2026 Indiana Chess Congress

2026 Indiana Chess Congress
and 85th Indiana State Chess Championship
MARCH 13-15, 2026
$15,000 PRIZE FUND (B/O 150 PAID ENTRIES)
FIVE SECTIONS, 5-SS with 2- and 3-day options

La Quinta Inn & Suites Indianapolis South
Friday, March 13, 2026 - Sunday, March 15, 2026

FULL INFORMATION, REGISTRATION, & HOTEL RESERVATIONS
 

REGISTRATION:

Follow link above to register online.

Onsite registration for main sections before Friday @ 6:30 PM (3-day) & Saturday @ 9:30 AM (2-day) to ensure a first round pairing.
 

ENTRY FEES:
On or before February 1:  $100 Early Special. Open to ISCA members only. Anyone, including out-of-state players, may join ISCA before registering.
February 2 to March 11: $155. ($15 discount off this entry fee for ISCA members. ISCA membership costs $15, so it is always worth joining.)
On or after March 12: $170 for all registrants
Re-Entry Fee:  $50 before Saturday @ 9:30 AM
Cancellation of registration before event subject to $5 fee withheld from refund.
$3 convenience fee if paying by credit card, not charged to ISCA members.
Save on all ISCA tournaments by becoming a member at https://www.indianachess.org
Titled players: Feel free to contact the ISCA president ([email protected]) regarding possible conditions available. They are limited, so act soon.

SCHEDULES and TIME CONTROLS:
All championship sections are 5-round Swisses:
3-day schedule:  Fri: 7:00 PM | Sat: 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM | Sun: 10:00 AM & 3:30 PM (all G/90 inc/30)
2-day schedule:  Sat: 10:00 AM & 1:30 PM (G/60 inc/30), then merge with 3-day at 5:00 PM (G/90 inc/30)
Half-point byes allowed in rounds 1-4, limit 2, must be committed before round 2.
ISCA annual membership meeting Sunday @ 2:10 PM, after round 4 concludes
 

SECTIONS and PRIZES:
85th Annual Indiana State Chess Championship (1900+)*
Top Prizes
$1200 | $900 | $500 | $300
U2300 Prizes
$600 | $300
Top Indiana Resident Bonus:
$250 + Trophy | $175 | $125
Top Indiana Resident Seniors (must verify age before round 4)
$125 for age 60+ | $125 for age 50-59
Top Indiana K-12 Player (must verify grade before round 4)
$100
*Any IN resident may enter into this section; out-of-state players must be rated 1900 or above.

Indiana State Major Open Championship (U2100)
Players rated below 1800 in this section must either have had a peak non-provisional rating of 1800+ or have earned a USCF 1st Category norm and must give proof of eligibility in the comments at registration.
Top Prizes
$800 | $500 | $300 | $200
U1900 Prizes
$400 | $200

Indiana State Reserve Championship (U1801)
Players rated below 1500 in this section must either have had a peak non-provisional rating of 1500+ or have earned a USCF 2nd Category norm and must give proof of eligibility in the comments at registration.
Top Prizes*
$800 | $500 | $300 | $200
U1600 Prizes (no unrated)
$400 | $200
Top Indiana Resident Bonus:
$200 + Trophy | $100
*Unrated players limited to $300

Indiana State Booster Championship (U1500)
Players rated below 1200 in this section must either have had a peak non-provisional rating of 1200+ or have earned a USCF 4th Category norm and must give proof of eligibility in the comments at registration.
Top Prizes*
$800 | $500 | $300 | $200
U1300 Prizes (no unrated)
$300 | $200 | $150
*Unrated players limited to $300

Indiana State Novice Championship (U1200)
Top Prizes (no unrated)
$700 | $400 | $300 | $200
U1000 Prizes (no unrated)
$300 | $200 | $150
Unrated Player Prizes (if at least 3 unrated players registered)
$200 | $100 
 

LOCATION / HOTEL:

La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Indianapolis South
5120 Victory Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46203

+1 (317) 783-7751

Event room rates available
$114/night
Follow link above for hotel reservations.
Many guest rooms newly renovated since last Congress!

GENERAL INFORMATION:
All prizes paid electronically via PayPal or Venmo.
Bring board, set, and clock. Equipment is generally not provided.
Published March ratings will be used.
In the State Championship section, all players must turn in their original signed scoresheet in addition to reporting results.
In the State Championship section, players may be assigned to play on a broadcasted DGT board. They must play on that board if assigned to it. Games are broadcast on a time delay to deter cheating.

More Information available at https://www.indianachess.org.

Organizer: Indiana State Chess Association
ISCA President:  FM Lester VanMeter ([email protected])
Chief Tournament Director: Ron Carrell ([email protected])
Principal Assistant Director: Daro Mott ([email protected])
Registrar: John Herr ([email protected])

Provide player USCF ID with all correspondence. 

Annual ISCA Meeting
Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 2:10 PM., after round 4
Annual meeting is for ISCA Members Only (join at indianachess.org)

If you cannot play a full Congress Championship schedule, there will be other chess events held concurrently at the site. These events will have faster time controls, last only a single day, and have separate TLA announcements. Please check for their details on the USCF TLA site or at indianachess.org. Their details will be announced at a later date.