NATIONAL CHAMPIONS TRAINING CUP & SEMINAR SERIES
Includes tournament play for game analysis by IM Dr. Alexander Matros with NM Mike Sailer assisting.

Date: Saturday, April 29, 2023

Location:  Columbia First Church of the Nazarene, 901 St Andrews Rd, Columbia, SC 29210

Entry Fee:
Tournament & Closed Seminar : $70 for total package; limited to eight players by invitation.
Lunch Included (Pizza & Water)

Tournament Format: 3 round, knock-out style, non-rated tournament with rapid time controls. No draws! Total of eight players by invitation only — the four state representatives to the Haring, Denker, Barber, and Rockefeller, plus four other worthy players.

Awards: 1st, 2nd, 3rd place cups.

Schedule:

9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Rounds 1-3
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Awards & Lunch
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Closed Seminar

EXPLANATION of TRAINING CUP and SEMINAR: This training cup and seminar is by invitation only. It is designed to prepare the South Carolina representatives who will be competing in the National Invitational Tournaments in Grand Rapids, MI, beginning July 29th. These National Invitational tournaments—called the Haring (Girls), Denker (HS), Barber (MS), and Rockefeller (ES) Tournaments of State Champions—are a prestigious group of scholastic tournaments that pit the state chess champions against each other to determine a national champion. The competition in these tournaments will be strong! This training package is the first of four and is designed to prepare the four, South Carolina representatives to meet that competition.

The seminar will begin with a three round, knock-out style, elimination tournament, where everyone is guaranteed to play at least two games. There will be no draws, as will be explained on-site. Because this is an unusual format, the games will not be rated. The tournament is designed to generate vigorous competition and fighting games that can be reviewed and discussed in a two-hour seminar to follow.

IM Alexander Matros, a third place winner of the 2022 Irwin National Senior Tournament of State Champions, has first-hand experience with what these younger, lower rated players will be dealing with in Grand Rapids. Assisted by the 2023 Irwin representative and South Carolina team captain, NM Mike Sailer, they will guide the students over four seminars to be best prepared for stiff competition.