Saturday April 25, 2026
Cerf Center
Cerf Center, S Burgess St.
Eureka, IL 61530
US Chess Membership is Required for Open and U1401 sections. All US Chess Rules will be followed. Notation is required in all sections. Players 8 years old or younger (or their parents) can ask the tournament director before Round 1 for an exemption, if they are still learning to write in general.
Players and spectators younger than high school age (~14) must be accompanied by an adult. The accompanying adult must be present at the tournament site. Disruptive and/or destructive behavior will result in dismissal from the tournament and site. Players are responsible for the behavior of anyone accompanying them to the tournament.
Open - Open to all players. Active US Chess membership required.
U1401 - Players must have a published USCF Regular Rating below 1401. Unrated players may play in this section, however they are only eligible for place prizes. Active US Chess membership required.
Non-rated - Geared towards players who would like to try out tournament chess before committing to a US Chess membership. Notation not required for this section. US Chess membership not required.
Check your rating here: https://ratings.uschess.org/
USCF Quick, Blitz, or any FIDE/foreign ratings may be used for section eligibility purposes for players without a regular rating.
Open and U1401 Sections
4 Rounds SS; G/40+10 (Clocks will be set with 40 minutes per player, and a 10 second increment that adds back after each move)
Non-rated Section
4 Rounds SS; G/20+5 (Clocks will be set with 20 minutes per player, and a 5 second increment that adds back after each move)
Entry Fees will be paid with cash onsite only.
General Entry Fee for Open and U1401 Sections: $30
Players with a US Chess Regular Rating 1800 or higher (using published or most recent live rating): $15
Players with a US Chess Regular Rating 2200 or higher (using published or most recent live rating): Free
General Entry Fee for Non-rated Section: $10
*Eureka College Students, Staff, and Faculty will receive free entry to any section.
**If a live rating is used for a discounted entry fee, that rating will be used for prize and pairing purposes.
Pre-registration link: https://forms.gle/EcjG5QydNEm448so6
Prizes for Open and U1401 sections are based on 30 paid entries in rated sections.
1st - $150
2nd - $90
Top U2001/Unrated - $60
Top U1701/Unrated - $50
1st - $100
2nd - $60
Top U1201 - $40
Top U900 - $35
USCF Quick, Blitz, or any FIDE/foreign ratings may be used for prize eligibility purposes for players without a regular rating. Unrated players playing in the U1401 section are only eligible for place prizes (i.e. 1st-2nd). Unrated players are eligible for all prizes in the Open section.
1st - $40
2nd - $20
3rd - $10
Onsite Registration and Check-In: 9:00am-9:45am
Round 1: 10:00am
Round 2: 11:45am
Lunch Break
Round 3: 2:00pm
Round 4: 3:45pm
Estimated end: 5:30pm
*Rounds will start ASAP, generally 15 minutes after the conclusion of the previous round
Round 1: 10:00am
Round 2: 15 minutes after the end of Round 1
Round 3: 15 minutes after the end of Round 2
Round 4: 15 minutes after the end of Round 3
Estimated end: 1:30pm
Players arriving after registration will receive one half-point bye and will be paired in subsequent rounds. Half-point byes may be requested for any round during registration only (limit one).
Boards and pieces will be provided. Please bring clocks (clocks will be provided for the Non-rated section).
Board 1 in the Open Section may be streamed via Facebook Live or Youtube.
Please contact tournament organizer if you have any questions.
David Sye, syechessclub@gmail.com