MADISON – Madison City Chess League is conducting two scholastic chess tournaments in January.

Columbia Elementary School, 667 Balch Road in Madison will host 2018 Winter Knights Scholastic Chess Tournament on Jan. 13. Blossomwood Elementary School, 1321 Woodmont Ave. in Huntsville will host 2018 Rookie Rally, one of North Alabama’s largest scholastic tournaments, on Jan. 27.

Players should register now for Winter Knights. Deadline to enter online is Jan. 10 (on-site registration not available).

Winter Knights offers both rated and non-rated sections and reduced registration fee for MCCL members who renew 2018 memberships before registering.

Winter Knights will have 60-minute games (rated section). A players’ meeting for the rated section will start at 8:45 a.m. and for non-rated section at 9:15 a.m.

Round times for rated sections will be 9 a.m., noon, 2:30 and 5 p.m. Time control is G/60;d5. Non-rated sections will convene at 9:30 and 11 a.m. and 12:30, 2 and 3:30 p.m. Time control is G/30;d5.

Sponsorship amount is $500.

All rated sections require USCF membership, required before registration. For USCF memberships, visit uschess.org or mail a form available at madisonchess.com.

Entry fee is $20 for MCCL members in all sections or $25 for non-members. MCCL annual members must renew memberships in January each year.

At Winter Knights, players in rated sections will earn individual trophies for places 1-3; medals for places 4-6; and each section’s top female. For non-rated, individual medals go to places 1-3 and top female.

To register, visit https://madisonchess.com/events/228/2018-winter-knights-scholastic-chess-tournament-113.

For the Rookie Rally, all sections will have 30-minute games. Rookie Rally is a rated tournament only; all competitors must have USCF membership before registering (uschess.org). Rookie Rally offers both team and individual awards.

Deadline for Rookie Rally is Jan. 24.

Sections include open (K-12) junior high and high school; elementary (K-6) championship; elementary (4-6) U500; primary (K-3) championship; and primary (K-3) under 300. USCF website will list official published ratings as of Jan. 1 for eligibility to compete in ‘under’ sections.

Round times will be 9:30 and 11 a.m. and 12:45, 2:15 and 3:30 p.m. Time control is G/30, d5. Mandatory players’ meeting will be held at 9:15 a.m.

Rookie Rally uses 5 round Swiss, USCF rated.

Entry fee $25 per individual. Online registration deadline will be Jan. 24 (no on-site registration).

Teams can represent a school or home school only. Pairings will be ‘team blind.’

Top 10 individuals earn trophies in K-3 Championship, K-3 U300, K-6 Championship and 4-6 U500 and K-12 open section. Individuals receive medals for loss on tiebreakers. Top four teams win trophies in K-3 U300, K-3 Championship, 4-6 U500 and K-6 championship sections. Top 3 teams receive trophies in K-12.

To register, visit https://madisonchess.com/events/271/2018-rookie-rally-127.