Upcoming Tournament

2nd John Grefe Memorial Tournament

Welcome to our new website!
If you notice anything missing or in need of an update, feel free to let us know at chessroom@milibrary.org. We appreciate your feedback!

Register or Join Wait List Change Request Form

Registration

• Online Registration Open Until: Saturday, August 2: 10:00 am
• Onsite Registration: 9:30-9:45am
• Entry fee for Mechanics' Institute Members: $40
  • Play-up fee: $10
• Entry fee for Non-Members: $50
  • Play-up fee: $15
• Late fee: $10
• $5 admin fee for all cancellations & refunds.

• Two ways to check your entries:
  • Check the live entries on the Jumbula site:
  • Check the processed entries here a day before the event.
• Please note that our late fee may be in effect and is usually added 24 hours before the start of a tournament in case capacity reaches 90%.

Tournament Format

• Tournament Format: Swiss System
• Total Rounds: 3
• Time control: 60 min min basetime + 5 second delay
• Round Times: 8/2 10:00am 1:00pm 3:30pm
• Sections: 1600+ U1600

• Play-up rule:
  • Players must have a 1400 USCF regular supplemental or actual rating to be eligible to play up to the 1600+ section 
• Pairings are based on the Aug 2025 regular supplemental US Chess rating.

Prize Fund

• Prize explanations are coming after the event.
• Please allow 2-3 weeks for processing prize checks.
• Per IRS rules anyone with a cumulative $600+ prize in any calendar year will need to fill out a W9 and Mechanics' Institute will be providing a 1099 form. 

 

• Prize Fund:

  • $560 based on 30 paid entries 

 

 

Byes

Byes are available for players in any round in case they can't participate but would like to stay in the tournament.

Byes can be requested up to 15 minutes before the round starts.

Last round bye must be requested by the start of Round 1.

Late registrations will receive a 0.5 bye for any missed round, up to a total of 1 rounds.

Eligibility

• Players must have current US Chess Federation membership. Expiration date of their US Chess membership must be later than the last day of the tournament.
• Not sure if you have a membership? Need to check the expiration date of your members? Visit: https://new.uschess.org/player-search
• Become a member or renew your membership: https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chessT

Tournament Rules

• We provide clocks and set it up for players.
• Games will be US Chess regular and quick-rated (so-called dual-rated). 

FAQs

• What do the time controls mean?
  Time controls tell you how much time you have for each game.
  G60;d5 means game in 60 minutes with a 5-second delay on each move. This means you get 60 minutes, your opponent gets 60 minutes, and at each move the clock counts down from 5 to 0 before the player's time starts. If a player doesn't use up the whole 5 seconds, the remainder of that time is lost.
• How many games/rounds?
  The 3SS before the time control means it is a Swiss System tournament with three rounds, or three games, that a player can play in the tournament. The tournaments are never eliminated, so win or lose, you can stay in the tournament. 

Standings

Processed entries are coming 1 day before the event starts.

Final standings will be posted after the event is finished.

Pairings

Pairings are posted on the wall of the club. We do not post pairings online for 1-day events.