The 2005 Winter Olympics team championships have been rescheduled 
for March 5 (due to icy road conditions on 1/15)--if you are preregistered
you do not need to register again (and January team ratings still apply),
however, please send us an email confirmation that you will be coming!

**There is still space available for new individuals and teams to register**

THE INFO BELOW IS UP TO DATE

Get ready for the...

2005
Chess Odyssey
Winter Olympics

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well."  -Olympic Creed

Scholastic Team Championships
in three sections

~All ability levels are welcome at this unique annual tournament!~

~Have fun helping represent your existing chess club, or...
if you don't already have a team, we will be creating them
from individual players just for this event~

When:  Saturday, March 5, 2005                                             
Check-in from 7:30-8:15*                                           
  Awards ceremonies after final round in each section
Where:  Patterson Elementary Gym                                          
261 NE Lenox Street, Hillsboro, OR  97124**         
What:  Team-paired (Swiss) match-play chess                   
              Teams consist of 4 players with the possibility of one alternate

There are 3 sections:

Olympians (Open, or unlimited team rating):
Game 45 (min. per side), 4 rounds starting at 9:00, 11:00, 1:00 & 3:00

Heroes (Reserve, with combined team rating under 3600):      
Game 30 (min. per side), 5 rounds starting at 9:00, 10:30, 12:00, 1:30 & 3:00

Warriors (Teams whose members do not have established ratings):
Game 30 (min. per side), 5 rounds starting at 9:00 & finishing by or before 4:00

               Unrated players may also play on teams in the Heroes or Olympians sections,
but will be considered to have a rating of their age plus two zeroes
(e.g., 700 if you are 7 years old, 800 if you're 8, and so on) with a
maximum of 1200 for this event.

Gold, silver or bronze custom-designed medals will be awarded to each member of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams in each section.  Board trophies will be given to the players with the best scores on each board (1-4) in each section.  Championship trophies to the first-place team in each section.  Event ribbons for all other competitors. 

Additional awards for:

Best Team Name
Best Team T-Shirt or Logo
Olympic Spirit Award (individual & team)

Details:  This is a USCF-rated scholastic event for ages 5-19.  All ability levels welcome!  Chess sets and boards will be provided.  Please bring a chess clock if you have one, but it is not required.  Players will have access to a covered playground with basketball hoop between rounds, as well as a skittles area with TV/video.  We will be selling pizza by the slice and limited concessions (snacks and drinks) at the tournament site (eating establishments are about a 10-minute drive away).  Hot coffee for the adults in the a.m.  For those coming from out of the area who need a place to stay, Extended Stay America in Hillsboro will give a two-person rate of $59 for a kitchenette suite over the 1/14-16 weekend [mention Chess Odyssey at 503-439-0706] , or check Expedia [search Hillsboro or Beaverton] for other possible accommodations.

Parents and Coaches!

Register your school, homeschool or chess club team by clicking on "Team Registration" below.  We expect you to play for your existing team if you already have one, or a team you have played on in the past 12 months if your current school does not have a team.  There is no limit to the number of teams a school or homeschool club may enter.  Teams will consist of four players, including a team captain (not necessarily the strongest player) for organizational purposes.  Each team may additionally register one alternate player not required to pay an entry fee; however, alternates must have the lowest rating of the team (the alternate's rating does not count toward team rating total) and may only play board 4.  The highest-rated player on the team will play board 1, the second highest player board 2, the third highest board 3, and the lowest-rated player board 4, in every round.  Exception:  Team members may play up one board (though doing so could affect an individual's chances for board prizes), but not down.  For example, the second strongest player may play board 1, with the other team members also moving up a board if the team were to decide to (or needed to) pull its top team member out for a round.  This is also an example of how an alternate gets a chance to play.  However, no player may play a lower board than the one they were originally assigned.

If you don't have a team, no problem!  We will help you find one for this event!  Simply indicate that you're looking for a team when you register by clicking on "Individual Registration" below.  Although we can't guarantee you'll be able to play on the same team as your friend(s), we'll do our best to accommodate requests and create balanced teams.  Do you have questions about teams or how team tournaments work?  Email Pete or call him at 503-504-5756.  Note:  If this is your first tournament, please read the Competition section of the Chess Odyssey web site for preparation, and if you still have questions email Pete.

*Registration/check-in will be between 7:30-8:15 a.m.; first round start time is 9:00 a.m.; awards ceremony will follow the final round in each section (as close to 5:00 p.m. as possible for the Olympians, 4:30 p.m. for the Heroes & 4:00 p.m. or earlier for the Warriors).  Preregistered teams checking in later than 8:15 a.m. will not play the first round but will receive a 1/2-point bye.  Individuals/teams registering late on the day of the tournament must call the tournament director (Pete at 503-504-5756) by 7:45 a.m. and be at the site by 8:00 a.m. ready to register in order to be allowed to play the first round.

Entry fee:  $20.00 per team member if registration is received by 3/4/05 ($30 if you register the morning of the tournament, but you must arrive by 7:45 a.m. to be paired in Round 1).  U.S. Chess Federation membership is required, but is available through Chess Odyssey.  USCF membership fees have recently been reduced to $17 for under age 14 years, and $23 for ages 15-19.  USCF members receive Chess Life magazine, a national rating, free online chess at chesshall.org, and other benefits.

To register:  Please click one of the links below to register online.  Or, you may send us your name, address, email address, phone number, an emergency contact name & phone number, date of birth, school name & grade, team name (be creative!), your most recent USCF rating if applicable, the names and ratings of your three other teammates indicating which one is captain and including one alternate (if you choose to), or else indicate that you'd like to placed on a team.  Remember, if your team rating total exceeds 3600 your team will be placed in the Olympian (Open) section.  Please also include your USCF ID#, or else your request for a new or renewal USCF membership (required), along with a check covering all fees, to:

Chess Odyssey Winter Olympics 2005
2373 NW 185th, #261
Hillsboro, OR  97124

Click here for Team registration
or
Click here for Individual registration

Tell your friends to register ASAP as well!

Last year's Winter Olympics was a blast, and we can hardly wait to do it again!
Here's the report, to give an idea what this event is like:

"The 2004 Chess Odyssey Winter Olympics team tournament on Jan. 10 went forward as planned, despite falling on the tail-end of the worst snow and ice storm in recent Portland-area memory.  It was a terrific day!  A total of 26 teams competed, from across Oregon and as far north as Lynden, Washington.  Some teams had alternates, raising total participation to 109, with 25 new USCF memberships.  Many players had never experienced a match-play team tournament such as this before (patterned after the international Chess Olympiad and the U.S. Regional Amateur Team Championships) and it was extremely enthusiastically received.  More than 36 medals were awarded, as well as 17 trophies.  Click here for results."  

**The Patterson Elementary gym is a great tournament venue.  Click here for map/directions.

For further info, contact Pete Prochaska at 503-504-5756 or explore our web site at www.chessodyssey.com (particularly the Competition section).

Click here to return to the Chess Odyssey home page.