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
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Entry fee for Mechanics' Institute Members: $30
- Play-up fee: $10
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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.
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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.