Commissioner Mark Samuelian Memorial Scholastic Chess Tournament (Free)

Please note: Registration closes at 7 pm on Friday, November 3

or sooner if the spots are filled. 

LIMITED ENTRY. No at the door registration.

Open to Aspiring Chess Players in grades K to 12 and limited to the first 100 entries, this fun chess tournament is hosted at the Scott Rakow Youth Center and produced by the staff at The National Scholastic Chess Foundation. Our event is open to all students in grades K to 12 attending school (public, charter, private, religious, or registered in homeschool) in South Florida. This event is not affiliated with MDPS. The tournament is free thanks to the support of The City of Miami Beach. This event is held in memory of Commissioner Mark G. Samuelian, a National Master chess player who was instrumental in bringing free chess programs to Miami Beach.

Format: Game/25, delay 5 if clocks are used. Notation is required but clocks are not. TDs may place a clock on games that are running up against the time control. This tournament follows USCF rules but is not rated by the Federation. 

Prizes: We will award trophies to the top performers (up to 10 places per section - 20 total, based upon registration; players must have a minimum score 2.5 or higher out of 4 rounds). There will also be 2 team trophies: 1 for the top elementary team and 1 for middle or high school. (Team prize calculated based on top 3 scores.) Finally, we have an additional prize for Top Girl in each section.

Advance Registration Only. Check-in begins at 9:30 am. First round begins at 10:00 am.

Sections: Regardless of grade, Players who have a USCF Rating of 500+ must play in the Middle-High School section; the decision of the tournament director on sections is final. Again, the tournament is not rated by USCF, but this is a way to give a challenge to our more experienced players while also ensuring our newer players have a positive introduction to chess competition.

Other details: By registering for this event, participant agrees to abide by the rules and the direction of the tournament director. For more information on how tournaments work, visit this page. Participants acknowledge that photography and/or videotaping may be occurring during this event and, by registering, grant the right for their, and/or their child's image, to be used in promotional materials, both print and online, for The National Scholastic Chess Foundation (NSCF), The City of Miami Beach and/or their affiliates and promotional partners. If there is a reason why your child cannot be videotaped, please advise the staff at check-in and we will do our best to accommodate you. Children must have a responsible adult with them (parent or a coach you trust) during the entire event. We will have some activities for our guests while the tournament is in progress.

Produced by The National Scholastic Chess Foundation, with the invaluable support of the Parks & Recreation Dept., City of Miami Beach.