Welcome to the Pan American Intercollegiate Chess Tournament!

The 2006 Pan-American Chess Championships (Pan-Am) are coming to Washington, DC, December 2730, hosted by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Join the excitement. Start planning now to send one or more teams for several days of fun playing chess, meeting chess players, and seeing the nations capital.

The Pan-Am comprises three separate events: Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Championship (6-round team Swiss), Pan-American Scholastic Team Championship (6-round Swiss), and Pan-American Closed (6-round Swiss). The Intercollegiate and Scholastic Team events are open to any university/college or scholastic team from North, South, or Central America. Each college team comprises four players and up to two alternates from the same campus of the same school. In the Scholastic, each team is defined as the top four finishers from the same school (grades 112); any number of players may enter. Alternates, coaches, faculty, alumni, and other members of any college or scholastic delegation are invited to play in the Pan-Am Closed.

The Pan-Am will take place in the pleasant Renaissance Washington DC Hotel, near excellent restaurants, museums, Union Station (Amtrak), and the National Mall. Travel on December 26 and 31, to leave time to see Washington during the morning of December 27. The nearby Spy Museum and Air and Space Museum are wonderful attractions. The event kicks off at 1pm with a four-person single-elimination G/10mins. exhibition match for the top four players (one per school), followed by a reception.

Known as the World Series of College Chess, the Pan-Am Intercollegiate is the foremost college chess championship in the Americas. There will be many class prizes for teams of all levels. Nothing beats the excitement of over-the-board team Swiss competition, when rival schools face off across four chess boards. Spectators are free and welcome. There will be spectator areas in the playing halls, as well as live commentary in a separate commentary room. I am trying to arrange a visit to the White House for the winning teams on December 31.

In the Scholastic, the top individual will receive a four-year tuition scholarship to UMBC worth over $69,000 (see sidebar).

Among the special touches this year will be food at each round (included in registration fee). The Pan-Am Blitz side event is always popular. Best of all it is fun to meet other chess players.

Start planning now. Many players find that, simply by asking, their school will pay for major costs of travel, hotel, and entry fees. Learn how to apply for such funds from your student government, student activities office, or administration. Locate a faculty advisor who can help.

This web site describes more details, including special travel groups and recruiting incentives.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) will award a fixed dollar four-year tuition scholarship (currently worth $69,416) to UMBC to the top individual in the 2006 Pan-American Scholastic Team Championship. The scholarship will be offered to the highest-finishing player who accepts the award, through third place. To qualify, the recipient must be accepted to UMBC and matriculate at UMBC directly from high school. If the student has not yet graduated from high school, the award will await the student upon graduation. To retain the award, the student must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4-point scale) and earn at least 12 credit hours per semester. The recipient is also eligible to be considered for possible additional awards (e.g. for room and board, honors program) based on academic merit. Foreign students are eligible.

Located in the Baltimore countryside, UMBC focuses on science, technology, engineering, and policy. UMBC has approximately 8,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduate students and offers BS, MS, and PhD degrees in numerous fields. This honors university has no football team but greatly values activities of the mind.

GMs Katrina The Kiev Killer Rohonyan, Pawel Blehm, and Alexander Onischuk fight for the UMBC Retrievers (right) at the 2005 Pan-Am Intercollegiate in Miami.

College Chess: Get Ready for the 2006 Pan-Am in DC