2026 Guy Ontai Hawaii K-12 Scholastic Chess Championship

March 07, 2026

Register  Entry List

  • Date: Saturday, March 7th 2026
  • Time: 9 a.m. to finish. Check-in 7:45 - 8:30 am; PLEASE CHECK-IN EARLY. If you are not checked-in by the end of the announcements, you will receive a zero point bye for round 1. General finishing time is 3 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., depending on section. Younger sections tend to play faster, so they will be done earlier.
  • Place: Washington Middle School cafeteria, 1633 S King St. Honolulu, HI. 96826. There is limited parking, so please come early to avoid having to street park.
  • STANDING ROOM ONLY: Due to the large turnout expected and the desire to keep the playing area quiet, the playing hall will be standing room only for non-players. The only people allowed inside will be players in active games, people observing games in silence, and people who need to come to the front to speak to the tournament directors. All others will be asked to remain outside. Please bring tables, chairs, tents, etc. for outside setup.
  • All non-essential chess games, fun games, game reviewing with parents/coaches, etc. will stay outside. Room permitting, there may be HCF tables and chess sets setup outside for use, but this can not be guaranteed. Please bring your own chess sets and clocks to guarantee availability for outside fun games and game reviewing. No HCF clocks will be allowed to be taken outside of the playing hall.
  • Supervision: On-site supervision by a coach, parent or designated guardian is required for all players age 13 and under.
  • No Adult section today

 

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION:

  • Sections: Scholastic grade level sections K-3, K-5, K-8, K-12
  • Clocks and chess sets provided at the event.  
  • Format for K-12 and K-8: 5 rounds, Swiss pairing system, non-elimination, rated by the US Chess Federation. Game in 45 minutes with a 5-second increment (G/45 +5). **NOTE: The number of rounds may be increased to 6 at a time control of G/40 +5, if the section registration numbers go above 50-60. 
  • Format for K-3 and K-5: 6 rounds, Swiss pairing system, non-elimination, rated by the US Chess Federation. Game in 40 minutes with a 5-second increment (G/40 +5). 
  • Chess Notation: All players are required to write moves, except Second Grade and below (although recommended). Notation requirement is lifted when either player is under 5 minutes of remaining clock time.

 

PRIZES AND PAIRINGS: 

  • Scholastic Individual Prizes: K-3, K-5, K-8 and K-12 will receive trophies for top 5 individuals in each section. The 1st place player will be declared the section state champion and will have their name engraved on the perpetual trophy for this year. Champions will also have the option of representing Hawaii at the National Tournament of State Champions Invitational taking place August 3-6, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
  • Individual Championship Tie Breaks: Players tied for 1st place will play a one game tie breaker with time control Game 10 with a 5-second increment (G/10 +5). If the playoff ends in a draw, players will be declared co-champions. USCF standard tiebreaks will be used to determine trophy distribution.
  • Scholastic Team Awards: Scholastic K-3, K-5, K-8 and K-12 team placement will be based on top 4 scores from the same school (teams may be any size). The top scoring team will be declared the team section champion and will have their team name engraved on the perpetual trophy for this year. If the top teams are tied in score, they will be declared co-champions. USCF standard tiebreaks will be used to determine team medal distribution.
  • Scholastic Team Pairings: Team members will generally not be paired against each other, unless necessary in later rounds, and only if the final team award placement will not be affected.
  • Byes: Any scholastic player may have up to two ½-point byes, if requested.

 

SCHEDULE:

  • 7:45 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Check in
  • 8:20 a.m.  Mandatory players meeting
  • 9 a.m.  Round 1 for all sections
  • All future rounds and lunch break to be announced on site (because the different sections play at different speeds, the tournament director will announce and post in the cafeteria the round times and lunch break times for each section).

Entry Fees : 

  • Free early registration available until Friday 2/28/26 at 11:59 pm (one week prior to the tournament)
    $20 registration fee available from 3/1/26 until 3/4/26 at 11:59 pm (three days prior to the tournament)
    $30 registration fee available from 3/5/26 until 3/6/26 at 11:59 pm (the night before the event)
    $40 registration fee on-site

 

US Chess Federation Membership (required): 

  • If you are not a member of the US Chess Federation, register here.  *NOTE: NEW PLAYER SIGN-UP IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL PAYMENT IS MADE TO USCF FOR THE FIRST YEAR*
  • If you are already a USCF member, please click hereto make sure your membership is current.
  • Any player who is not a current USCF member will automatically receive a 1/2-point bye in the first round while their membership is being processed.

 

 

MORE DETAILED INFORMATION: Please view this page, especially if this is your first tournament. Details for players, parents, family members and coaches. 

Questions: Contact the Scholastic Director Joshua White, at scholastic@hawaiichess.com