How does it work?

This event is a live ONLINE tournament. All players play 7 consecutive games over one Sunday afternoon, from 1pm - 5pm, the format is the same as the School Challenge. See rules here.

How do you qualify?

You can qualify in one of 3 ways:

1. Named Qualifiers - score 17+ points in a school Challenge
2. Non-named Qualifiers - selected by the Challenge Co-ordinator
3. Wildcard - to ensure sufficient numbers for a good tournament to take place, remaining places may be provided to Wildcard entries. Selection will be based on rating.

Places will be awarded in each event in priority order as above, given time constraints. Early entry is preferred.

What now?

Once you've registered (click your date) and paid the $30 entry fee you will receive an email with login details and further instructions. Entry includes a 12-month subscription to www.chesskid.com, an online games and learning website.

Entry fees are fully refundable in the event of cancellation (48 hrs notice required) or unresolvable technical difficulties.

Questions?

Will you send us a link to the tournament page?
Yes, you will receive an email a week before your event and again a day before and a final reminder 3 hours before your event starts.  This will contain a unique link to enable you to join the event.

Will we need a special login?
Yes, you'll get a Username and Password which is unique to you. This will let you play games online during the Finals, but also for the rest of the year!

Will there be a time limit on moves or a clock?
Yes, games are played with 15 minutes per player for each game.

Does it start 1pm Perth time or Sydney time?
All times are listed in AEST (Melbourne/Sydney time).

Can we play using any browser or computer?
Any desktop or laptop computer will be fine. We recommend Chrome or Firefox browsers (not Internet Explorer) for the best experience. Please don't use a tablet - I think it's possible but it seems to be missing some features.

Max. 50 per event; register early 
Mega-Finals dates coming soon

If none of these dates suit, please come back in a couple of weeks - as events fill up new dates may be listed. It is unlikely that any events will be scheduled after the end of September. 

To receive notification of dates in 2016 please enter your email:

There is a telephone help-line available if you require any technical support (1300 424 377) and live help available immediately before and during all Mega Finals. Keep our contact details handy.

Concerns?

Do you know that the players who enter are really qualified?
We have a manual process that verifies every player and the points they scored in their school challenge.

What are you doing about cheating?
We have a lot of measures in place to ensure that all the games are fair and played in the right spirit. Plus, there isn't that much to be gained from cheating at this stage...because there are no prizes, only progress to the next in-person stage of the event.

• The honour system. We expect parents and teachers to stress the importance of honesty and good sportsmanship to ensure kids don't get any help during their games.
  
• We have a supervisor online during the entire live event
• All players have a rating. A rating measures your performance from previous events. Any player who is performing at a mathematically unlikely level above their previous performances will be flagged for observation.
• Performance at the next stage will also be compared with Mega-Finals results to flag potential skill variations.
• All moves of the games are recorded and can be compared with a computer algorithm to identify computer assisted moves.
•  You have nothing to gain from cheating... if you don't actually play in the next stage then your place will be given to someone else and if you do play then your performance will be tracked again. The next stage is an in-person event so having someone helping you there will be kinda noticeable! :)
• Anyone caught cheating will be permanently banned from the Chess Challenge and also reported to the Australian Chess Federation and your State Association where a 2-year (or more) competition ban will be imposed. We'll also be reporting you to your teachers and parents for further shame and punishment.

What comes next?

Tera-Finals and RJ Shield Finals 2016

The National Tera-Finals (in conjunction with RJ Shield Finals) is held on:
Sunday November 27th, 2016
Queen's College, Melbourne University (www.chessfinals.com.au)

1st Place  -  $TBA
Runner-up $TBA

Best Primary Student $$$
Best Age Under 10 $$$
Best Age Under 8 $$$

Plus book/trophy prizes for other age-divisions, top girl prizes as well as most improved!

Rules Of Mega-Finals

Most rules will be the same as your School Challenge.  All rules will be explained clearly to all players before the start of play.

Any questions?
Email us