MC Cup FAQ

The MC Cup Qualfier Chess Tournaments are a great way for kids of all levels to play and enjoy Chess. If you are new to chess the MC Cup is an ideal starting ground for getting involved in Chess tournaments. The MC Cup Qualfier is a regular event held generally on the last Sunday of every month. Currently the event is being held regularly in Auckland but we will be running the event in other major cities in the future. MC Cup events are not NZCF-rated so they are a popular competitive testing ground prior to NZCF events.

MC Cup Finals Winner 2011 William Zhang

MC Cup Chess Tournaments offer these great benefits:

• All players get to play other players at their own level. The way this works is that if a player loses their first game they play another player that has also lost their first game. And so on.
• Players that lose games, are more likely to eventually win a game as the tournament progresses, even if they are a complete beginner.
• New players can enter the Rookies Division where only beginners taking their first steps in Chess can play
• Each player is guaranteed a total of at least 5 games on the day
• Each player receives a Certificate recognising their achievement
• Exceptional players are rewarded with trophies
• Chess Power Dollars can be won for Best Puzzle Solver, Biggest upset and Beat the Master Challenge™
• The entry fee is $20 per Child 18 years and under
• For a child, winning an MC Cup Qualifier event gives you some great benefits:
  
  • entry in the Elite Division of the MC Cup Finals Championships held at the end of the year
  • wining of a silver cup trophy you get to keep
  • free entry into the MC Cup Qualifier immediately following
  • access to MC Cup Elite™ tournaments

View our FAQs below to understand all the rules, qualification criteria and tournament format. Check out our upcoming Tournaments to find a tournament your child, student or school can enter. View recent MC Cup Results including videos of previous events. If you would like to enter, check our Upcoming Tournaments page and select an MC Cup event on a date that suits.

Format
Find out about the format of the MC Cup tournament including Registration Timing, Tournament structure, the points system and divisions within the tournament

How to Enter
Details of how to reserve your place

Costs
The entry fee is $20 (inc GST) per player, per event. Adults are eligible for entry for free.

Terms and Conditions
All players must complete an entry form at the start of the event. Photographs may be taken of each event and published in the local or state media, website, newsletter, magazine or used in future advertising materials.

Player Rules
The arbiter for each day will clearly explain all rules before the start of play. It is expected that there will be a proportion of players in every event who have minimal tournament experience.

Prizes
Trophies are awarded for winners. Prizes are available by Age Group, for Best Girl and for 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall. The top players qualifies for the MC Cup Finals, wins a Cup and gains free entry into the next MC Tournament.

MC Cup Championship
The MC Cup Championship has a Reserves and an Elite Division. Winners of the MC Cup Qualifier events gain entry into the Elite Division. The winner of the Elite Division of the MC Cup Championship is crowned MC Cup Champion and their name is engraved on the MC Cup.