3rd Alan Benson Memorial Tournament

Registration

• Online Registration Open Until: Saturday, October 25: 10:00 am
• Onsite Registration: 9:30-9:45am
• Entry fee for Mechanics' Institute Members: $40
  • Play-up fee: $10
• Entry fee for Non-Members: $50
  • Play-up fee: $15
• Late fee: $10
• $5 admin fee for all cancellations & refunds.
• Two ways to check your entries:
  • Check the live entries on the Jumbula page.
  • Check the processed entries here a day before the event.
• Please note our late fee may be in effect and is usually added 24 hours before the start of a tournament in case capacity reaches 90%.

Tournament Format

• Tournament Format: Swiss System
• Total Rounds: 4
• Time control: 40 min min basetime + 5 second delay
• Round Times: 10/25 10:00am 12:00pm 2:00pm 4:00pm
• Sections: 2000+ 1600-1999 Under1600
• Play-up rule:
  • Players must have an 1800 USCF regular supplemental or actual rating to be eligible to play up to the 2000+ section;
  • Players must have a 1400 USCF regular supplemental or actual rating to be eligible to play up to the 1600-1999 section.
• Pairings are based on the Oct 2025 regular supplemental US Chess rating.

Prize Fund

1000 b/60

• Prize explanations are coming after the event.
• Please allow 2-3 weeks for processing prize checks.
• Per IRS rules anyone with a cumulative $600+ prize in any calendar year will need to fill out a W9 and Mechanics' Institute will be providing a 1099 form.

• Prize Fund:

  • $1000 based on 60 paid entries
  • Actual Payout: coming after the tournament.

Byes

• Byes are available for players in any round in case they can't participate but would like to stay in the tournament.
• Byes can be requested up to 15 minutes prior to the round start time.
• Last round bye must be requested by the start of Round 1.
• Late registrations will receive a 0.5 bye for any missed round, up to a total of 2 rounds.

Eligibility

• Players must have current US Chess Federation membership. Expiration date of their US Chess membership must be later than the last day of the tournament.
• Not sure if you have a membership? Need to check the expiration date of your members? Visit: https://new.uschess.org/player-search
• Become a member or renew your membership: https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess

Tournament Rules

• What do the time controls mean?
  Time controls tell you how much time you have for each game.
  G40;d5 means game in 40 minutes with a 5-second delay on each move. This means you get 40 minutes, your opponent gets 40 minutes, and at each move the clock counts down from 5 to 0 before the player's time starts. If a player doesn't use up the whole 5 seconds, the remainder of that time is lost.
• How many games/rounds?
  The 4SS before the time control means it is a Swiss System tournament with four rounds, or four games, that a player can play in the tournament. The tournaments are never eliminated, so win or lose, you can stay in the tournament.
• We provide clocks and set it up for players.
• Games will be US Chess regular and quick-rated (so-called dual-rated).