34th annual
CHICAGO OPEN
May 22-26, 23-26, 24-26, or 25-26, 2025 (Memorial Day Weekend)
Westin Chicago North Shore Hotel, Wheeling, IL
601
N Milwaukee Ave, Wheeling, IL 60090
From Chicago, I-294 N to US-45 N; from Milwaukee, I-94 E
to Lake Cook Rd to US-45 S. Free parking.
$100,000 GUARANTEED PRIZES!
US Chess Grand Prix
Points: 200 (enhanced)
An American Classic!
A Heritage event!
Open Section, May 22-26: 9-SS, 40/80, SD/30; d30.
GM & IM norms possible.
Under 2300 through Under 1300 Section, May 23-26 or May 24-26: 7-SS, 40/80, SD/30; d30
(3-day option, rounds 1-2 G/60, d10).
Under 1000 Section, May 25-26: 7-SS, G/60;d10.
In 8 sections:
· Open (FIDE rated): $10000-5000-2500-1300-1000-800-600-500-400-400,
clear or tiebreak winner bonus $300, top FIDE Under 2400/Unrated $2000-1000.
· Under 2300 Section (FIDE rated): $5000-2500-1200-800-600-500-400-300-300-300.
· Under 2100 Section (FIDE rated): $5000-2500-1200-800-600-500-400-300-300-300.
· Under 1900 Section: $ 5000-2500-1200-800-600-500-400-300-300-300.
· Under 1700 Section: $5000-2500-1200-800-600-500-400-300-300-300.
· Under 1500 Section: $4000-2000-1000-700-500-400-300-300-300-300.
· Under 1300 Section: $3000-1500-1000-700-500-400-300-300-300-300.
· Under 1000 Section: $1500-800-600-400-300-200-200-100-100-100.
Open
Section minimum prize guarantee: if entering online by 5/2 and playing all 9
games (no byes): foreign GM $800, foreign IM/WGM $400, foreign FM $200 (FIDE
might not count players with federation “FID” as foreign).
Prize limits:
1. If
any post-event Regular OTB or Regular Online rating posted 5/21/24-5/21/25, or
current Online Regular rating, was more than 40 points over section maximum,
prize limit $800
2. Players
with under 26 lifetime games rated as of May 2025 official list cannot win over
$500 in U1000, $1000 U1300, $1500 U1500, $2000 U1700, or $2500 U1900; games
rated too late for May Official list do not count towards 26-game total.
3. Unrated
limits: U1000 $200, U1300 $300, U1500 $400, U1700 $600, U1900 $800, U2100
$1200. Balance of any limited prize goes to next eligible player(s) in line.
Cannot play below Online
Regular Rating minus 100 points in Under 2300 through Under 1000 Sections.
Mixed Doubles Bonus Prizes: best male+female 2-player team combined score in Rounds 1-7
among all sections: $
2000-1000-500-400-300. Team must average under 2200; may play in
different sections and schedules; register (no extra fee) before both players
begin round 2; teams with an unrated player limited to $500 prize.
Schedule and Round Times:
·
Open (5-Day
schedule): Rounds: Thu 7pm, Fri 1 pm & 7 pm,
Sat 11 am & 5 pm, Sun 10 am & 4 pm, Mon 10 am & 4 pm. Registration
ends Thu 6 pm.
·
U2300 to
U1300 (4-Day schedule): Rounds: Fri 7 pm. Sat
11 am & 5 pm, Sun 10 am & 4 pm, Mon 10 am & 4 pm. Registration ends
Fri 6 pm.
·
U2300 to
U1300 (3-Day schedule): Rounds: Sat 11 am, 2
pm & 5 pm, Sun 10 am & 4 pm, Mon 10 am & 4 pm.
·
U1000 (2-Day
schedule): Rounds: Sun 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, & 7
pm, Mon 10 am, 1 pm, & 4 pm.
Half point byes OK
all, limit 3 (limit 2 in last 4 rounds); must commit before round 3.
Prizes
not claimed at tournament are usually paid by PayPal (may take over a week).
Entry fee:
· Open
through U1300: $207 online at chessaction.com by 3/21, $227 by 5/21, $250
later online or at site until 1 hour
before round 1.
· $500
extra charge to play in Open section for US players USCF U2300/Unrated
& U2100/Unrated FIDE.
· Open
section for titled players: GMs & foreign
Ims/WGMs free (must re-confirm participation by 5/22), $200 deducted from
prize. US IMs/WGMs & foreign FMs $100 less. $100 deducted from prize.
· Open
section minimum guarantee if entering online by
5/2 and playing all 9 games (no byes): foreign GM $800, foreign IM/WGM $400,
foreign FM $200 (does not include federation “FID” as foreign).
· Entry
fee $100 less to seniors age 65 and over in
U1300 and above.
· Under
1000 section: $97 online at chessaction.com by 5/21, $120 later online
or at site until 1 hour before round 1.
No checks at site, credit cards OK. No mailed
entries.
Re-entry (no Open to
Open) $100.
Online
Entry Fee $5 less to
ICA members (Illinois Chess
Association), is an optional membership, NOT the same as USCF). Join/renew
at il-chess.org.
All: Special 1
year USCF dues with magazine if paid
with online entry: see chessaction.com. US Chess membership required.
Foreign player rating info Prizewinner tax info CCA
electronic devices policies
PLAYERS MAY NOT POSSESS CELLPHONES DURING
PLAY. Please leave
your phone home, in your hotel room or car, or in a bag at your table.
For all tournaments, adjusted FIDE or foreign ratings, if higher
than USCF, may be used. Players must disclose FIDE or foreign ratings when
entering, or may later be expelled. Other over the board ratings such as club,
league, scholastic, state or province, etc, adjusted if appropriate, may be
used at our discretion if above USCF. No rating below the latest official
USCF rating, on the list corresponding to the ending date of the tournament,
will be used. For 9 round events offering title norm possibilities, FIDE
ratings are used. Click here for further details.
Ratings: US player ratings (2300 Section
and below), May official ratings used; unofficial uschess.org ratings or USCF
Online Regular ratings usually used if otherwise unrated, or to qualify for Open (see www.peakrating.us). Foreign player ratings (except Open):
see foreignratings.com. FIDE ratings used for Open Section. Players must reveal foreign, FIDE and other over the board
ratings, and these ratings, adjusted if necessary, may be used if higher than
USCF. See also above.
Hotel
rates: $138-138-138-138,
use this reservation link (also posted at chessevents.us, or call 800-331-1600 or
847-777-6500 and request Chess rate); reserve by 5/8 or rate may increase,
rooms may sell out earlier.
Car rental: Avis,
800-331-1600, use AWD #D657633, or reserve car online through chesstour.com.
Bring set, board, clock if possible- none supplied!
Entry: chessaction.com. No mailed entries. $15 service charge for
refunds. Questions: Director@chess.us, chesstour.com,
chesstour.info.
Entries
posted at chessaction.com (click
"entry list" after entering).
BLITZ TOURNAMENT SUNDAY NIGHT 10:00 pm,
enter by 9:00 pm.