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Teams National Finals 2019 Welcome Letter

WELCOME

On behalf of the team at Chess Power I want to wish you a very warm welcome to the Chess Power Teams National Finals 2019 Chess Championship. No less than 329 avid chess players along with parents and teachers will gather in Christchurch for the ultimate team battle of young minds. We are very excited to bring you this event and are confident it will be a truly memorable experience for everybody involved. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to the large attendance, there is a change of venue for the Junior & Intermediate divisions. See the venue section below.

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 Friday 18 October 2019.
 
VENUE
To ensure safety and comfort for all attendees, the event is being held at two different venues.

The JUNIOR and INTERMEDIATE divisions will now be at Avonhead School, 55 Avonhead Rd, Avonhead, Christchurch. Use this Google Map link for directions https://goo.gl/maps/TUT4gwJRMGBPcNaM8.

The SENIOR division will remain as originally planned at Villa Maria College, 21 Peer St, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch. Use this Google Map link for directions https://goo.gl/maps/VgQ6tmVERxL2RwSa6

Prize giving will be held separately at each venue. The two venues are only 2 minutes drive from each other or a 20 minute walk. Here are directions between the venues https://bit.ly/2B1jYmQ.

Note that all divisions for the Champions Trophy on the following day Saturday will be held at Villa Maria College. A separate welcome email will be sent to all registered players for the Champions Trophy.

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
Both venues are 8-10 minutes drive from Christchurch Airport.
Christchurch Airport to Avonhead School directions (Junior & Intermediate divisions)

Christchurch Airport to Villa Maria College directions (Senior division)

If you are doing a road trip...

Use this map if you are travelling from the North to Avonhead School (Junior & Intermediate divisions)
Use this map if you are travelling from the North to Villa Maria College (Senior division)

Or use this map if you are travelling from the South to Avonhead School (Junior & Intermediate divisions)
Or use this map if you are travelling from the South to Villa Maria College (Senior division)

PARKING
Avonhead School: You will need to park on the street on Avonhead Road, or on Nortons Road and walk through the school. Take care as Avonhead Road is quite busy. Refer to the Avonhead School parking map.

Villa Maria College: Street parking is available on Brodie Street, behind the college. Refer to the Villa Maria College parking map.

FINDING THE PLAYING HALLS

The event is being held in the school halls at both venues. 

View the Avonhead school map 
View the Villa Maria College map

Prize giving will be held at each venue in the respective school halls from 4:30pm.

ARRIVAL TIME

The event runs from 9am to 5:30pm on Friday 18 October. 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 pick up their complimentary team goodie bag.

 

LATE ARRIVAL?

If you are going to be late, please txt us on 021 0271 5577 with the school name, player names 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 txt ahead of time. Bye's 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.
8.30am Guests Arrival
9.30am Opening Announcements
10.00am Start Round1
10.35am Start Round2
 
11.00am MORNING TEA BREAK
11.20am Start Round3
11.55am Start Round4
12.30pm Start Round5
 
1.00pm LUNCH BREAK
1.30pm Start Round6
2.05pm Start Round7
 
2.30pm AFTERNOON TEA BREAK
2.50pm Start Round8
3.25pm Start Round9
4.15pm Fun Activity!
4.30pm Prize Giving
5.30pm Tournament Close & Farewell

HEALTH, SAFETY, WELFARE & EVACUATION PROCEDURES
It is important all participants and supporters are safe. You should be familiar with the health and safety policies and procedures for your respective venue in the case of an emergency such as a fire or lockdown situation.

WHAT TO EXPECT & TOURNAMENT RULES
We have put together a summary of what to expect at Teams Nationals and the rules that will govern the event. We encourage you to go through this with your players.

 

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-teams-national-finals--11. You can also use this link to see the other teams that will be participating in your division and the players that make up each team.

 
UNIFORMS
As this is a school teams event school uniforms are required. We recommend you come best dressed as this show your team is well organised and you will look great in the team photos too!

CATERING
Each player will receive a $5 gift voucher in their goodie bag to help contribute towards some food. No change will be available on the vouchers. Make sure you keep your voucher safe and secure. 

We have arranged a number of food trucks for all players, parents and teachers. The food trucks will be assembled at Avonhead School only. For players, parents and teachers at Villa Maria, you can either walk or drive across to Avonhead School. Or you can place an order with Chess Power staff and we will pick your order up for you.

PRIZES
Trophies
The winning team in each division will be crowned the Chess Power Team National Champions for their division and be given a trophy the team can take home to display at their school.

Junior Master Titles
The top individual player in each division will receive the Junior Master title, a framed certificate and enter the Chess Power Hall of Fame.

Medals
Medals will also be presented to the top 3 individual players, the best girl, and the players in the top 3 teams in each division.

Certificates
Each player will receive a certificate based on the teams' final placing as follows:

JUNIOR DIVISION
1st - 3rd: Distinction
4th - 9th: Excellence
10th - 17th: Credit
18th - 30th: Merit

INTERMEDIATE DIVISION
1st - 2nd: Distinction
3rd - 6th: Excellence
7th - 11th: Credit
12th - 20th: Merit

SENIOR DIVISION
1st: Distinction
2nd - 3rd: Excellence
4th - 6th: Credit
7th - 12th: Merit

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. Note that the Teams National Finals has a 30 k-factor which effectively means you earn double rating points!
Brain challenges will also be available and some challenges can earn badges and rewards.
 
Supporter of the Year
Each year we recognise a special individual that has supported chess in their school and community. The winner of the supporter of the year will be announced at this event.

Additional Activities
We will be running complementary coaching clinics for the Junior & Intermediate divisions through the day so make sure you take advantage of these.

 
PRODUCTS
A good selection of chess products will be available for purchase through the day including books, clocks, chess sets and cool stuff! We will not have EFTPOS facilities so cash is preferred or you can do a bank transfer.

CLOSING NOTE
I personally wish you and your team the very best of success in the Chess Power Team National Finals. I trust your team will thoroughly enjoy the day and learn a great deal from the experience.

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