Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge – Sussex Megafinal
Saturday 11th May 2019
Downlands Community School
Dale Avenue, Hassocks.
BN6 8LP
Congratulations! If you are reading this you may have qualified for the Sussex Megafinal. You will now be playing the best chess players in Sussex! This page is intended to give you some idea of what to expect. If you do not find the information you need, please contact us.
The aim of the day is simply to enjoy a great day’s chess against the best in the county and make some new friends – good luck!
*** This is a very large event – you will have a more enjoyable experience if you take the time to familiarise yourself with the following information. ***
I entered the Delancey Schools UK Chess Challenge – who are Sussex Junior Chess?
Sussex Junior Chess is a not-for-profit organisation running chess training days and tournaments throughout the year in Sussex. We also select players to represent Sussex in national competitions.
Sussex Junior Chess organise the Sussex Megafinal by licence on behalf of the DUKSCC.
Qualification and entry
Primary School aged children (up to and including Year 6 (U11)) – This event is open ONLY to those who have qualified (usually through their School or chess club).
Secondary School aged children – qualification not required.
You must enter on the DUKCC website – entries must be received by the closing date Wednesday 8th May. Entries may close sooner if venue capacity is reached.
*** THIS EVENT IS STRICTLY NO ENTRY ON THE DAY ***
Venue and Parking
Downlands Community School, Dale Avenue, Hassocks
Parking is available on the school site and will be marshalled. There is also a public car park further down Dale Avenue (2 mins walk), and also at Hassocks Railway Station (fee payable – 5-10 mins walk). There is also on street parking in nearby roads – please allow sufficient time to find parking, and please park considerately.
There will be a wide range of very reasonably priced catering items on sale – hot & cold drinks, confectionery, sandwiches, light snacks (pizza slices, bacon rolls etc) and hot meals.
To get a feel for the scale of the event, have a look at the report and pictures from last years Megafinal HERE.
On arrival
Our registration team will welcome you on arrival and direct you to your playing hall, parent rooms and catering facilities. Registration is important because it allows us to check that players are in the correct section before play begins.
Find a base in the parents’ area and make sure your children know where to find you. Parents/carers can accompany players into the playing hall, help them find their table, and listen to any announcements but are asked to leave once play starts….so it is important your child knows where to find you as games can last any time from 5-50 minutes.
Supervision:
Parents and carers are responsible for their children and should supervise them when they are not in a playing areas.
Parents and carers are not permitted in the playing areas once play is underway.
Timetable for the day
At your school chess club, you probably played one or two rounds each week. At the Megafinal you will play all 6 rounds in a day and you will know by the time you go home if you have qualified for the next stage (the Gigafinal).
Everyone plays in all rounds – it is not a ‘knockout’ competition.
| Arrival | 08:45 – 09:30 |
| Introduction | 09:45 |
| Round 1 | 10:00 – 10:50 |
| Round 2 | 11:20 – 12:10 |
| Round 3 | 12:30 – 13:20 |
| Round 4 | 13:40 – 14:30 |
| Round 5 | 14:50 – 15:40 |
| Round 6 | 16:00 – 16:50 |
| Prize Giving | 17:20 |
Age-Groups
The competition is organised into age groups: Under 7, Under 8, Under 9, Under 10, Under 11, Under 12, Under 13, Under 14, Under 15, Under 16, Under 17, and Under 18 so you will only be playing opponents of the same age. However, some sections (particularly older girls) may need to be merged if there are insufficient entries to ensure a viable section.
For 2019, your age will be based on how old you were at midnight on 31st August 2018. So, for example, children born between 1st September 2007 – 31st August 2008 (usually in school year 6) will have been age 10 on 31st August and so will be in the Under 11 category.
Scoring
In your school competition you probably scored 3 points for a win, 2 for a draw and 1 for a loss.
At the Megafinal normal chess scoring will be used:
1 point if you win
0.5 point if you draw
0 points if you lose
Sometimes there may be an uneven number of players so one player does not have a match. This is called a ‘bye’ and you will score 1 point. You will probably have the chance to be paired with a player from another section for a ‘friendly’.
Most games will be played using chess clocks which measure the time taken by each player. Don’t worry if you have not used one before; they are quite simple to use and will be explained at the start of the competition.
Matches will take place in a large playing hall where silence must be maintained at all times. If you need help, put your hand up and a referee (called an ‘arbiter’ in chess) will come and help you.
Who will I play?
The players you are drawn against is decided by the ‘swiss’ chess pairing system, whereby players on the same number of points play each other. So, for example, if you win in Round 1 and so have 1 point you will play someone else who has 1 point in the next round.
How do I qualify for the next stage – the Gigafinal?
Everyone scoring 3½ points or more (out of a possible 6) qualifies for the Gigafinal.
More details about the venue and format of the Gigafinal will be available on the DUKCC website nearer the time.
If you qualify you will be handed information about the format and what to do next at prizegiving. The information will also be emailed to all qualifiers in the days following the event.
Are there any other prizes?
The highest placed boy in each age group becomes the Supremo*, and qualifies for the Gigafinal.
The highest placed girl in each age group becomes the Suprema*, and qualifies for the Gigafinal.
*Supremo/Suprema titles will only be awarded to Sussex players (defined as those who live in, go to school in, or attend a chess club in Sussex).
There will also be medals for thosed placed second or third.
Titles and prizes will be subject to tie-break rules.
- Direct Encounter
- Median-Buchholz
- Buchholz Cut 1
- Buchholz
- Drawing of Lots
These can appear complicated but will be explained on the day if they become relevant.
For players who are used to competing regularly the important thing to know is that the Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge does not use ‘sum of progressive scores’ as a tie-break.
Whether you qualify for the Gigafinal or not, we hope you have a fun day, and would love to see you again at any of our other training events or competitions in the future (see our Events page).