CONTINENTAL CHESS ASSOCIATION  

Chess tournament information

PO Box 249, Salisbury Mills, NY 12577-0249

845-496-9658,  but it's MUCH better to use email!  It reduces the
possibility of error, is more likely to be noticed in time than a
phone message, and many phone messages are inaudible. 

For withdrawals or section switches, please email us
at least 2 hours before your first round.

Email us at:
chesstour@aol.comnospam  (remove "nospam" to use), with a copy to  chesscentr@aol.comnospam (remove "nospam" to use)

See bottom of page for reader surveys on USCF columnists, schedules/time controls, and locations.


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Welcome to Continental Chess!  We have organized tournaments from coast to coast since the 1960s, open to players of all ages, from Grandmasters to beginners.  Most include sections in which less experienced players play only each other.  

We are not a membership organization, but are affiliated with the US Chess Federation .  Our events award USCF ratings and require USCF membership, available through us. We presently plan events in California, Connecticut, DC, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.  For tournaments in other states, see uschess.org.  If you're not ready to enter, please visit any of our tournaments; there is no fee for spectators.  

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS OF OUR UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS.  

For results, see CROSSTABLES.  For your latest USCF rating, click here.  Note that only "official ratings" are used at our events, unless you would otherwise be unrated.  "Unofficial ratings" are NOT used if you have an official rating.

Click here to enter a tournament online.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT ALL PRIZEWINNERS WAIT TO RECEIVE THEIR PRIZES AT THE TOURNAMENT! Prizewinners may receive their prize checks right at the tournament (except for World Open Under 1800, Under 1600, Under 1400 and Under 1200), as soon as the amount of their prize has been determined! The IRS also requires that anyone who wins $600 or more show proof of their Social Security Number to the Tournament Director, in order to receive their check.  Those prizewinners who choose not to receive their prizes at the tournament may instead provide us with their addresses (and social security numbers if necessary) so we can mail these prize checks after the tournament.  However, especially during our busy periods, it may take up to four (4) or more weeks for us to process all the outstanding prizes, for you to then receive your prize by mail, instead of just receiving it on site, at the end of the tournament. 


REFUND POLICY:  If you cannot attend any of our tournaments, send us an email at least 2 hours before the first round.  If this is not possible, call the tournament site and ask for the chess tournament.  You can apply the entire fee to future tournaments, or obtain a refund of the fee minus a $15 service charge ($10 for 2008 North American Open and previous events).  You may also give notice of withdrawal by writing us at least 8 days before the first round.  NO REFUND, full or partial, is EVER given once you have started playing your game in the first round.

PLEASE ALLOW at least four weeks to receive your refund!

Especially during busy periods such as June-August or November-January, we tend to have a large backlog of work: entries, refunds, prizes, rating reports, memberships, invitations, questions, hotel contracts & setup, travel to tournaments, etc.  If four weeks elapses and your refund does not arrive, it has probably been overlooked- send us an e-mail pointing this out and we will give it priority.  


ONLINE ENTRY using a secure server is available for all CCA tournaments that offer advance entry! Online entry is also available at www.entry.cc, which you can use if you ever have problems accessing chesstour.com.  Immediately after you enter online, you should see "Thank you for your order" on the screen. This means your entry is confirmed.  NO FURTHER CONFIRMATION IS NECESSARY and you will not receive an email.     
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SPECIAL FOR ALL TOURNAMENTS! 1 year USCF dues with monthly Chess Life if paid with entry: if paid online, unrated $20, rated $30. By mail, phone or at site, unrated $30, rated $40. Cost of reduced dues borne by CCA.  USCF membership is required for all our tournaments. 
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ONLINE ENTRY ALERT: Please disregard any message which states "Network Unreachable" or "Could Not Send Email." Once you receive the message "THANK YOU FOR YOUR ORDER," that means your order has been processed (DO NOT re-purchase the same order again, or you will be charged twice!).

We ask that you print out your confirmation, showing your order number, and bring it with you to the tournament, as it will make things easier for us in the unlikely event there is a problem with your entry.  If you failed to print it out, bring your order number if possible.  NOTE: If you have no printout and didn't record your order number, don't worry and PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT US ASKING FOR THEM; we will NOT look them up as on the average this is far more difficult for us than having players arrive at the tournament without order numbers.     

If your online entry is "timed out" and you try again but get "Please do not reload this page, your order has already been processed," this means that YOUR ORDER HAS ALREADY BEEN PROCESSED!  Do not enter again or you will be charged twice!  "Your order has already been processed" is a confirmation that your entry went through.  In general, most entries that are "timed out" after entering credit card info go through OK.  

Occasionally your internet connection or our website may be down temporarily.  If you can't access online entries, try again an hour or two later.  If you still can't get through after a few tries, send us an email and let us know. Do not go to the tournament expecting to say "online entry didn't work, so I will pay the advance entry fee at the door."  NO ADVANCE ENTRY FEES ARE ACCEPTED AT THE DOOR!


2008 KINGS ISLAND OPEN,  11/14-16,  Mason,  OH
2008 KINGS ISLAND OPEN:  USCF-Rated Results!

2008 NATIONAL CHESS CONGRESS, 11/28-30,  Philadelphia PA
2008 NATIONAL CHESS CONGRESS:  USCF-Rated Results!
For games, see www.monroi.com

2008 NORTH FLORIDA OPEN,  12/5-7,  Jacksonville,  FL
2008 NORTH FLORIDA OPEN:  USCF-Rated Results!


2008 EMPIRE STATE OPEN,  12/26-28,  Saratoga Springs,  NY
2008 EMPIRE STATE OPEN:  USCF-Rated Results!

 


NORTH AMERICAN OPEN
Dec 26-29, 2008
Results & games

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2008 WORLD OPEN REPORTS

Final Standings

PhiladelphiaChess.com: Philadelphia International Final Standings

Monroi.com: World Open games!


2008 CHICAGO OPEN

Final standings with prize amounts

Website with games & photos  

USCF-Rated Results    


       Our next tournament is the 18th Annual North American Open,  December 26-29  or  27-29,  at spectacular Bally's Casino Resort Hotel,  in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada!   The North American Open features  a  $150,000  PROJECTED PRIZE FUND-- $$100,000 MINIMUM GUARANTEED!!  Continental Chess is once again offering FREE ENTRY TO UNRATED PLAYERS!  Note: only players with three tournament games or less are unrated, and all players must join the U.S. Federation in order to participate in any USCF-rated tournament, anywhere in the U.S. (players who are not current USCF members may join the USCF at a substantial discount on our website through December 19th; otherwise, they must pay the USCF dues at the tournament, in order to participate).  The complete list of all advance entries received through December 23rd is now posted here.
 


       CCA minimum ratings as of  December 12th  are now posted.  They will be used, if above USCF ratings, at all CCA tournaments effective immediately. 


We will be posting the advance entries for our upcoming tournaments here.
We expect to update the entry lists each week (usually on Wednesday).

    PLEASE NOTE!  These advance entries are posted so that players will know they are correctly entered, NOT for the purpose of showing how many entries there are likely to be!  The great majority of entries for most tournaments come in the last few days before the event or at the door.  Often a few weeks before the event, entries are only 5% to 10% of their ultimate total, and even a few days before, there are sometimes just one or two entries in a section/schedule only to have it wind up with ten or more.


Latest Update:  December  24, 2008
 

North American Open,  December 26-29  or  27-29,  2008:    All advance entries received through December 23rd.
 


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We hold four of the five largest prize fund tournaments in the USA:

The 2008 World Open was held at the Sheraton City Center Hotel in downtown Philadelphia, with 5-day schedule July 2-6 and others July 3-6, July 4-6, and June 30-July 6.  The prize fund was $320,000, largest for any open tournament in the world.  The 2009 World Open will be held at the same location July 1-5, 2-5, 3-5 or June 29-July 5.  Guaranteed prizes total $250,000, entry fees are lower than last year, and the event now has class prizes for the lower half of many rating classes.  See the old World Open website with results and games from 1998-2006. Over 1500 games may be viewed or downloaded there.  See www.monroi.com for games from the 2007 or 2008 World Opens.

The $100,000 guaranteed Chicago Open was held as a 7 round Swiss May 23-26, 24-26 or 25-26, 2008 at a magnificent new location, the Westin North Shore Hotel in Wheeling, IL.  The 2009 Chicago Open will be at the same location May 22-25, 23-25 or 24-25.

The 2007 North American Open, a 7-round Swiss, was held at Bally's Las Vegas December 26-29.  The 2008 event will again be 7 rounds, Dec 26-29 at Bally's, with alternate schedule option Dec 27-29.  This event is always Dec 26-29 each year, regardless of the days of the week those dates are.

The 2008 Foxwoods Open was held March 19-23. This tournament is always held over Easter weekend (no other weekend is available at Foxwoods), with 9 rounds in the Open Section (5 days, GM & IM norms available), and 7 rounds in the lower sections (choice of 4-day or 3-day schedule).  The 2009 event will be April 8-12, 9-12 or 10-12.


 ONLINE ENTRY  

[Info about entering online] [Tournament rules] [Privacy policy]

[US Chess memberships] [Tournament Schedule

[General Info] [About Continental Chess] [Invitations]

[Tournament Crosstables]] [CCA Minimum Ratings] [Games]

[Avis car rental]]  [Ratings & Performance Ratings]] [Links]

[Understanding Tournament Announcements] [Byes]

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