Thursday, February 27, 2025
NEW Event following the Chess960 variant!
In-Person Event -- Open for everyone!
List of Registered Players
Date & Location -- Tournament Format -- Byes -- Prize Fund
Registration -- Eligibility -- Tournament Rules -- FAQ
Tournament capacity: 80 players.
Important Information:
The Tournament Director will explain the main rules of this variant onsite.
A new position will be drawn for each new round, and it will be projected for the players to set up.
All boards play the same position in each round. After the position has been revealed, players will get 10 minutes of thinking time before their game begins.
1. Date & Location
• Thursdays at 6:30 pm
• Location: Mechanics' Institute Chess Room
57 Post Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104 (click here to map)
2. Tournament Format:
• Chess variant: Chess960 (also known as Fisher Random or Freestyle Chess.) - Please visit the following page to check out the full set of rules.
• Tournament Format: Swiss
• Total Rounds: 4
• Round Times: 6:30 PM and on a rolling schedule
• Time Control: G/15;+2inc (Game in 15 minutes with a 2-second increment at each move.)
• Games will not be US Chess rated!
• Sections: One open section
• Monthly supplemental regular OTB rating will be used. The Chief TD has the discretion to use a player's USCF online rating (ONL) or live rating for pairing purposes in extreme cases where fairness will be preserved by doing so.
• To request any change, please use the Change Request Form.
3. Byes
• Maximum number of byes: 2
• Last round to request a bye: start of Round 2
• Note: all bye requests after Round 2 will be a 0-point bye
4. Prize Fund -- $300 based on 30 fully paid players.
| Open | |
|---|---|
| 1st Place | $100 |
| 2nd Place | $75 |
| 3rd Place | $50 |
| 10th Place | $25 |
| 20th Place | $25 |
| 25th Place | $25 |
5. Registration
• MI library member: $20
• Non-MI library member: $30
• $5 admin fee for all cancellations & refunds.
• Free entry for GM/IM/WGM/WIMs 2 days before the event.
6. Eligibility
• Anyone can participate. No US Chess membership is needed.
7. Tournament Rules
• Chess960 rules apply.
• Forfeit time is 15 minutes.
8. FAQ
• What do the time controls mean?
Time controls tell you how much time you have for each game.
G15;+2 means a game in 15 minutes with a 2-second added with each move. This means you get 15 minutes, your opponent gets 15 minutes, and at each move, is a 2-second added to the players' time.
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 approach the event date to ensure an excellent tournament experience for players.