2025 Texas State Girls' Championship
Content updated as of June 23, 2025.
Changelog:
- Registration links added
- Team trophies changed from 1 -> 3 per section (50 total).
- Individual trophies changed from 8 -> 10 per section (15 total).
- Scholarship rules updated
- Top 2 tiebreak rules added
- Team composition rules added
For pre-tournament communication, please contact us at chess@utrgv.edu or (956) 882-5761.
During the tournament, to improve the efficiency of mass communication, we will be using Telegram for the announcements. We recommend you installing it in advance.
The event will be played in the Student Union of the Brownsville Campus of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Room BSTUN 2.36
650 Ringgold Rd, 78520 Brownsville
Interactive Map of UTRGV Brownsville Campus
PDF Map of UTRGV Brownsville Campus
Chief Tournament Organizers: GM Bartek Macieja and LTD Colt Smith-Munoz
Chief Tournament Director: IA Louis Reed
Pairing Director: Senior TD Brandon M Flores
Only Texas female residents or students enrolled in secondary or primary schools (including home schools) in Texas may play in this event. This is a USCF rated event (for both Regular and Quick ratings).
A team shall consist of any four players from the same school, and may be designated
at the conclusion of the tournament to include the top scorers from that school. At least two players are required to be considered a team.
Current USCF membership is required.
Current TCA membership is required. For most participants, "Junior Online" membership is most suitable. It costs $3 and allows them to participate in all Texas championships within a year without any additional payment to TCA.
USCF and TCA Memberships will not be processed by the organizers.
There will be 5 sections. Winners in each grade will be declared the Texas State Girls' Champion of their respective section throughout all of Texas.
Sections:
- Kinder-1st
- Primary (K-3)
- Elementary (K-5)
- Middle School (6th-8th)
- High School (9th-12th)
The first round will start at 10:00 AM. Fowllowing rounds will be announced via Telegram and start shortly after the conclusion of the previous round.
Registration and payment may be made below. We accept both card and electronic check payments.
2025 Texas State Girls' Championship Entry Fee
For convenience, schools with more than 5 entries may email the following batch form to chess@utrgv.edu.
Template: tournaments/2025-texas-state-girls-championship/2025-tx-state-girls-championship-batch-form.xlsx
Entry Fees are as follows:
$40 by September 29
$50 by October 6
$60 by October 10
$80 on October 11
Entries on October 11 will be permitted till 9:00 am. Players not registered by the cutoff time shall be paired from Round 2 only, unless the Chief Tournament Director decides otherwise.
One 1/2-point bye is allowed if requested by November 8 at 9:00 am.
Refunds by September 29; $10 refund charge.
5 rounds, Swiss System
The latest version of Swiss Sys will be used. Pairings created by this program are considered legal and will stand even if a pairing is not ideal, especially if pairings have been already posted. Current version is 11.55.
When individual scores are equal, the following order of tie-break systems will be used to designate individual awards:
1) Modified Median
2) Median
3) Solkoff
4) Sonneborn-Berger
5) Cumulative
When team scores are equal, the following order of tie-break systems will be used to designate team awards:
1) Total Individual Median
2) Total Solkoff
3) Total Sonneborn-Berger
4) Total Cumulative
Total awards: 65 trophies, $2000 in scholarships from UTRGV and TCA
• Trophies will be awarded to the top 10 individual finishers in each section.
• A trophy will be awarded to the top 3 teams in each section.
• Trophies will not be split between participants / teams with the same number of points – the tie-break point system described in the Tournament Regulations will be used. In the event of a tie between the top two scoring girls in any section, a playoff Armageddon will be used to determine the winner of the 1st place trophy.
Scholarships
The top two placing girls in the High School section will each receive a $500 TCA scholarship to attend any college.
Additionally, the top two placing High School girls will have an Armageddon playoff and the winner will receive a $1000 scholarship to attend UTRGV. Note: If there is a tie between the two top scoring girls in the High School seciton, a single Argmageddon game will determine both the 1st place trophy and the UTRGV scholarship award.
The colors for the Armaggedon game will be decided by a coin flip. White will have 5 minutes and Black will have 4 minutes on the clock. There will be a 1-second increment. A draw is sufficient for Black to win the awards.
Awards will not be given out in advance and must be picked up at the Awards Ceremony.
Upon timely request, team rooms in a walking distance from the playing venue will available. The cost of a standard-size room is $200 (total for both days). Please send us an email to chess@utrgv.edu advising how many people from your school (participants and accompanying people combined) will be attending the event, so we can assign a proper-size team room for you.
UTRGV remains committed to your safety, success, and experience. Read more
Parking will be free during the championships. Per university rules: "Any vehicle parked on university property must display a permit at all times, except on weekends and university-approved holidays that require campus closure."
TBD
• Chess sets, clocks notation sheets, and pens will be provided.
• Electronic notation devices shall not be used except for players with a disability and only with prior authorization.
• Accommodation for participants with disabilities will be ensured.
TBD