We want to take this opportunity to clarify the responsibilities of participating schools regarding student supervision and safety at our tournaments.
CPS Academic Chess does not advertise, promote, advocate for, or encourage schools to take students outside the school building during tournaments. Our responsibility is to organize and conduct the chess tournament and arrange for designated indoor waiting areas where school groups can remain between rounds.
We recognize that younger students may become restless during a long tournament day. However, our tournaments are indoor events, and schools are expected to plan accordingly.
Student Supervision and School Responsibilities
Each participating school is responsible for supervising its students whenever they are outside the tournament playing rooms, including during breaks and between rounds. This responsibility rests with the school’s coaches and designated chaperones, not with chess tournament staff.
Any decision to take students outside the school building, whether remaining on school grounds or leaving school property, is made independently by the individual school’s coaches or chaperones. Such activities are not organized, directed, or encouraged by CPS Academic Chess. Responsibility for supervising those students and ensuring their safety remains with the participating school.
We also want to emphasize that areas across the street from a tournament venue, including vacant lots and other open spaces, are not part of the school grounds and are not designated areas for tournament participants.
Additionally, the school parking lot is not an appropriate area for students to play or congregate. For their safety, students are not allowed in this area. All drop-off and pick-up of students is to be done on W Polk Street.
Planning for Future Tournaments
Coaches should ensure that their students are prepared to spend the tournament day indoors and that adult supervision is available to manage their students between rounds.
If a school has students who are unable to remain indoors for the duration of a chess tournament, those students should not be brought to the event. Schools should take this into consideration when selecting participants and planning for tournament attendance.
Our goal is to provide a safe, organized, and enjoyable chess experience for all participating students. Accomplishing this requires that every school understands and fulfills its responsibility for supervising its students throughout the event.
Thank you for your cooperation and continued support of CPS Academic Chess.
