8th Donaldson Tournament

8th Donaldson Tournament

Dates: Saturday–Sunday, December 5–6, 2026
Eligibility: Open to Everyone!
Rating: USCF- and FIDE-rated
Location: Mechanics' Institute, 4th Floor, 57 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
Capacity: 80
More information: https://www.milibrary.org/chess/tournaments/8th-donaldson-tournament

REGISTRATION
Online Registration Open Until: Saturday, December 5 at 9:30 am
Onsite Registration: 9:30–9:45 am
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/8thDonaldsonTournament

TOURNAMENT FORMAT
Format: Swiss System
Total Rounds: 4 (2 rounds per day)
Time Control: G/90+30 (90 minutes with 30-second increment)
Sections: 2000+, 1600–1999, Under 1600

Round Schedule:
Saturday, December 5: Round 1: 10:00 am | Round 2: 2:30 pm
Sunday, December 6: Round 3: 10:00 am | Round 4: 2:30 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 December 2026 regular supplemental US Chess rating.

PRIZE FUND
Total Prize Fund: $2,600 (based on 80 fully paid entries)

2000+ Section: 1st $425 | 2nd $325 | 3rd $225 | Best U2200 $100 | Best U2000 $100
1600–1999 Section: 1st $325 | 2nd $225 | 3rd $125 | Best U1800 $75 | Best U1600 $75
Under 1600 Section: 1st $250 | 2nd $150 | 3rd $100 | Best U1400 $50 | Best U1200 $50

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 the 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: 60 minutes.
The club provides and sets up clocks.
Games are USCF- and FIDE-rated.

SICK POLICY
The Mechanics' Institute Chess Club asks that any player who feels unwell withdraw from the tournament to help protect others' health. Players who withdraw due to illness before the start will receive a full refund as a credit to their Jumbula account.