As some of you may know, our region was struck with the heartbreaking news of our very own chess player Zoey Hernandez’s leukemia diagnosis on May 6th, 2025. Zoey continues to fight and show her courage and bravery every day. As a community, I feel we MUST come together for Zoey and show her that she and her family have all of our love and support.
On July 19th, 2025, Brandon Flores and I will be hosting a 4-round USCF Rated Scholastic Chess Tournament. This is a beneficiary event for Zoey Hernandez and her family. Zoey is a dedicated chess player from Brownsville, Texas, who was diagnosed with leukemia on May 6th, 2025. While she continues to fight, the chess community will continue to support her. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Zoey and her family to assist with this battle.
If you cannot attend this event, please consider donating to her family:
CashApp directly to the Family: $cindyh822
All players must have current memberships in order to play. Please bring chess equipment (boards, clocks, etc.) – none provided. Open to all current USCF members from Kindergarten through 12th Grade during the 2024-2025 School Year. First round starts at 10:00 AM. All other rounds will begin immediately after the previous round. Time control is G/40; d5. There will be three sections: Championship, Intermediate & Novice. All three sections will be created based on participation and be created at TD’s discretion. Players may not select what section to play in. All pairings and Swiss sections are final once they are posted.
Organizers:
- Jonathan Huerta
- Brandon Flores
Sponsors:
- Little Miracles Learning Center
- Glam & Boujee Beautique
- Valley Trophies (Weslaco, Texas)
Tournament Spreadsheet (Pre-Registration, Pairings/Standings): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19uRd4Z8rNVS25rmXObhfPHXZ3cUwfHl5TKs7QDVUEAs/edit?gid=0#gid=0
- Entry fee $20.00 if paid by the Early Registration deadline. (ONLY CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED)
- Early Registration deadline – Thursday, July 17th, 2025 at 11:59 PM. No Onsite Registration!!
- Current unofficial USCF ratings will be used
- Accelerated pairings will be used at TD’s discretion
- Only one ½-point bye may be taken and all others will be 0 points.
- Minors must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Organizers are not responsible for accidents.
Awards for each section: Individual Trophies for 1st-5th place. Individual Medals for 6th-10th place.
Thank you so much to our sponsors and everyone in the community for helping us coordinate this event. To Zoey and her family, please know we are here for you. As strong and courageous as Zoey is, may she also have the comfort of knowing she is backed by a village of people willing to give their unwavering support.
Sincerely,
Jonathon C. Huerta
Region VII Director