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GM Sam Shankland Lecture & Special Blitz

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GM Shankland Lecture at 5:30pm: Staying principled against playable sidelines

Not every opponent plays mainline theory — and they don’t have to. In this lecture, Sam will explore how to face offbeat but playable openings with confidence by sticking to sound principles and clear plans. We’ll look at practical examples, key ideas, and how to stay solid and active no matter what opening you're facing.

The lecture is open for players of all levels who want to build confidence against surprise systems and non-mainline play.

 

Top 6 boards on Chess.com - Click here.


Register or Join Wait List Change Request Form

Info

  • Date: Thu, Jul 24 , 2025
  • Eligibility: Open to Everyone!
  • Rating: USCF & FIDE
  • Location: 57 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
  • Capacity: n/a

Registration

  • Online Registration Open Until: Thursday, July 24: 7:00 pm
  • Onsite Registration: 6:00-6:45pm
  • Entry fee for Mechanics' Institute Members: $30
    • Play-up fee: $10
  • Entry fee for Non-Members: $40
    • 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 our late fee is now in effect and is added 24 hours before the start of a tournament in case capacity reaches 75%.

Tournament Format

  • Tournament Format: Swiss System
  • Total Rounds: 7
  • Time control: 3 min basetime + 2 sec increment
  • Round Times: 7/24 7:00pm and remaining rounds are on a rolling schedule
  • Sections: Open

Prize Fund

$540 based on 60 paid entries

  • 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 must fill out a W-9; the Mechanics' Institute will also provide a 1099 form. 

Prize Fund:

  • $540 based on 60 paid entries
  • Actual Payout: $270 based on 25 paid entries - 50% minimum guaranteed.

 

  Open
  Projected Actual
1st Place $200 $100
2nd Place $125 $62.50
3rd Place $90 $45
Best u1800 $75 $37.50
Best u1300 $50 $25

Prizes. GM Shankland Special Blitz: Open

# Name Cash Prize credited to pool
2 IM Varun Krishnan (6.5/2412) 100.00 Place: 1 - $100
1 GM Sam Shankland (6.0/2735) 62.50 Place: 2 - $62.50
19 Breakwell Loyalka (5.0/1779) 37.50 u1800/1 - $37.50
3 Daniel Cremisi (5.0/2356) 15.00 Place: 3 - $45;
 3-way split: $15 each
 
5 Aadit Bhatia (5.0/2243) 15.00
11 Varun Agrawal (5.0/2001) 15.00
27 Thu Anh Le (3.5/1273) 25.00 u1300/1 - $25

 

Byes

  • Maximum three half-point byes are available.
  • Must be requested prior to the tournament 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-chessT
  • All players must have a FIDE ID as well. If you don't have one, we'll reach out!

Tournament Rules

  • What do the time controls mean?
    Time controls tell you how much time you have for each game.
    G/3+2 means game in 3 minutes with a 2-second increment with each move. This means you get 3 minutes, your opponent gets 3 minutes, and at each move you get 2 extra seconds added to your clock. 
  • How many games/rounds?
    The event is a 7-round Swiss. Win or lose, players are expected to play in all rounds, unless they choose to withdraw.
  • We provide clocks and set it up for players.
  • Games will be US Chess blitz and FIDE blitz-rated.

Standings

  • Processed entries are coming 1 day before the event starts.
  • Final standings will be posted after the event is finished.

 

SwissSys Standings. GM Shankland Special Blitz: Open

# Name ID Rating Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 4 Rd 5 Rd 6 Rd 7 Total Prize
1 IM Varun Krishnan 12908029 2412 W6 W9 W14 W3 D2 W7 W4 6.5 100.00
2 GM Sam Shankland 12852765 2735 W20 W11 W8 W7 D1 D3 W10 6.0 62.50
3 Daniel Cremisi 14543654 2356 W21 W15 W27 L1 W10 D2 D9 5.0 15.00
4 Aadit Bhatia 16689603 2243 W22 L27 W21 W15 W5 W8 L1 5.0 15.00
5 Varun Agrawal 30082646 2001 W28 L7 W23 W20 L4 W17 W12 5.0 15.00
6 Breakwell Loyalka 31569521 1779 L1 W32 L10 W25 W15 W11 W20 5.0 37.50
7 Aryan Achuthan 15445324 2264 W17 W5 W13 L2 W9 L1 D8 4.5  
8 Donald F Chandler 11050085 2238 W30 W12 L2 W13 W17 L4 D7 4.5  
9 Tony Kukavica 13853062 2163 W25 L1 W22 W16 L7 W20 D3 4.5  
10 IM Elliott Winslow 10363365 2200 W24 L13 W6 W12 L3 W16 L2 4.0  
11 Sanat Singhal 15580756 2068 W18 L2 L17 W34 W14 L6 W19 4.0  
12 Steven Gaffagan 12542809 1944 W34 L8 W25 L10 W27 W18 L5 4.0  
13 Catalino, Jr Santos 13585436 1923 X36 W10 L7 L8 L20 W25 W21 4.0  
14 CM Pranav Senthilkumar 14020007 2227 W23 W16 L1 D27 L11 L15 W24 3.5  
15 Alexander Charles Su 12857329 1971 W26 L3 W24 L4 L6 W14 D17 3.5  
16 Arjun Panickssery 14172225 1887 W33 L14 W34 L9 W24 L10 D18 3.5  
17 Robert E Berry 12742576 1692 L7 W28 W11 W21 L8 L5 D15 3.5  
18 Thu Anh Le 17248797 1273 L11 L20 W35 W22 W19 L12 D16 3.5 25.00
19 Roger Christopher Smith 14437543 1836 L32 L25 W26 W28 L18 W23 L11 3.0  
20 Kar Lun Cheng 30599116 1810 L2 W18 W32 L5 W13 L9 L6 3.0  
21 Aaron Ingber 32151075 1704 L3 W26 L4 L17 W28 W32 L13 3.0  
22 John Boyer 16865157 1636 L4 W31 L9 L18 W32 L24 W33 3.0  
23 Ryan Mahin Wolk 15444728 1333 L14 W33 L5 L32 W34 L19 W29 3.0  
24 Pranav Db 30518186 1325 L10 W35 L15 W31 L16 W22 L14 3.0  
25 Kian Namiranian 17232146 1321 L9 W19 L12 L6 W31 L13 W32 3.0  
26 Merritt Hayes 32470165 1115 L15 L21 L19 W33 W30 L29 W31 3.0  
27 Romulo Silvestre 16920915 1929 W31 W4 L3 D14 L12 U--- U--- 2.5  
28 Fadi Arodaki 31279904 1255 L5 L17 W33 L19 L21 W34 D30 2.5  
29 Christian Brickhouse 30261226 1238 H--- H--- H--- U--- U--- W26 L23 2.5  
30 William Fitzgerald 17048414 1341 L8 L34 L31 W35 L26 D33 D28 2.0  
31 Lua Loyalka 31569531 1048 L27 L22 W30 L24 L25 W35 L26 2.0  
32 Matt Miller 32517711 unr. W19 L6 L20 W23 L22 L21 L25 2.0  
33 Taylor Love 32008612 unr. L16 L23 L28 L26 W35 D30 L22 1.5  
34 Renate Otterbach 14565208 1095 L12 W30 L16 L11 L23 L28 L35 1.0  
35 Dante Moussapour 32484940 unr. U--- L24 L18 L30 L33 L31 W34 1.0  
36 Thomas Thurston Cunningham 12923340 907 F13 U--- U--- U--- U--- U--- U--- 0.0  

 

Pairings

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