2024 Northern Virginia Open

2024 Northern Virginia Open

Friday – Sunday, Nov 15-17, or Saturday – Sunday Nov 16-17, Virginia

A Heritage Event!

US Chess Junior Grand Prix!

US CHESS GRAND PRIX POINTS: 30

A VCF Cup Event – Some Sections FIDE Rated

$7,000 Total Prize Fund, with 1st-3rd Place Prizes guaranteed in all sections. In 2023 we increased the prize fund to over $8,500 based on strong player turnout … and we will do that again if you come and play!!

Hotel & Playing Site: Washington Dulles Airport Marriott Hotel, 45020 Aviation Dr., Dulles, VA 20166. Call the hotel at 703-471-9500 to get the Chess Rate for lodging of $136 per night plus taxes. Reserve by 5 pm on Friday 10/25 (Oct 25th) at 703-471-9500 and mention the “Northern Virginia Open Chess Tournament” Group Name. 

Format: 5 Rounds, Swiss System (this is not an elimination tournament). Championship and Amateur (Under 1800) Sections are FIDE and US Chess rated. The Novice Section (Under 1200) is US Chess rated only. 

Sections: Three (3) Sections. A 60-minute default/no-show rule is in effect in all sections.
    - Championship: Round 1 at 7:30 pm Friday. FIDE and US Chess rated. Minimum rating to play in this section is an over-the-board regular US Chess or converted foreign rating of 1600 at any time in the past. Ratings from systems such as Chess.com, LiChess, ICC, etc., do not count.
    - Amateur (Under 1800): Round 1 at 7:30 pm Friday. FIDE and US Chess rated. Unrated players welcome (see Note below).
    - Novice (Under 1200): Games on Saturday and Sunday only, no games on Friday. Round 1 at 10 am Saturday. US Chess rated.
    - NOTE: Unrated players must play in the Amateur or Novice Section, limited to $350 Place Prize in the Amateur Section, $250 place prize in the Novice Section. A player without a US Chess rating but who has a rating in another US Chess-recognized rating system (e.g., FIDE, Canada, most European and Asian countries) is NOT Unrated and will be placed in a section based on the rating assigned by the Chief Arbiter.

Schedule - Championship & Amateur Sections: FIDE Rules. FIDE and US Chess rated, 60-minute default/no-show rule.
    - Round 1: Friday, Nov 15th, 7:30 pm. Time Control is Game-90 with 30-sec time increment from move one.
    - Round 2: Saturday, Nov 16th, 10 am. Time Control is 40/90, SD/30, with 30-sec time increment from move one.
    - Round 3: Saturday, Nov 16th, 4:30 pm. Same time control as Round 2.
    - Round 4: Sunday, Nov 17th, 10 am. Same time control as Round 2.
    - Round 5: Sunday, Nov 17th, 4:30 pm. Same time control as Round 2.

Schedule - Novice Section: US Chess Rules. US Chess rated, 60-minute default/no-show rule.
    - Friday, Nov 15th: NO GAMES on Friday in this section.
    - Round 1: Saturday, Nov 16th, 10 am. Time Control is G/60, with 10-sec time increment from move one.
    - Round 2: Saturday, Nov 16th, 2 pm. Same Time Control as Round 1.
    - Round 3: Saturday, Nov 16th, 6 pm. Same Time Control as Rounds 1 and 2.
    - Round 4: Sunday, Nov 17th, 10 am. Time Control is G/90, with 10-sec time increment from move one.
    - Round 5: Sunday, Nov 17th, 2:30 pm. Same Time Control as Round 4.

Ratings for Sectioning and Prizes: For section determination and prizes we will use the higher of a player’s Over-the-Board Regular and Online Regular ratings from the November 2024 US Chess Rating Supplement. Established ratings override provisional ratings; “stale” ratings are reviewed by the Chief TD. For players without a US Chess rating but who have ratings in other recognized systems (FIDE, Canada, Europe, Asia, etc.) their rating will be calculated and assigned by the Chief Arbiter using conversion formulas published by the US Chess Ratings Committee.

Pairings: Players will be paired using their US Chess or equivalent converted ratings (see above).

Prizes: All place prizes (1st-3rd overall in each section) are GUARANTEED.
    - Championship: 1st – 3rd Places $900 + Plaque, $650, $400; Top Expert $225;  Top U2000 $220;  2nd U2000 $200;  Top Upset Rds 1-5 $150. 
    - Amateur (Under 1800): 1st – 3rd Places $730 + Plaque, $500, $300; Top U1600 $200, 2nd U1600 $100; Top U1400 $190, 2nd U1400 $95; Top Upset Rds 1-5 $140. 
    - Novice (Under 1200): 1st -3rd Places $550+Plaque, $350, $200;  Top U1000 $175, 2nd U1000 $85; Top U800 $160, 2nd U800 $80;  Top Unrated not winning a place prize $120;  Top Upset Rds 1-5 $130. Trophies to 1st and 2nd U1000, U800 and U600. 

On-Line Registration & Fees: (Click here to register and pay online, or go to www.vachess.org)
    - $125 through Saturday Nov 9th
    - $150 starting Sunday Nov 10th
    - $175 starting Thursday Nov 14th and at the tournament site
    - VA Chess Federation will retain $5 from players who withdraw before Round 1

Mail-in Entries: Send your Name, US Chess ID, Section to Enter, and any Bye Requests (Max of 1 half-point Bye).
    - Check payable to VA Chess Federation or “VCF”
    - Mail your entry by MONDAY, Nov 11th to Mike Hoffpauir, ATTN: VA Open, 405 Hounds Chase, Yorktown, VA 23693-3356

On-Site Registration: At the hotel ...
    - Friday, Nov 15th, 3 pm to 6:45 pm. Championship and Amateur entries received after 6:45 pm will be paired for Round 2 on Saturday.
    - Saturday, Nov 16th, 7:30 – 9:15 am. Novice Section entries received after 9:15 am will be paired for Round 2. Championship and Amateur Section players who did not enter in time for Round 1 can enter on Saturday morning and receive a Half-point Bye.

Optional Half-Point Byes & Re-Entry:
    - Optional Half-point Bye: One allowed per player in any round. Must declare during Registration or 30 min before the start of Rounds 1 and 2. Requests made later than 30 minutes before Round 2 count as Zero-point Byes. 
    - Re-Entry: Players who lose in Round 1 can Re-Enter the tournament for $45 after Round 1 and begin Round 2 with one-half point. Re-Entry counts as your one allowed Half-point Bye. So, if you plan to take a Bye in Round 3, 4 or 5, that Bye will be changed to a 0-point Byes.

Conditions for GM, WGM, IM, or WIM Titled Players:
    - Free Entry for players titled by FIDE as GM, WGM, IM, or WIM, with the Early Entry Fee of $125 deducted from prize winnings. Contact Organizer by email for entry instructions (see Info below).

Membership Requirements: 
    - All players must be US Chess members in good standing except Foreign GM/WGM, IM/WIM. Check, join, or renew your membership at www.uschess.org.
    - Players who are Virginia residents must be members of the VA Chess Federation. Join as part of the tournament entry process or join later at www.vachess.org.

Info: www.vachess.org, or Mike Hoffpauir, Click here to show mail address, text to 757-846-4805