These
are the traditional teams championships conducted or overseen
for many years by
Chess Victoria Inc.
[called the Victorian Chess Association Inc prior to 2000].
Winning schools are invited to represent Chess Victoria (CV) in
the annual
Australian Schools Teams Championships, administered by
the Australian Chess
Federation Inc (ACF), which is recognised by
the international chess federation
(FIDE) as the governing body for
chess in Australia.
The
following information applies to both the Primary and Secondary schools championships.
Open Championships
In
the context of schools teams events, "Open" describes competitions in
which
teams may include girls and/or boys. The Victorian Schools Open Primary
and Open Secondary championships each comprise two stages.
STAGE
1 – ZONAL TOURNAMENTS
The
first stage involves participation in a CV-approved Schools Zonal Tournament.
CV-approved
Schools Zonal Tournaments (identified by the words "A CV-approved
event")
may be run by CV-affiliated clubs, school cluster groups, chess
coaching providers or others who agree to run them in cooperation with CV.
Generally,
CV-approved Schools Zonal Tournaments comprise school teams from the same or
neighbouring suburbs or districts. However, schools may choose to compete
outside their region if, for example, the date of the closest competition is
unsuitable.
Schools
wishing to field the same or a substantially similar team in more than one
CV-approved Schools Zonal Tournament in the same championship may do so subject
to consent and any conditions set by the organiser of the later tournament.
STAGE
3 – STATE FINALS
The
State Final is a one-day competition comprising teams from qualifying schools
from Semi Final Tournaments. The top-scoring team at the State
Finals will be declared Champions and will gain the right to represent Victoria
at the Australian Schools Teams Championships. The
top-scoring Girls team at the State Finals will be declared Girls Champions and
will gain the right to represent Victoria at the Australian Schools Teams
Championships (Girls).
Girls
Championships
In
2008 the Victorian Primary Schools Girls Teams Championship and the Victorian
Secondary Schools Girls Teams Championship will be run as separate girls
tournaments. The top-scoring Girls
team will be declared Girls Champions
and will gain the right to represent Victoria at the Australian Schools Teams
Championships.
Target
Dates for the 2008 Semi Finals and Finals
Below
are the dates on which CV aims to conduct the State finals in 2008 and the dates
on which it is expected the 2008 national finals will be held.
Chess
Victoria is very grateful to the schools that offer venues
for these championships. If no venue has been allocated for your area and
your school would like to gain the home-ground advantages enjoyed by host
schools, please read the information reached via the Hosting Requirements link
in the Scroll Index (left) and contact the Director. Venues may be allocated
before the suggested deadlines.
Team Composition
In CV-approved
Schools Zonal Tournaments team composition is determined by the organiser and
may differ from that indicated below.
Gaining
a qualifying place from a Zonal Tournament gives a school a right to field four
players in the State Finals of the Victorian Schools Teams Championships. Any
subsequent qualifying places gained by a school grant it the right to add two
additional players up to a maximum of fourteen players.
Competition
Format
In
CV-approved Schools Zonal Tournaments the format of the competition is
determined by the organiser concerned. Different organisers may structure their
tournaments in different ways and may vary the number of State Final qualifiers
from one tournament to the next.
In
the State Final, each player will play approximately seven matches in a swiss
format.
In
National Finals, the format will normally be a round-robin tournament.
Rate of
Play / Time Control
In
CV-approved Schools Zonal Tournaments, the game time per player is set by the
organiser.
In
the State Finals (unless otherwise announced) each player has 15 minutes
thinking time per game and an additional 3 seconds per move.
Times — Start and
Finish
Participants
in CV-approved Schools Zonal Tournaments would normally be notified of start and
finish times by the organiser.
In
the State Finals, start and expected finish times are displayed with other
information reached via the Primary Info or Secondary Info links in the Scroll
Index (left) and in the panel at the foot of this page.
Lunch
Team
members are advised to bring lunches. Intervals between games might not coincide
with local facilities.
Choosing
a CV-approved Schools Zonal Tournament
Dates,
venues and other details of CV-approved Schools Zonal Tournaments in 2007 may be
viewed via the Primary Info and Secondary Info links
in the Scroll Index panel at left and in the panel at the foot of this page.
Inquiries
about possible other CV-approved Schools Zonal Tournaments that may be planned
can be made by contacting one or more of the potential organisers whose contact
information is reached via the Zonal Organisers link in the Scroll Index panel
at left.
Because
not all competitions in Victorian schools are part of the qualification path to
the finals of the traditional state and national teams championships, school
chess coordinators may wish to clarify whether or not a competition they may be
invited to enter is part of that process.
If
the words "CV-approved" do not appear in an organiser's invitation to
take part, the status of the competition may be clarified by its listing on this
web site or by contacting the Chess Victoria Schools Championships Director.
Entries
Unless
otherwise indicated on this web site, entries for CV-approved Schools Zonal
Tournaments must be made by direct contact with the organiser of the chosen
tournament.
Where
the number of entries for a tournament is excessive or if the number of teams a
school wishes to enter might exceed the permitted quota from one school, excess
teams may be listed as being on standby. Such teams are not guaranteed places in
that tournament but at a later time may be offered the chance to compete.
Permitted quotas from a single school are normally percentages of the total
number of entrants and may vary according to the number of participating
teams and schools, and other factors that might affect the fairness of the
tournament.
Confirmation
of Entries
Although
additional information about CV-approved Schools Zonal Tournaments may appear on
this web site, participants
should confirm latest arrangements for these tournaments with the organiser
during the week prior to the tournament using
the contact information reached via the Zonal Organiser link at the top of the
calendar page
Entry
Fees
For
CV-approved Schools Zonal Tournaments, different organisers may charge different
fees.
Regardless
of the amount paid, no additional fee will be payable in respect of State
Finalists that have qualified from CV-approved Schools Zonal Tournaments.
Prizes
In
CV-approved Schools Zonal Tournaments prizes are determined and provided by the
organisers concerned.
In
the State Finals, schools of the winning and runner-up teams receive inscribed
pennants. Members of teams placed first in the Girls championships and first,
second and third in the Open championships receive gold, silver or bronze Chess
Victoria championship medals mounted on personal trophies.
Winners
of the Open and Girls State Finals have first option to represent Chess Victoria
in the Australian Schools Teams Championships.
Ratings
This
year, CV will continue to work towards the objective of providing ACF rapid-play
ratings for players in the Victorian Schools Teams Championships. This aim, when
achieved, will enable many more young players to compare their performances with
players from other zones and states.
Equipment
In
CV-approved Schools Zonal Tournaments, the choice of chess equipment is at the
discretion of the organiser.
In
the State Finals equipment used complies with FIDE specifications. FIDE-endorsed
Digital Game Timers (DGTs), used widely throughout Australia and overseas, are
used.
Schools
whose players are not familiar with the timing devices to be used in a
forthcoming CV-approved Schools Zonal Tournament or final are welcome to apply
for use of a unit for training purposes.
Publicity
Chess
Victoria is always on the lookout for opportunities to promote and report on the
championships. The assistance of participating schools through school
newsletters and magazines, local newspapers, websites, notice boards and
announcements is always appreciated. Is your school chess team mentioned on your
school's web site?
Competition
Director
Information
concerning all aspects of the competition may be obtained by contacting the
Chess Victoria Schools Championships Director:
Leonid
Sandler
