Onsite Champions Trophy 2024 Welcome Letter

WELCOME

On behalf of the team at Chess Power I want to wish you a very warm welcome to the Chess Power Onsite Champions Trophy 2024 Chess Championship.

The Champions Trophy is the ultimate individual battle to find the best junior chess players in New Zealand. It is an extremely challenging event. Every player in this event has had to qualify by achieving one or more outstanding results through the year. There are two Champions Trophy events, onsite and online. This welcome letter is for the onsite event.

Use the links below to access the online Champions Trophy event and other events in the Chess Power Nationals program.

Onsite Teams Nationals Finals 2024

Online Teams National Finals 2024

Online Champions Trophy 2024

Champions Trophy 2023

Thank you for supporting our tamariki and giving them the opportunity to enjoy a truly memorable and unique experience. We really appreciate your support.

I am delighted to say we have 717 players registered for our National program of events. For the onsite Champions Trophy we have 206 players registered. We are excited and can't wait for the best individual junior event in New Zealand to start and see the ultimate individual battle begin!

I wanted to give you some pointers about the day to help ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible for you.

DATE

The date of the event is this Sunday 27 October 2024.

VENUE

The event and prize-giving is being held at:

Alan Gibbs Centre
Wellington College
15 Dufferin Street,
Mount Victoria,
WELLINGTON

Use this Google Map link for directions.

Note that all divisions for the onsite Teams Nationals on the previous day Saturday will also be held at Wellington College in the same space. A separate welcome letter will be sent to all registered players for the Team Nationals and a link to this letter is at the beginning of this page.

WHAT SHOULD YOU BRING

We recommend all players bring a drink bottle. If you want to record your games (optional) you should also bring a pen and a score book. Score books will also be available for purchase at the venue.

GETTING TO THE VENUE

The venue is just 12 minutes drive from the Wellington Airport.
Wellington Airport to Wellington College directions

If you are doing a road trip...

Use this map if you are travelling from the North to Wellington College
Or use this map if you are travelling from the Interislander Ferry Terminal to Alfriston College

Or use this map if you are travelling from the Bluebridge Ferry Terminal to Alfriston College

Note: Labour weekend is extremely busy so expect delays on the road and allow for extra time for travel.

PARKING

Entry to the venue is off Government House. There is parking in the school grounds in various locations. For this event, you can park in both visitor and staff car-parks.

View our Nationals facilities map for access, parking and venue areas.

FINDING THE PLAYING HALLS

The opening welcome and tournament announcements will be held in the Alan Gibbs Centre. All teams should check-in at the Alan Gibbs Centre. On completion of the opening announcements, all players participating in the senior division will move to the Theatre.

Once all rounds are finished, senior players can move back to the Alan Gibbs Centre for the prize giving ceremony.

Refer to the Nationals facilities map for an overview of the school, surrounding streets and layout of the school buildings.

ARRIVAL TIME
The event runs from 9am to 5:30pm. Check-in will be available from 8am. We recommend you aim to arrive at the venue by 8:15am to enjoy a stress-free arrival.

ON ARRIVAL

On arrival players should check-in making sure all their details are correct and collect their goodie bag. There is one goodie bag per player. Your name badge will be in the goodie bag.

LATE ARRIVAL?

If you are going to be late, please text us on 021 0271 5577 with the players first name and surname that will be late and expected time of arrival. We will give a half point bye for players that miss round 1 as long as you text ahead of time. Byes will not be available for later rounds.

EVENT SCHEDULE

Each player will play 9 rounds of chess. The time control is 15 minutes per player. There is no bonus time.

8.00am Guests arrival start

9.00am All guests should have arrived
9.30am Opening Announcements

10.00am Start Round 1

10.35am Start Round 2

11.00am MORNING TEA BREAK

11.20am Start Round 3

11.55am Start Round 4

12.30pm Start Round 5

1.00pm LUNCH BREAK (Special break-out presentations)

1.30pm Start Round 6

2.05pm Start Round 7

2.30pm AFTERNOON TEA BREAK

2.50pm Start Round 8

3.25pm Start Round 9

4.15pm Fun Activity!

4.30pm Prize Giving

5.30pm Tournament Close and Farewell

HEALTH, SAFETY, WELFARE AND EVACUATION PROCEDURES

It is important all participants and supporters are safe. You should be familiar with the health and safety policies and procedures to keep everybody safe and in case of an emergency such as a fire or lockdown situation.

View the Wellington College emergency procedures
View the Wellington College emergency exit pathways

WHAT TO EXPECT AND TOURNAMENT RULES

We have put together a summary of what to expect at the Champions Trophy and the rules that will govern the event. We encourage you to go through this so you understand how the event will work.

TOURNAMENT PROGRESS
Results of games for all divisions will be recorded live and are available on the website https://tornelo.com/chess/orgs/nzjunior/events/chess-power-onsite-champions-trophy--5. You can also use this link to see the other players that will be participating in your division.

UNIFORMS
As this is an individual event, school uniforms are not required. We recommend you come smart casual in something that makes you feel relaxed and comfortable.

FOOD AND REFRESHMENTS

Heather from Hero Coffee will be onsite from 7:30 - 9:30am. Cookies will also be available. View the Hero Coffee menu.
There will also be a selection of cookies and muffins (all $4 each), chocolate bars ($2 each), cans of cold drinks like coke, sprite etc ($2.50) and bottled water ($3.00).

George and his team from Kickflip Pizza will also be onsite from 12:00 - 2:00pm for a great lunch option. Pizza will not be available for purchase on the day.
You can only access pizza by pre-ordering! All pre-orders close on Monday 21 October 2024 - you will not be able to pre-order after this.

Pre-order Pizza Now

Susan from Fruit Scoop ice-cream will be onsite from 1:00 - 2:30pm for yummy ice-cream!
Flavours: Vanilla Bean, Double Chocolate & Hokey Pokey. Vegan Gelato with berry flavours & Tropical.
Prices: Waffle Cone $8, Standard Cone/or Cup $7, Small Cone/or Cup $6.

The closest cafes are Caffe L'affare, Mystic Kitchen and Prefab-ACME all 15 minutes walk away (or a 4 minute drive)
Alternative food outlets closeby include McDonald's, Basin Noodle House and Currizza (7 minute walk, 3 minute drive).

Refreshments (tea and coffee) will also be available for all adults throughout the day.

PRIZES

Trophies and Junior Master titles

The top player in each division will be crowned the Chess Power Champions Trophy Champion for their division and will be given a trophy they can take home to keep. They will also receive the Junior Master title, a framed certificate and enter the Chess Power Hall of Fame .

The top female player in each division will receive the Best Female Champions Trophy to take home and keep and become the female champion for their division.

If two players get the same number of points, a tie-break is used based on the individual players performance to determine the overall winner.

Medals

The top players in the following age groups (below the overall division winner) will receive a special Champions Trophy age group medal.

Junior Division

7 and under
9 and under
11 and under

Intermediate Division

11 and under
12 and under
13 and under

Senior Division

14 and under
16 and under
18 and under

Certificates

Each player will receive a certificate based on their individual score. There are four levels of certificates:

Merit 4 points or below
Credit 4.5 or 5 points
Excellence 5.5 or 6 points
Distinction 6.5 points or more

X-Chess Launch
We’re extremely excited to introduce X-Chess at this year’s Nationals! X-Chess offers a refreshing twist to traditional chess by minimizing opening theory and preparation, bringing creativity to the forefront of each match. X-Chess means thinking from the very first move. Whether you're new to chess or a seasoned player, X-Chess provides a unique challenge, blending strategy and skill in ways that promise to engage and surprise.

This Nationals event will be the first time in the world to see the X-Chess professional tournament game alongside a beautiful online experience, both available for you to try on-site in our activites centre! We can’t wait for you to experience the game’s dynamic pace and exciting possibilities firsthand.

We’re also thrilled to announce that the boxed edition and the tournament edition of X-Chess will be available for pre-order exclusively at Nationals. Secure your copy during the event, with deliveries expected in January. With both the tournament set and the online game ready to play here at Nationals, this is the perfect opportunity to see what X-Chess has to offer and take a step into a new dimension of chess strategy. We hope you’ll dive in and discover why X-Chess is creating such a buzz in the chess community!

Practice Now Join the X-Chess Community

morable and rewarding life experience.

Special Break-Out Presentations

12:50 - 1:05pm Unlocking Mental Agility and Creativity with X-Chess (Paul Macdonald)

1:10 - 1:30pm Gender Stereotypes & Performance Anxiety in Chess (Kyla Zhao)

Since graduating from Stanford University in 2021, Kyla Zhao has been rocking a double life – a Silicon Valley analyst by day and an author by night. Recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, her books have been featured by major media outlets like CBS, NBC, Good Morning America, Vogue, and Buzzfeed.

Kyla's latest novel, May the Best Player Win, draws inspiration from her own experiences in the world of chess. Described as a family-friendly version of The Queen's Gambit, the book tackles real challenges faced by young players: battling gender stereotypes and overcoming performance anxiety. WGM Carissa Yip, the current US Women's Chess Champion, calls it "A game-changer for all ages, regardless of whether you play chess! From start to finish, this book will have you inspired to conquer your next match in life."

Kyla will join us to share more about her new novel and its universal themes that resonate with chess players and non-players alike. Visit her website at kylazhao.com to learn more.

Special Awards

The Chess Power badge system will also be running throughout the event so you can earn and collect badges. In addition, prizes will be awarded for the biggest upsets and the biggest rating gainers.

Coaching Clinic and Activities Centre

We have a super-strong chess coach to help you improve your game throughout the event. Brain challenges will also be available and some challenges can earn badges and rewards. And yes, we will have Chess-e, the Chess robot!

Additional Activities

Christy from Daisy Design Face Painting will be onsite - get into the Nationals spirit with an awesome face design! You will have to get in early to not miss out.

PRODUCTS

A good selection of chess products will be available for purchase at discounted prices including chess sets, clocks, and cool stuff! We have a great selection of new products that have just arrived including magnetic chess sets (wood style, gold/silver and portable pocket) and our pink and purple chess sets! You can order onsite as well at ChessCity.nz, enter the code "NATIONALS2024" and we will courier your products to you. You can pay via Credit Card or bank transfer. Discounts will be available until midnight 27 October 2024.

CLOSING NOTE

I personally wish you and your team the very best of success in the Chess Power Champions Trophy. I am confident your team will thoroughly enjoy the day and have a memorable and rewarding life experience.

Yours in Chess,

Paul Macdonald - Signature

Paul Macdonald
CEO
Chess Power

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