like answered (or that you would have liked answered when you were new to SJC!!) please let me know. ( info@sussexjuniorchess.org )
What happens at Training Days?
My child is new to chess. Can He/She Enter Tournaments?
How does my child get selected for a County Team?
How do children qualify for the England Team?
What happens at Training Days?
SJC runs training days about once a month during the school year at various schools around the county. The children are split into groups according to ability (usually less that 10 in a group), so everyone from county players to beginners are welcome.
During training, the morning tends to focus on more formal training, whilst in the afternoon, children are involved in activities such as simultaneous chess or mini tournaments.
A full refreshments service (sandwiches, hot dogs etc.) is available, and parents are encouraged to make use of this, as much of our funding comes from our catering activities.
My child is new to chess. Can He/She Enter Tournaments?
SJC runs two types of tournament:
Grand Prix tournaments run 6 times in a year. They are split into four categories: U11 Major and Minor and U18 Major and Minor. The Minor tournaments are designed to allow the less experienced players to compete.
Age Group tournaments - once a year for each age group (U7, U8, U9, U11 and U14/18).
Tournaments are run using 'Swiss' pairings. In simple terms, this means that children play opponents who are on the same number of points as them. For inexperienced players, this means that they will get easier games as the tournament goes on, and it is unusual for players to leave the tournament without any points.
How does my Child Get Selected for the County Team?
SJC runs the Sussex county teams. There are major teams at U9, U11, U13 and U14, as well as some teams with limits on gradings.
Players are selected from those who compete regularly at tournaments - particularly the age group tournaments for U9 and U11. Team players are expected to turn up regularly for county training, and attendance at training events is taken into account during the selection process.
How do Children Qualify for the England Team?
For the particularly keen players, it is possible to qualify to play for England. Most England players are chosen at U11 (Year 6), although players can qualify at U10 (Year 5).
A trial for the England team occurs each year in about April/May. Players are invited to the trial if they have qualified at a number of tournaments during the year. There are six such tournaments, which are listed on the SJC calendar. At each tournament, players can achieve a half qualification (or half norm) by achieving a pre-determined number of points (usually 50% + 1/2 point). Occasionally, players can achieve a full qualification (full norm) at one of these events - but usually only by winning the tournament! Two half norms or one full norm result in an invite to the England Trials.
The qualification tournaments are held at various locations across the country (typically Nottingham, Halifax, Birmingham, London, Camberley and Swindon) so the commitment to qualifying for the team is a huge one.
It is possible to qualify for the England team at an older age, and SJC can provide advice to players who wish to follow this route.
Grades are used in chess to organise pairings in tournaments. They work a bit like a seeding system, to ensure that the top players do not meet each other in early rounds. Sussex participants will come across two grades for players.
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The BCF grades are set by the British Chess Federation using games which are submitted for grading. Unlike many junior chess organisations, SJC submits all games played at Sussex tournaments for grading. Players can earn grades for rapid play (less than 1 hour on the clock) and standard play (everything else). The BCF grade is used if players play in tournaments outside the county. BCF grades are calculated once a year and published in about July. |
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Since many of our players do not have BCF grades, we have our own Sussex grades which are recalculated every 3 months. These are based on an entirely different system, and use the results from Sussex matches only. These grades are used in our tournaments, and are published on this website. The Sussex grades allow players to judge their progress against other players in the county. |
Sussex Junior Chess is an informal organisation comprising parents of chess playing children. We are entirely staffed by volunteers and always need support from new parents who can help in a variety of ways - particularly if they have a specific skill to offer. Help can be as little as spending a few hours helping with the catering to taking responsibility for coordinating events or acting as liaison with local schools in a specific area. By remaining an entirely voluntary organisation, we are able to keep down the costs of events and hence encourage as many children as possible to attend.
There is no formal structure or committee in SJC. We do hold monthly meetings to discuss recent and forthcoming events, including county level tournaments and any parent who volunteer to take responsibility for any aspect of SJCs work is welcome to attend those meetings.