CHESS TOURNAMENT

Okinawa International
Kids Chess Tournament 2024

The International Children’s Chess Tournament aims to introduce children to the joy of chess and provide an opportunity for international exchange. In addition to chess, we also host Gobblet Gobblers for beginners and a Rubik’s Cube time attack challenge. All competitions are open to participants regardless of experience or nationality. Let’s enjoy this time together!

Event Overview

Date and Time August 18, 2024 (Sunday)
– Morning session (Preliminaries): 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
– Afternoon session (Finals and Consolation matches): 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Venue East Coast BBQ TERUMA
TERUMA 1F, 1860-1 Teruma, Yonashiro, Uruma City, Okinawa
Eligibility – Chess: Ages 5 to 14
– Gobblet Gobblers: No age limit (Beginners welcome)
– Rubik’s Cube Time Attack: No age limit
Competition Format – Chess
– Preliminary round: 5 minutes per player
– Final round: 10 minutes per player
– Gobblet Gobblers: Tournament style
– Rubik’s Cube Time Attack: Ranking determined by the average of 3 best times
Awards – Certificates and commemorative gifts for the top 3 in each competition
– Participation prizes for all contestants
Entry Fee – Chess: 2,000 yen
– Gobblet Gobblers: 1,000 yen
– Rubik’s Cube Time Attack: Free
How to Apply – Please apply through the application form on the official website
– Application deadline: August 16 (Friday)
Date and Time
August 18, 2024 (Sunday)
– Morning session (Preliminaries): 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
– Afternoon session (Finals and Consolation matches): 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Venue
East Coast BBQ TERUMA
TERUMA 1F, 1860-1 Teruma, Yonashiro, Uruma City, Okinawa
Eligibility
– Chess: Ages 5 to 14
– Gobblet Gobblers: No age limit (Beginners welcome)
– Rubik’s Cube Time Attack: No age limit
Competition Format
– Chess
– Preliminary round: 5 minutes per player
– Final round: 10 minutes per player
– Gobblet Gobblers: Tournament style
– Rubik’s Cube Time Attack: Ranking determined by the average of 3 best times
Awards
– Certificates and commemorative gifts for the top 3 in each competition
– Participation prizes for all contestants
Entry Fee
– Chess: 2,000 yen
– Gobblet Gobblers: 1,000 yen
– Rubik’s Cube Time Attack: Free
How to Apply
– Please apply through the application form on the official website
– Application deadline: August 16 (Friday)
  • Participants registered for the Chess division can also join the Gobblet Gobblers division at no additional cost.
  • However, participants in the Chess afternoon finals cannot participate in the Gobblet Gobblers finals.
  • Regular entry fees apply for those participating only in Gobblet Gobblers.

Chess Division

The Chess division is open to children aged 6 to 12. Through morning preliminaries and afternoon finals/friendly league, participants will experience the joy of chess and develop strategic thinking. We provide an environment where both beginners and experienced players can enjoy competing.

Rules

Tournament Structure

  • Morning: Preliminary League
  • Afternoon: Final Tournament and Friendly League

Preliminary League

  • Players are divided into groups of 4-5
  • Each player competes once against everyone in their group
  • Top players from each group advance to the final tournament (number determined by total participants)

Final Tournament

  • Players who advanced from the preliminary league compete
  • Winner is determined through an elimination format

Friendly League

  • For players who didn’t advance to the final tournament
  • Opportunity to continue enjoying chess matches

Time Control

  • Chess clocks will be used
  • Preliminary League: 5 minutes per player
  • Final Tournament (1st round to quarter-finals): 5 minutes per player
  • Final Tournament (semi-finals and finals): 10 minutes per player
  • The clock runs during the player’s turn
  • Running out of time results in a loss

Basic Rules

  • White moves first, followed by Black
  • Touch-move rule: Once a piece is touched, it must be moved if possible
  • A move is completed when the player releases the piece
  • Captured pieces are removed from the board
  • When the king is in check, the player must make a move to get out of check
  • Checkmate: When the king is in check and there is no legal move to escape, the game is lost
  • After moving a piece, press the clock with the same hand

Special Rules

  • Castling: A special move involving the king and a rook to enhance king safety
  • En Passant: A special pawn capture move, only possible immediately after the opponent’s pawn has moved two squares
  • Promotion: When a pawn reaches the opposite end of the board, it can be exchanged for any piece (Queen, Rook, Bishop, or Knight)

Draw Rules

  • Stalemate: When it’s a player’s turn to move, but they have no legal moves and their king is not in check
  • Threefold Repetition: If the same position occurs three times, either player can claim a draw
  • 50-move rule: If 50 moves have been made without any pawn movement or piece capture, either player can claim a draw
  • Mutual Agreement: Players can agree to a draw at any time

Time and Penalties

  • Running out of time results in a loss
  • If an illegal move is made, inform the referee. The situation will be handled accordingly

Special Considerations

  • For beginners: Experienced players may offer advice once per game
  • One “take-back” is allowed per game (for beginners only)

Prohibited Actions

  • Use of mobile phones or tablets during matches
  • Advice from spectators or other players (except the one-time consideration for beginners)
  • Deliberately wasting time
  • Disrespectful behavior towards opponents or referees

Etiquette

  • Respect your opponent
  • Concentrate quietly and enjoy the game
  • Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat

Awards

  • Final Tournament: Certificates and medals for the top 3 players
  • Friendly League: Certificate and medal for the winner
  • Participation prizes for all players

Important Note

Remember, enjoying chess and making new friends is more important than winning or losing!

Detailed rules will be explained on the day of the tournament. If you have concerns about special rules, please check with the organizers beforehand or ask the referee on the day. Feel free to ask if you have any questions.

Gobblet Gobblers Division

The Gobblet Gobblers division is open to children aged 5 to 12. This strategic two-player board game played on a 3×3 grid aims to develop strategic thinking in a fun way. Through morning practice/friendly matches and afternoon finals, we aim to make new friends and improve strategies.

What is Gobblet Gobblers?

Even beginners and young children can easily learn the rules and start playing right away!

Rules

Tournament Structure

1. Morning: Preliminary League (Practice and friendly matches)
2. Afternoon: Final Tournament

Preliminary League

  • The morning session focuses on practice and friendly matches.
  • We create an atmosphere where beginners can participate easily.
  • Win counts are recorded but are only used as a reference for afternoon pairings.
  • Experienced players are encouraged to give advice on rules and strategies to beginners.

Final Tournament

  • Afternoon pairings are determined based on preliminary league results.
  • We aim to have all participants join the final tournament.
  • The tournament format will be decided based on the number of participants on the day.

Game Objective

Win by aligning three of your pieces in a row, column, or diagonal.

Game Setup

Each player has 4 pieces each of small, medium, and large sizes (Gobblets). Larger pieces can cover smaller ones.

Game Progression

1. Decide the first player by rock-paper-scissors.
2. Players take turns.
3. On your turn, choose one of these actions:

  • Place one of your pieces on an empty space on the board
  • Move one of your pieces already on the board to another space
  • Cover an opponent’s smaller piece with your larger piece

Special Rules

  • “Gobble”: You can cover an opponent’s smaller piece with your larger piece.
  • “Nest”: You can hide your smaller piece inside your larger piece.

Winning Condition

Align three of your color pieces (the pieces visible on top) in a row, column, or diagonal to win.

Time Control

Each game has a 10-minute time limit, with 5 minutes per player. However, we’ll be flexible during the preliminary league.

Etiquette and Prohibitions

The same etiquette and prohibitions as the Chess division apply, but we encourage a friendly atmosphere especially during the preliminary league.

Awards

The top 3 players in the final tournament will receive certificates and medals. All participants will receive participation prizes.

Important Note

Gobblet Gobblers is a fun strategic game. Think about strategies using different piece sizes and try to predict your opponent’s moves. Especially during the morning preliminary league, use this as an opportunity to make new friends and learn from each other. In the afternoon final tournament, enjoy applying the strategies you’ve learned.

Detailed rules will be explained on the day of the tournament. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. The tournament management will flexibly respond to situations, so let’s all enjoy participating together!

Rubik’s Cube Division

The Rubik’s Cube division is an exciting speed-solving competition. It’s open to participants of all ages and experience levels. This is a great opportunity to develop logical thinking and spatial recognition skills.

Rules

Eligibility

  • No age limit
  • Free participation for everyone
  • No pre-registration required

Competition Content

Compete to solve all six sides of the Rubik’s Cube in the shortest time.

Recording Method

  • Throughout the day, each participant’s average of their 3 fastest times will be compared.
  • At least one witness is required for time recording.
  • Self-timed records are not valid.

Ranking Determination

The winner is the person with the fastest average of their 3 best times of the day.

Awards

The top 3 participants will be awarded.

Equipment

  • Please bring your own Rubik’s Cube.
  • If you don’t have your own cube, you can use one provided at the venue.

Important Notes

  • Participation is free. Interested individuals can come to the venue at any time.
  • When you want your time recorded, please ask a staff member or another participant to be your witness.
  • Practice fair play and respect each other’s records.

Competition Purpose

For experienced solvers, aim to update your personal best. For beginners, this is a great opportunity to experience the charm of the Rubik’s Cube.

Let’s have fun and engage in fair competition. We hope this will be a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and share techniques through the Rubik’s Cube.

Frequently Asked Questions

クラブ

入会が不要 都度参加費(または無料)