Fill this out before registering for each tournament. It takes five minutes and reduces the chance of choosing the wrong section.

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Player Information

Field
Player name	______________________________
Current USCF rating	___________ (published)
Current USCF live rating	___________
Number of rated games played	___________
Rating is:	☐ Established (25+ games) ☐ Provisional

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Tournament Information

Field
Tournament name	______________________________
Date	______________________________
Location	______________________________
Sections available	______________________________
Section I’m considering	______________________________
Rating range of that section	________ to ________

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Recent Results (Last 5 Tournaments)

Tournament	Score	Result vs expectation
_______________	___ / ___	☐ Better ☐ Expected ☐ Worse
_______________	___ / ___	☐ Better ☐ Expected ☐ Worse
_______________	___ / ___	☐ Better ☐ Expected ☐ Worse
_______________	___ / ___	☐ Better ☐ Expected ☐ Worse
_______________	___ / ___	☐ Better ☐ Expected ☐ Worse

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Goal for This Tournament

What is the primary goal? (Circle one or write in)

☐ Get experience — result doesn’t matter
☐ Score at least 50%
☐ Compete for a trophy
☐ Test skills against higher-rated players
☐ Other: ____________________________

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Comfort Level Check

Answer honestly:

How has training been in the past 4–6 weeks?

☐ Consistent and strong ☐ Moderate ☐ Minimal or interrupted

How does the player feel about this tournament?

☐ Confident and ready ☐ Neutral ☐ Nervous or uncertain

Is this player playing at their rating level or above it currently?

☐ At level ☐ Slightly above ☐ Below current rating

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Section Decision Guide

Situation	Recommendation
Rating is near the top of a section	Consider playing up
Provisional rating — fewer than 25 games	Play in the section matching current rating
Recent strong results — rating likely to rise	Current section or one above
Coming back from a break	Play at or below current rating
Goal is trophies	Play in appropriate rated section
Goal is growth and challenge	Consider playing up one section
Player is anxious or rebuilding confidence	Play in appropriate section or below

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Final Decision

Section I will enter: _____________________

Reason:

________________________________________________________

Notes for after the tournament:

________________________________________________________

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From Chess Tournament Guide — ChessTournamentGuide.com
See the full article: Should My Child Play Up a Section?