| What is the USCF and why do I have to be a member in order to play in most tournaments? |
| Written by Kevin Brady | |
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The U.S. Chess Federation is the national sanctioning body for chess. It provides all of its members with a rating which corresponds to how skilled the player is. This allows, for example, a ten-year-old player in Philadelphia to be accurately compared to an adult player in Los Angeles. Most of our tournaments are USCF-rated so all players must be USCF members. In addition to the rating, USCF scholastic members receive its scholastic magazine, Chess Life for Kids. We now offer unrated sections in most scholastic tournaments for players in grades 3 and under. This allows children to get a taste of competition at a lower level before playing in a rated event. See the tournament pages for more specific information. |