Greater Peoria Chess Foundation

The Greater Peoria Chess Foundation is a 501(c)3 non profit organization dedicated to encouraging chess in our community and school systems. Chess helps students to develop many life skills that will help them as they navigate with challenges that lay ahead.

Scholastic Chess Scholarship Tour The 2024-25 school schedule features our new Grand Prix Chess Tour program that offers scholarships for some lucky players to attend the USCF K-8 Championships in Bloominton or the Nationals in Orlando, Florida at the end of the chess season. Learn how you can paticipate and perhaps win a trip to the Nationals at Orlando, Click ==> here <== and get all the details.

Former Peoria player, Elbert Fang, has attatained the rating of USCF Master, 2200, at the Queen City Prairie Open in Fort Worth, Texas with a win over Sharvesh R Deviprasath (2545). See the game here.
Congratulations Elbert!!!

Greater Peoria Chess Foundation Scholarships

Integrity Scholarships and Grand Prix
The Greater Peoria Chess Foundation (GPCF) will provide scholarships for the Illinois State Championship at ISU and the National Championshps in Orlando Florida May 9-11. The GPCF will also conduct a Grand Prix type tour over 9 local tournaments. The player with the most tour points will receive a scholarship to the Natonals in Orlando and 5 K-8 students will receive scholarships to the ISU State Championships.

Integrity Scholarships:

20 State Championship Integrity Scholarships will include paid entry fee, group transportation, and 2 meals on both tournament days at the Illinois State Championship in Normal, IL in March (exact Saturday and Sunday yet to be announced). A parent or legal guardian must accompany the student to the tournament. GPCF will handle all payments and tournament registrations.

1 National Championship Integrity Scholarship will include a paid entry fee, lodging at the tournament site or at a nearby US Chess Federation partner hotel, and airfare for both the student and the accompanying parent. The tournament will be in Orlando, Florida on 9-11 May. The recipient should expect to travel to Orlando on the 8^th and to return to central IL on the 12^th. GPCF will handle tournament registration. It is preferred to reimburse for lodging and air travel upon submitting reservations. The scholarship value is not to exceed $2000.

Selection Process:

Student(s) must be nominated by a coach between 26 Jan and 3 Feb and approved by the GPCF Board on 10 Feb to be entered in the Integrity Scholarship Pool.

The GPCF Board will randomly draw 20 State Championship scholarship recipients AND 1 National Championship scholarship recipient from the approved Pool on the date of 13 Feb.

Qualifications (K-8 students):

Students must participate in at least 50% (5) of the qualifying tournament listings

Students must demonstrate behavioral integrity and good sportsmanship throughout the chess season

Students must be from Central Illinois

Nominations from coaches should be economic needs-based qualifications

Students must have an active USCF membership through 31 May 2025

Parent MUST be available to accompany the student to State or National Tournaments

Additional Rules

The student and parent must sign and submit the scholarship acceptance and indemnification form no later than 27 Feb 2025. Any acceptance forms not submitted by 11:59pm 27 Feb may result in immediate loss of the scholarship offer.

The parent must have a TSA approved ID for air travel for the National Tournament.

GPCF board members immediate relatives are not eligible for integrity scholarships

GPCF reserves the right the adjust or update scholarship scope, processes, or qualifications as needed. Any changes will be communicated as soon as possible.

Grand Prix Scholarship

Each of the qualifying 9 tournaments will have a NEW section called the Grand Prix Section

The purpose of this section is to create an advanced section for serious chess students to compete and earn a Scholarship to attend the National Championship in Orlando, FL on 9-11 May. Players MUST be rated at least 1000 (USCF Classical) to register in the Grad Prix Section.

Grand Prix points will be cumulatively earned by the following allocations over 7 tournaments. Grand Prix points will be earned at each tournament per the following:

1 point for participation

5^th place: 2 points>;

4^th place: 3 points;

3^rd place: 4 points;

2^nd place: 5 points;

1^st place: 7 points

In the event of a tie for a given place at any tournament, the points will be equally divided by the tying students.

Trophies are not planned to be awarded in the Grand Prix section of each tournament although some tournament hosts may choose to do so.

Grand Prix Scholarship Description:

1 National Championship Scholarship will include a paid entry fee, lodging at the tournament site or at a nearby US Chess Federation partner hotel, and airfare for both the student and the accompanying parent. The tournament will be in Orlando, FL on 9-11 May. The recipient should expect to travel to Orlando on the 8^th and to return to central IL on the 12^th. GPCF will handle tournament registration. It is preferred to reimburse for lodging and air travel upon submitting reservations. The scholarship value is not to exceed $2000.

5 scholarships will be awarded to pay the entry fee of the students at the K-8 State Championship in Normal, IL in March.

Grand Prix Tour Process:
The student with the highest Grand Prix score at the end of the 9 qualifying tournaments will be awarded the scholarship.
Qualifications (K-12 students):

Students demonstrate behavioral integrity and good sportsmanship throughout the chess season

Students must be from Central IL

Students must have an active USCF membership through 31 May 2025

Parent MUST be available to accompany the student to State or National Tournaments

Additional Rules

The student and parent must sign and submit the scholarship acceptance and indemnification form no later than 27 Feb 2025. Any acceptance forms not submitted by 11:59pm 27 Feb may result in immediate loss of the scholarship offer.

The parent must have a TSA approved ID for air travel.

In the event a GPCF board member’s immediate relative wins the Grand Prix, the winner’s achievement will be recognized, but the 2^nd place student will earn the scholarship.

GPCF reserves the right the adjust or update scholarship scope, processes, or qualifications as needed. Any changes will be communicated as soon as possible.

Grand Prix Qualifying Tournaments

14 Sept Peoria Academy Fall Scholastic

19 Oct St Philomena Peoria

9 Nov Morton Invitational

16 Nov Reservoir Gifted Academy Peoria

7 Dec Germantown Hills

14 Dec Brimfield Invitational

11 Jan Liberty Middle School Peoria

18 Jan St. Mary’s Metamora

25 Jan Mark Bills Classic Peoria

Note: Many of our tournaments fill up by reaching the building maximum occupancy. It is the student’s responsibility (or parent or coach) to ensure that he or she is registered before registration is closed due to max occupancy being reached. Please check the registration pages openings on PeoriaChess.com and click on the tournament title name to see if registration is open.

Acceptance and indemnifications forms will be issued to the scholarship recipients at the time of selection. It will include basic provisions that the student will play in all of the rounds of the tournament and that the parent is legally and financially responsible for any event that may arise during the tournament and travel.

National Championship Scholarships – If a recipient chooses to drive in lieu of airfare, GPCF will reimburse driving costs up to the amount equal to 2 airfare tickets of GPCF’s choosing.

Any questions regarding the scholarships should be submitted in writing to Lawrence Van Ryn: Lnvanry@gmail and Murrel Rhodes: Murrel@gmail.com.