The list is some suggested things to do for a chess tournament. More things can be done and some things do not have to be done for a successful tournament. This is just a guideline on how to plan for a chess tournament. These duties should not be done by one person and should be assigned to various people.
1. PLAN A DATE: Decide when and where to hold the chess tournament. Check on school calendars and talk with people that will be helping for conflicting events. Look at Science Fair and Social Studies Fair, school testing, and other events that involve many students. There is no perfect date. Just get a date early. Get approval for the use of the location for the tournament.
2. POST DATE ON TOURNAMENT CALENDAR: Let head organizer , Sam Breaux, know the date of the tournament so he can put the tournament on the schedule of tournaments for the school year. Email request to Sam Breaux @ sambreaux@bellsouth.net
3. MAKE A TOURNAMENT FLYER: Need to decide how many sections, how many rounds, cost to enter, and awards given. You can take an old chess tournament flyer and modify it for your tournament.
4. SPREAD THE WORD: Fax or mail tournament flier to all the schools in the area. Send info to newspaper. Send out faxes at least a month in advance. Email flyer to head organizer and he will email info to all the schools and post info on web site.
5. ORDER AWARDS TO BE GIVEN:
Can purchase from a local trophy place or can get things cheaper at www.crownawards.com. Most places need order to be given about two weeks ahead of time.
6. WORKERS: You will need help from parents and volunteers to run the tournament. You can send out letters to parents and have people sign up. Can have it so parents are required to sign up for at least one hour. Can also set up a planning meeting with parents to organize duties.
7. CONCESSIONS: Plan on people to do concessions or what things you will sell at the tournament. Tournaments make their most money from concessions if done right. Try to get things donated or make club members bring things. You have a captive audience. Take advantage of it.
8. CERTIFICATES: Plan people to do certificates if participation certificates will be given out.
9. REGISTRATION: Plan people to do registration. Make signs for people to know where to go. Have a table to sign in. Need people to help players check in and take late registration. This is the busiest time of the tournament. Need at least two people to help things run smooth.
10. CHESS EQUIPMENT: Sam Breaux will provide all the chess equipment for the tournament. Will need to arrange date and time to get the equipment before the tournament. Get a group of people to set up all the chess boards and pieces the day before the tournament after school.
11. TOURNAMENT ROOM HELPERS: Make sure you have a head TD, floor helpers, and traffic cop to help run the tournament. Make sure somebody is bringing computers, printers, paper, pencils, tape, result cards, board numbers, and supplies needed for the tournament.
12. PA SYSTEM: Have a PA system to do awards. Set up PA equipment before the tournament and make sure it is in working order.
13. ARRIVAL: Make sure someone will be at location to open and close on tournament date. Have different phone numbers of people with keys to the building in case person with key does not show up. Let people know who are helping when to be at the tournament site.
14. CLOSING: Have a group of people help with clean up and picking up of equipment after tournament.
15. RESULTS: Sam Breaux will email results of the tournament and post results on the website. Give your school office list of winners from your school. You will need to send list of winners to newspaper.