Upcoming Tournament

3rd Chernev Memorial Tournament (18+ only)

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

Info

  • Date: Sat, Oct 18 , 2025
  • Eligibility: Open to Everyone!
  • Rating: USCF
  • Location: Mechanics' Institute, 4th Floor, 57 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
  • Capacity: 80

Registration

  • Online Registration Open Until: Saturday, October 18: 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 by clicking on the View Entries button.
  • Check the processed entries here a day before the event.

Tournament Format

  • Tournament Format: Swiss System
  • Total Rounds: 3
  • Time control: 60 min basetime + 5
  • Round Times: 10/18 10:00am 1:00pm 4:00pm
  • Sections: 1600+ Under1600

Play-up "200-rating point rule":

  • Players must have an 1400 USCF regular supplemental or actual regular rating to be eligible to play up to the 1600+ section.

US Chess rating will be used for section determination and pairings.  FIDE or other ratings are only used if no US Chess rating is available. 

Pairings are based on the Oct 2025 regular supplemental regular 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 
  1600+ u1600
  Projected Actual Projected Actual
1st Place $140   $120  
2nd Place $90   $80  
3rd Place $70   $60  

Byes

Byes need to be requested 15 minutes before the round start.

 

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-chess

Tournament Rules

  • Forfeit time:
    • 60 minutes.
  • We provide clocks and set it up for players.
  • Games will be US Chess regular rated. 
     
  • What do the time controls mean?
    Time controls tell you how much time you have for each game.
    G60;d5: Game in 60 minutes with a 5-second delay with each move. This means you get 60 minutes, your opponent gets 60 minutes, and at each move the clock will count back 5 seconds before the time starts. One game may last up to 2 hour.


Mechanics' Institute Chess Club reserves the right to update any details of this event (including but not limited to sections, time control, round times, prize fund, etc.) as we get closer to the event date to ensure an excellent tournament experience for players.

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.