The P5 & Under competitions, held throughout Scotland during the school year as part of the Chess Scotland Novice Events, but are also in themselves qualifying heats for a final. Players may play in as many heats as they like.
The invitation-only final usually takes place towards the end of May once all the heats have been played, and is generally played in a 'central location'. This has been Wester Hailes (Edinburgh) and Perth in the past.
To qualify for the final which is restricted to 32 players, you must finish in the top few places of one (or more) of the heats. The number of heats and the numbers playing in each heat will initially determine how many go through from a particular heat. This year, as there are potentially 8 heats throughout Scotland and some of them may be further split into 2, you would need to finish in the top 3 places to be sure of qualification.
Even if you don't finish in the top 3, qualification can still be achieved depending upon where you finished, how well you did in other heats, etc. In the past, with fewer heats, it was not unusual for the top 6 (or more) to qualify from certain heats.
If you have any questions or require further details, please contact Andy MacQueen on 01505 863 521 or email me at p5chess@jadoube.demon.co.uk.