Palmetto Scholastic Chess League

The Columbia Chess Club organizes the Palmetto Scholastic Chess League (PSCL) as a regular monthly tournament series to encourage the organization of scholastic chess clubs and to promote scholastic chess throughout the state! Separate sections for High School, Middle School, and Elementary School provides balanced competition and encourages players to form teams representing their school to win awards. See past winners of the PSCL.

PSCL events occur once a month on a Saturday. Games start at 10:00 a.m. and finish before lunch. The games are officially rated by US Chess, meaning that all players will be nationally ranked after playing (for example, see scholastic player Charlie Jordan's US Chess profile). If you are already a US Chess member, it's only $20 to enter. 

First Timers Get a US Chess Membership!

For those playing their first US Chess tournament, registration is $25, which includes a US Chess membership that the Columbia Chess Club will create for you! (A youth membership itself costs $24 from US Chess).

Online registration only. Standard Registration is $20 for players with US Chess memberships. First-time tournament players $25, which includes a US Chess membership that the club will create for you using the email you provide at registration. Registration limited to first 74 players.  If you need to renew your existing US Chess membership, please visit https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess. 

4-Round Swiss. 

Time Control: G/10;+5. 

Sections: High School, Middle School, and Elementary School.

4-Round Swiss means that players play all 4 rounds and are not eliminated. Each player will play with a 10 minute starting time and will get an additional 5 seconds with each move. (G/10;+5). This will affect the player's US Chess "Quick" rating. All equipment provided. Tournament has three sections: High School (9-12), Middle School (6-8), Elementary School (K-5). Players must register with the section corresponding to their grade. We reserve the right  to combine sections during play, but prizes will be awarded separately for each section.

For this tournament, USCF Rule 14K(2) is modified such that a Tournament Director may declare a game drawn after 50 moves without a capture or pawn move, rather than 75. We reserve the right to use a player's live rating for pairing purposes. For blitz tiebreaks, Blitz Rule 7(d) is modified such that a player's first illegal move results in a 1-minute penalty, standard Blitz Rule 7(d) applying on any subsequent illegal move by that player (i.e. a second illegal move is a loss if opponent has sufficient mating material).

Rules note: As a combined individual-team event, US Chess Rule 28N is in effect. Our pairing program will attempt to avoid teammates playing against one another provided they have less than a +2 score.

Round 1: 10:00 a.m.

Round 2: 10:35 a.m.

Round 3: 11:10 a.m.

Round 4: 11:45 a.m.

Awards: 12:15 p.m..