Our annual tournaments
Roosevelt Chess Classic - Fall
One of our signature major events is the Roosevelt Chess Classic which is held on a Saturday in November at Alfreda-Harris Lodge at Roosevelt State Park in Morton, Miss. It features individual and team participation whereas players can compete for prizes and bragging rights as well as strengthen their ratings.
(Click HERE for information about the venue.)
The tournament includes four rounds using the Swiss pairing system with game control time of 45 minutes with 3 second increment. All games are rated and players must use a clock and notation and have active membership in the U.S. Chess Federation.
Individual players compete in four sections including Open, U1200, U800 and U400.
Individual prizes include cash for first, second, and third place in the Open. Winners in the Open also receive a plaque for first place. and medals go to second and third places respectively.
The U1200, U800, and U400 winners receive cash and trophies for first place and medals for second and third place.
* The plaque awarded to the grand champion in the Open section is named the Dianne McLaurin Championship Award in recognition of a former branch manager of the Forest Public Library who supported our club and was instrumental in our establishment and continued success.
Players may also register as teams and the winning team receives medals and cash. Each team member plays in the section relative to their USCF rating. Team members' scores are combined for a composite score and the top 4 members receive prizes.
The tournament is named for the state park where it is held.
Photo By BILLY FREEMAN, Nov. 13, 2021
Bienville Chess Classic - Spring
Our other signature major event is the Bienville Chess Classic which is held in April at Alfreda-Harris Lodge at Roosevelt State Park in Morton, Miss. It features individuals only whereas players can compete for prizes and bragging rights as well as strengthen their ratings.
(Click HERE for information about the venue.)
The Bienville Classic includes four rounds using the Swiss pairing system with game control time of 45 minutes with 3 second increment.
Individuals compete in four rated sections including Open, U1200, U800 and U400.
All games are rated and players must use a clock and notation.
Players must have active membership in the U.S. Chess Federation.
Prizes include cash for first, second, and third place in the Open. Winners in the Open also receive a plaque for first place and medals go to second and third places respectively.
The U1200, U800, and U400 winners receive trophies (1st Place) and medals (2nd & 3rd).
If funds are available, first place winners may also receive cash prizes.
* The plaque awarded to the grand champion in the Open section is named the Beverly Jo Rhodes Memorial Award in recognition of a former gifted teacher in Scott County who taught chess in local schools. (Click HERE for information about Mrs. Rhodes.)
This tournament is named for the Bienville National Forest which includes the state park where the tournament is held and covers most of Scott County.
Forest Chess Challenge - Summer
We launched our third tournament series on August 17, 2024, at Penn's Restaurant in Forest, Miss. It features rounds of Quick and Blitz games whereas players can get in some rated games in those styles of play and compete for cash prizes and strengthen their ratings.
The Forest Chess Challenge includes five rounds of Quick games (G/15+3) followed by six rounds of Blitz (G/5+3) using the Swiss pairing system.
Individuals compete in two rated sections including Open and U1000.
All games are rated and notation is NOT required.
Players must have active membership in the U.S. Chess Federation.
Prizes include first, second, and third place in both sections.
This tournament is named for the City of Forest which is the county seat and base of operations for the Scott County Chess Club.
Safe Play
Scott County Chess Club follows the U.S. Chess policy on safe play
The Scott County Chess Club is committed to providing a safe environment for all chess players. We will not tolerate any kind of physical, mental, emotional, verbal or any other kind of abuse directed at any person participating in any of our events. Any person found to be violating this policy will be ejected from the event. After due process, violators will be permanently banned from any future participation of events sponsored by the Scott County Chess Club.
If necessary, violators will be reported to local law enforcement authorities.
For more information about this policy, click HERE
About the Venue
Spacious Game Floor
There is plenty of space for players to compete on the main floor of the Lodge.
Beautiful Scenery
The Alfreda-Harris Lodge is surrounded by Roosevelt State Park woodlands overlooking a beautiful lake.
Space for spectators
Space for spectators
While there is limited seating in the indoor lobby area overlooking the main floor, the outside patio allows for generous seating and window view into the main floor.
Clocks
Clocks come in a wide variety of designs and functionality. While some players enjoy traditional analog chess clocks, most modern players have embraced the technology of digital clocks.
When getting into playing tournaments, two major differences a player will find as opposed from casual play is the use of a clock and chess notation. These are adjustments that a player needs to bring into his participation, but they are not impossible to incorporate.
The Chess clock simply keeps games from lasting forever and allows tournaments to run smoothly on schedule. It also teaches players the value of making decisions in a reasonable amount of time. While some traditional settings may use analog clocks for nostalgic purposes, most clocks using in modern tournaments are digital. It is important to learn how to play timed games if you desire to take your participation to the next level.
Notation is a means of players writing down their moves and those of their opponents using algebraic symbols and abbreviations. Notation allows players to keep track of their moves so if there is a question or dispute over the legality of a move during a tournament, a decision can be made by a tournament director. In most cases, notation is required when playing rated games.
Even more valuable, notation allows players to keep their games for purposes of reviewing them later to see what mistakes may have been made. Chess teachers use notations with students in helping them improve. Notation also allows more experienced players to make their games available to other players to help them improve. It is widely used in chess publications where games are shared.
Notation
There are different designs of scoresheets for notation of games,
but this is the basic idea of what notation looks like. For a basic tutorial about notation, click below.