2026 Winter Tuesday Night Marathon

2026 Winter Tuesday Night Marathon

Date: Tuesday, November 3 – Tuesday, December 15, 2026
Eligibility: Open to Everyone!
Rating: USCF & FIDE
Location: Mechanics' Institute, 4th Floor, 57 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
Capacity: 120

REGISTRATION
Online Registration Open Until: Tuesday, December 15 at 6:30 pm
Entry fee for Mechanics' Institute Members: $70 (Play-up fee: $15)
Entry fee for Non-Members: $100 (Play-up fee: $20)
Late fee: $10
$5 admin fee for all cancellations & refunds.
Register: https://mechanics-institute.jumbula.com/2026Tournaments/2026WinterTuesdayNightMarathon

TOURNAMENT FORMAT
Format: Swiss System
Total Rounds: 7
Time Control: 90 min base time + 30 sec increment (G90+30)
Sections: 2000+, 1600–1999, Under 1600

Round Schedule:
Round 1: November 3, 6:30 pm
Round 2: November 10, 6:30 pm
Round 3: November 17, 6:30 pm
Round 4: November 24, 6:30 pm
Round 5: December 1, 6:30 pm
Round 6: December 8, 6:30 pm
Round 7: December 15, 6:30 pm

Play-up "200-rating point rule":
Players must have a 1800 USCF regular supplemental or actual regular rating to be eligible to play up to the 2000+ section.
Players must have a 1400 USCF regular supplemental or actual regular rating to be eligible to play up to the 1600–1999 section.

US Chess rating will be used for section determination and pairings. FIDE or other ratings are only used if no US Chess rating is available. Pairings are based on the November 2026 regular supplemental regular US Chess rating.

PRIZE FUND
Total Prize Fund: $2,400 (based on 80 paid entries)

2000+ Section:
1st Place: $500 | 2nd Place: $300 | 3rd Place: $200
Best Under 2200: $100 | Best Under 2000: $100

1600–1999 Section:
1st Place: $300 | 2nd Place: $200 | 3rd Place: $100
Best Under 1800: $75 | Best Under 1600: $75

Under 1600 Section:
1st Place: $200 | 2nd Place: $100 | 3rd Place: $50
Best Under 1400: $50 | Best Under 1200: $50

Prize checks processed within 2–3 weeks after the event. Per IRS regulations, anyone receiving $2000 or more in cumulative prizes during a calendar year must complete a W-9.

BYES
Maximum of three half-point byes per player.
Round 1 pairings done Tuesday at 6:20 pm onsite. Round 1 bye requests must be submitted by 4:00 pm that day.
Round 2–6 bye requests must be submitted by Monday at 6 pm (pairings posted ~8 pm Monday).
Round 7 bye must be requested before the start of Round 5. Round 7 bye is irrevocable.
Late registrations receive a half-point bye for any missed round (up to three rounds).

ELIGIBILITY
Players must have a current US Chess Federation membership valid through the last day of the tournament.
Check or renew membership at: https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess

TOURNAMENT RULES
Forfeit time: 30 minutes without prior notice; 60 minutes with prior notice (email [email protected] or call us).
Clocks are provided and set up by the club.
Games will be US Chess and FIDE regular rated. Modified FIDE rules apply.

SICK POLICY
The Mechanics' Institute Chess Club asks that any player who is feeling unwell withdraw from the tournament to help protect the health of others. The club reserves the right to deny entry to players who appear visibly ill. Players who withdraw due to illness before the start of the tournament will receive a full refund as a credit to their Jumbula account.