4th Benson Memorial Tournament

4th Benson Memorial Tournament

Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
Eligibility: Open to Everyone!
Rating: USCF (regular and quick rated / dual-rated)
Location: Mechanics' Institute, 4th Floor, 57 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
Capacity: 80
More information: https://www.milibrary.org/chess/tournaments/4th-benson-memorial-tournament

REGISTRATION
Online Registration Open Until: Saturday, October 17 at 9:30 am
Onsite Registration: 9:30–9:45 am
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.
Register: https://mechanics-institute.jumbula.com/2026Tournaments/4thBensonMemorialTournament

TOURNAMENT FORMAT
Format: Swiss System
Total Rounds: 4
Time Control: G/40+d5 (40 minutes with 5-second delay)
Sections: 2000+, 1600–1999, Under 1600

Round Schedule (October 17):
Round 1: 10:00 am | Round 2: 12:00 pm | Round 3: 2:00 pm | Round 4: 4:00 pm

Play-up rule:
Players must have a 1800 USCF regular supplemental or actual rating to play up to the 2000+ section.
Players must have a 1400 USCF regular supplemental or actual rating to play up to the 1600–1999 section.
Pairings are based on the October 2026 regular supplemental US Chess rating.

PRIZE FUND
Total Prize Fund: $1,000 (based on 60 paid entries)

2000+ Section: 1st $200 | 2nd $150 | 3rd $80
1600–1999 Section: 1st $150 | 2nd $100 | 3rd $70
Under 1600 Section: 1st $100 | 2nd $85 | 3rd $65

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

BYES
Byes available for any round. Request up to 15 minutes before round start.
Last round bye must be requested by the start of Round 1.
Late registrations receive a half-point bye for any missed round (up to 2 rounds).

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

TOURNAMENT RULES
Forfeit time: 40 minutes.
Clocks provided and set up by the club.
Games are US Chess regular and quick rated (dual-rated).

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. Players who withdraw due to illness before the start will receive a full refund as a credit to their Jumbula account.