8th Annual John T. Irwin National Tournament of Senior State Champions

Revised January 5, 2025

The US Chess National State Invitationals Committee has compiled this list of suggestions designed as a Best Practice document for State Affiliates and State Scholastic Coordinators to assist in the process to determine, nominate, and assist their state’s representatives in having a successful experience playing in the Irwin, Denker, Haring, Barber, or Rockefeller tournaments held annually in conjunction with the U.S. Open. As a description of Best Practices, this document is not prescriptive; rather, it is based on lessons the committee has learned over the years.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The John T. Irwin National Tournament of Senior State Champions is an annual invitational event run by US Chess that has determined the Irwin National Champion since 2018. The 2024 champion was IM Nikoloz Managadze (2449, NJ). A total of $7,100 in prizes will be awarded, including $2,500 to the champion. The champion will qualify for the US Senior Championship as long as eligibility requirements are met. Any tournament-qualification prize will be determined by tiebreak—not by a playoff.

The next Irwin will be held Monday, July 28 - Thursday, July 31, 2025, in Middleton, WI at the Madison Marriott West with hotel accommodations available using US Chess' reduced rate during the 125th Annual U.S. Open Chess Championship. If calling, mention U.S. Open Chess.

NOTE: If the host hotel’s room block is full, check out the US Open’s webpage for updates. Players who complete all six rounds of the Irwin may register onsite at Chess Control for the U.S. Open’s 4-day schedule, 5-day schedule, or 7-day schedule (with byes) for 50% of the early registration fee

QUALIFICATION

Each state affiliate may nominate one player to represent its residents 50+ years old as of the first day of the Irwin, and that state representative will receive free entry to the Irwin. Washington, D.C. will be considered a state, and California will be considered two states (Northern California and Southern California). US Chess recommends the following methods of qualification, in descending order of preference:

1. The highest finishing resident in a championship section that is restricted to players 50+ years old as of the first day of the Irwin.

2. The highest finishing resident 50+ years old as of the first day of the Irwin in a state championship tournament open to players of all ages.

3. The highest-rated state resident who will be 50+ years old as of the first day of the Irwin.

Ultimately, though, a state may determine its representative by whatever method of qualification it deems best—provided that the representative is a state resident (or was a state resident during the state qualifier) and is 50+ years old as of the first day of the Irwin. If the representative is unable to compete, then the state may substitute its next highest qualifier as an alternate.

US Chess will email to each state a link to an online nomination form that must be completed by June 1^st. US Chess reserves the right to appoint a representative for a state that fails to meet this deadline. After the deadline, an appointment made by US Chess will take precedence over an appointment made by the state. However, prior to US Chess appointment of a state representative, if the state were to inform US Chess of its desired appointment after June 1^st, then US Chess would honor the state’s selection.

To eliminate byes caused by an odd number of players in any round of the Irwin, the host state may provide an alternate to even out the pairings. If the alternate is not needed to play in a round, then the alternate has the option to be paired at no cost in a concurrent round of the U.S. Open or in any concurrent U.S. Open side events. The alternate is eligible for all prizes awarded to Irwin participants.

ELIGIBILITY

During the State Qualifier for the Irwin

The representative must be a resident of the state the player will represent. Each state may determine who is a state resident—but only of that state. Consequently, if a player were to be considered a resident by multiple states (say, both by the state in which the player maintains a primary address, and by a different state in which the player maintains a secondary address), then the player would be eligible to represent multiple states and could compete in multiple states’ qualifying events; however, note below that a player may not represent multiple states.

During the Irwin

A player may not represent multiple states—neither in the same national invitational for state champions, nor in multiple national invitationals for state champions. A player may represent only one state and may play in only one of the simultaneous national invitationals for state champions. The representative must be 50+ years old as of the first day of the Irwin. Proof of eligibility is the responsibility of the representative and of the state certifying the representative. The representative must have a current US Chess membership.

SCHEDULE for 2025

Checking in onsite is mandatory prior to the opening ceremony. Should travel or other reasons delay a player’s arrival, contact the Chief Tournament Director of the Invitationals (CTDI), who may allow up to two half-point byes. Players not checked in within 1 hour of the first round will be paired only if the alternate is available--otherwise they will not receive a bye for the first round. Notify the CTDI if planning on being late.

If attending the opening ceremony, attendees should wear business casual clothing. T-shirts, tank tops, and shorts are not permitted. Photos will be taken for Chess Life and state chess publications—so please look sharp. This dress code applies only to the opening ceremony.

RULES

Insofar as the Invitationals are prestigious national events in which the player represents the player’s state and significant prizes are at stake, players are required to play all 6 rounds of this Swiss tournament. Any player unable to play in one or more rounds must notify the CTDI as soon as possible. This allows time for the CTDI to substitute or remove the host state’s alternate player, if needed.

A player:

• Whose absence from any round is excused by the CTDI shall receive a half-point bye for that/those round(s). The CTDI may grant up to two such byes.
• Whose withdrawal from the tournament or forfeiture of a round has not been approved by the CTDI before the withdrawal/forfeiture is subject to disciplinary action by US Chess.
• Who withdraws or is expelled from the tournament loses all rights to any prizes.
• Whom the CTDI expels for violations of fair play shall have the player’s case forwarded by the CTDI to the US Chess Ethics Committee for review. If the Ethics Committee finds that the player violated fair play, the player is subject to the full range of sanctions available to the Ethics Committee, including loss or suspension of US Chess membership and/or loss of the right to attend future national invitationals for state champions, as deemed appropriate by the Ethics Committee. The player has the right to appeal a sanction imposed in accordance with the timeline and procedures given to the player upon notification of the sanction.
• Should understand the player’s rights and responsibilities under Safe Play. Players are encouraged to read the Safe Play Policy, which can be found on the main US Chess website. US Chess has zero tolerance for abuse or misconduct within the chess community, and those found to have violated the Safe Play Policy will be appropriately sanctioned. NOTE:  If a player feels unsafe or uncomfortable interacting with anyone during this event, the player should report the problem to a tournament director or US Chess staff at Chess Control immediately.

The tournament follows FIDE rules and is both FIDE rated and US Chess rated. For those players not familiar with FIDE rules, please click on the following link for a document explaining the differences between FIDE and US Chess rules.

The time control is G90 +30: 90 minutes base time with a 30-second increment added after each move. Players should bring a chess clock that supports time increment. US Chess will provide boards, pieces, and scoresheets—but not clocks. Players are required to furnish a complete and legible scoresheet at the conclusion of each round.

The default time is 60 minutes from the start of the round. Any player arriving 60 minutes or more after the start of the round will lose the game by forfeit.  If both players in a pairing are not present when the round begins the tournament staff will start White’s clock, which shall run until White either arrives and moves or fails to arrive by the 60-minute default time.

While a player is playing in a round of a national invitational for state champions, the player may not play in any other tournament online or onsite at the US Open, including any US Open side events.

PRIZES

Cash Prizes

• 1st $2,500
• 2nd $1,500
• 3rd $1,000
• 4th $600
• 5th $300

Irwin Special Senior Chess Award

The $500 Irwin Special Senior Chess Award will be presented to the highest finisher 75+ years old as of the first day of the tournament. If there are fewer than two participants 75+ years old, then the award will go to the top finisher 70+ years old. There must be at least two eligible players for the award to be given. If there is a tie, then the award will go to the highest finisher, based on tiebreaks (1. Modified Median, 2. Solkoff, 3. Cumulative, and 4. Cumulative of Opposition); the award will not be split.

Cash prize and award winners will receive an invitation from BILL.com to create an account for electronic payment processing. If the recipient doesn’t want to create a BILL.com account, prize checks will be mailed by the US Chess office shortly after the event to the address on the player’s US Chess membership record. Please check your dashboard to make sure your postal mail address is correct. If the prize winner won $600 or more an IRS Form W-9 is required, before the player can be paid by US Chess.

Gift Certificates for U.S. Open Bookstore

• Biggest Upset in each round $50 (6 rounds) – draws count as half the rating difference
• State versus State $400 (total)

State versus State Championship

The five national invitationals for state champions held concurrently with the U.S. Open are:

• John T. Irwin National Tournament of Senior State Champions
• GM Arnold Denker National Tournament of High School State Champions
• WIM Ruth Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions
• Dewain Barber National Tournament of Middle School State Champions
• John D. Rockefeller III National Tournament of Elementary School State Champions

The state whose representatives have the highest combined score will be recognized. Gift certificates for the U.S. Open Chess Store will be awarded to each player from the 3 highest-scoring states ($100, $80, and $70, respectively). In addition, gift certificates will be awarded to each player of the highest-scoring state whose players’ average rating is Under 2100 ($60), Under 1900 ($50), or Under 1600 ($40). States must have at least 3 players from the 5 concurrent national invitationals for state champions to be eligible for team prizes. If the host state has 2 representatives in 1 or more of the 5 concurrent national invitationals for state champions, then only the representative’s score (not the alternate’s score) will count toward the team total. Ties for a team prize will be broken by summing the team members’ individual Modified Median, Solkoff, then Cumulative tiebreaks. Each state’s Irwin representative will be the state’s honorary captain.

Internet Chess Club (ICC) Membership

Each participant (including the host state’s alternate) who completes all six rounds will receive a free, 1-year ICC membership valued at $70. If a participant is already a current ICC member, then the participant will receive a 1-year membership extension.

Awards Ceremony

Gift certificates must be picked up during the awards ceremony and may be redeemed only onsite with the U.S. Open Chess Store vendor. all cash prizes will be mailed and are intended to reimburse some players for tournament expenses.

6th ANNUAL FM SUNIL WEERAMANTRY NATIONAL BLITZ TOURNAMENT OF STATE CHAMPIONS

The FM Sunil Weeramantry National Blitz Tournament of State Champions is an annual invitational event run by US Chess that has determined the Weeramantry National Champion since 2020. The 2024 champions were IM Maximillian Lu (2479, CT) and FM Terry Luo (2427, DE).

Schedule and Format

• Monday, July 28, 2025, 10 AM - 1 PM. Optional. No entry fee. Open only to players in the five national invitationals for state champions running concurrently with the U.S. Open: the Irwin, Denker, Haring, Barber, & Rockefeller. 5 sections: Championship (2100+), 1800-2099, 1500-1799, 1200-1499, & Under 1200. Prizes: $4,000 ($800 per section).
• The host state’s alternate players are allowed to play in the Weeramantry event. Section eligibility and pairings are determined using US Chess Regular ratings, and players are not allowed to “play up.”.
• The tournament follows US Chess rules and is US-Chess-rated. Players play 4 double-rounds paired using the Swiss System—e.g., 2 games, one as white and one as black.
• The time control is Game-3 with 2 seconds of time increment per move from move 1. Players must bring a chess clock that supports time increment. If neither player brings a clock to the board, then both players will forfeit the round.
• US Chess will provide boards and pieces—but not clocks. 9:45 AM: announcements & review rules.
• All Invitational players are welcome to register for the free, optional Weeramantry Blitz tournament by filling out an online form, the link to which will be emailed to them. No onsite signups.

Prizes for each of the 5 sections: Gift Certificates for the U.S. Open Bookstore

• 1st $240
• 2nd $200
• 3rd $160
• 4th $120
• 5th $80

If there is a tie, then the prize will go to the highest finisher based on tiebreaks (1. Modified Median, 2. Solkoff, 3. Cumulative, and 4. Cumulative of Opposition); the prize will not be split.

SPONSORS

The primary sponsors are US Chess: John T. Irwin Fund, John D. Rockefeller V, US Chess, and the Internet Chess Club (ICC).

TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATIONS

Players are responsible for arranging and financing their travel and accommodations. Players sharing rooms should make their arrangements carefully, as neither US Chess, nor the tournament sponsors are responsible for any consequences arising from such arrangements.

CONTACT INFORMATION & CONFIRMATION OF PARTICIPATION

US Chess will email to each state a link to an online nomination form that must be completed by June 1st. Soon thereafter US Chess will contact players, who are required to confirm their participation.

INFORMATION FOR ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS

Consistent with the Guidelines for Accessible Chess Events, requests for reasonable accommodations during the event should be made 2-3 weeks before the event. Requests for accommodations made on site will be handled to the best of our ability. All requests should be made to Click here to show email address.

QUESTIONS?

Contact the Chair of the US Chess’ National State Invitationals Committee, Mike Nietman, at Click here to show email address or 608.467.8510 (landline; no texting) prior to Monday, July 28.

If a tournament-related situation arises that is not covered by the text above, then it will be resolved by the Chair of the US Chess’ National State Invitationals Committee.