Where: William Penn Elementary, meet in the lunchroom
Date: Friday April 17th, 2026
Start: 1:30 PM (Right after school)
Ends: ~4:30ish PM
Any student can participate, even if they are not in Chess Club.
Schedule:
1:15 PM – School gets out. Kids can start coming to the lunchroom.
1:25 PM – brief reminder on rules and behavior
1:30 PM– Match #1 in Gym/Library depending on grade
2:15 PM – Match #2
3:00 PM – Match #3
3:45 PM – Match #4
4:30-4:45ish – Closing/Award Ceremony/All Done!
Tournament Format – We are putting the kids into 3 groups for their tournament pool: K/1st, 2nd/3rd, and 4th/5th. Each student will play 4 games (approx 30 mins each). A win = 1 point, a stalemate/draw = 0.5 points, and a loss = 0 points. After each game, we’ll pair students up to play against another student with the same/similar number of points so that each game will hopefully be competitive. Tie breakers will be determined by the strength of opponents in the event of a tie. All students will get a participation certificate and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place from each pool will get a trophy, a champions t-shirt, and one parent has even offered to give a cash prize (to be confirmed).
Food: We will have snacky food for kids to eat before we begins and in-between matches. Please let us know of any dietary needs or restrictions, so we can ensure we’re accommodating everyone.
What to bring: It would be great if your students wore their chess club shirt. They can also bring a water bottle to drink during the game. We should have all the materials that they need to play.
Volunteers Needed: We could use a few parent/older sibling volunteers to help proctor the matches. We will need proctors to settle disputes if there’s a question on rules and then mark down the winners once the game is over. If some kids don’t show up or we have an odd number, we may need a parent or two to play a game against a student, as well.
Other details: Parents are welcome to come and stay in the lunchroom to support their students between matches, but you will not be allowed in the gym/library while the students are playing. Otherwise, you can come watch the awards/pickup around 4:30.
A few FAQs:
If my child wants to play, but can’t stay the whole time or has to leave early, etc., should we still come?
Yes. You’re welcome to pop in and out and play as much of the tournament as works with your schedule. Just keep in mind that not playing in a match will count as a loss for purposes of seeding/final tallies/etc.
Will I be able to watch my child play their matches?
Unfortunately, no. Only participants are allowed in the gym/library so that the matches are as fair as possible and so the kids can play without distraction or any concerns about whether the matches are fair.
Do I (the parent) need to stay at the school during the tournament?
You’re welcome to come and stay at the school during the tournament, but as noted, you will not be able to watch your child play matches. For those interested in coming, we could use a few parent volunteers as noted above. Otherwise, you can come watch awards/pickup around 4:30 PM.
Do my students need to be in or regularly attend Chess Club to participate?
No! Any William Penn student is welcome to come play if they know the rules of Chess!
