02.06.08 On February 3rd, the Maine Maritime Academy Chess Team competed against Harvard University in the first round of the five round Online Team Championship hosted by the the Internet Chess Club with support from the College Chess League, and the United States Chess Federation College Chess Committee. Although MMA lost the match 3-1, they scored a big victory for chess in Maine and beyond by being on the vanguard of this technological innovation.

Tournament Results Including Game Replay

The Online Team Championship (Groundhog Championship) generally starts on the 1st Sunday in February.
Games are played online on Sunday afternoons at 3 PM EST (= 2 PM CST = 1 MST PM = 12 PST).
The dates for 2008 are:

Round 1 -- February 3
Round 2 -- February 10
Round 3 -- February 17
Round 4 -- February 24
Round 5 -- March 2

Weekly team games are coordinated for the Fall, Winter, and Spring semesters.
Teams consist of 4 players from each school. Multiple teams are allowed.
During official tournaments sponsored by the USCF College Chess Committee, teams are required to meet together in a campus computer lab for games. Games are played mainly on an honor system, with team captains ensuring that the rules are enforced.
No outside help is allowed from opening books, fellow players, or computers. The team captains must ensure that these rules are followed.
Other than positive publicity, no prizes will be rewarded. It’Äôs all for fun!