Seniors Information and Rules

7th Annual John T. Irwin National Tournament of Senior State Champions

Revised August 17, 2023

The below is 2023 event information. 2024 information will be posted when ready.

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 2022 co-champions were International Master Douglas Root (2557, TX) and Grandmaster Enrico Sevillano (2466, S-CA) . $11,599 in prizes will be awarded, including $2,500 to the champion. The champion will qualify for the US Senior Championship. Any tournament-qualification prize will be determined by tiebreak—not by a playoff.

The next Irwin will be held Saturday, July 29 - Tuesday, August 1, 2023 in Grand Rapids, MI at the DeVos Place with hotel accommodations available at Amway Grand Plaza Hotel using US Chess' reduced rate during the 123rd Annual U.S. Open Chess Championship. If calling, mention U.S. Open Chess.

NOTE: As of May 1, the Amway Grand Plaza room block is sold out for some nights, particularly during the state invitationals. We have added rooms at a nearby hotel as of May 11. Please click here for details.

Players who complete all 6 rounds of the Irwin may register onsite at Chess Control for the U.S. Open’s 4-day schedule, 6-day schedule, or 9-day schedule (with byes) for 50% of the early registration fee.

QUALIFICATION

Each state affiliate may nominate 1 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, DC will be considered a state, and California will be considered 2 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—as long as 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 1st. 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’s appointment of a state representative, if the state were to inform US Chess of its desired appointment, then US Chess would honor the state’s selection.

To eliminate byes, the host state (the state in which the tournament will be held) may provide an alternate who will play only in rounds that have an odd number of players. If the alternate is not needed to play in a round, then the alternate will be paired for free in a concurrent round of the U.S. Open and in any concurrent U.S. Open side events. The alternate is eligible for prizes.

ELIGIBILITY

During the State Qualifier for the Irwin

The representative must be a resident of the state the representative 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 1 state and may play in only 1 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 2023

July 29	Saturday	10 AM - 1 PM	Blitz	Optional
		1 - 1:30 PM	Check-in	*Required*. Receive medallion & state flag.
		1:30 - 3 PM	Opening Ceremony & Group Photo	*Required*. Light snacks will be available
		7 - 11 PM	Round 1	Same time as U.S. Open round
July 30	Sunday	12 - 4 PM	Round 2
		7 - 11 PM	Round 3	Same time as U.S. Open round
July 31	Monday	12 - 4 PM	Round 4
		7 - 11 PM	Round 5	Same time as U.S. Open round
August 1	Tuesday	10 AM - 2 PM	Round 6
		4:30 - 5:30 PM	Awards Ceremony	Gift certificates awarded here. Cash prizes will be mailed.

Checking in onsite is mandatory prior to the opening ceremony. Should travel or other reasons delay your 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 not be paired. Players checking in after that time will only be paired if the alternate is available otherwise will not receive any byes for the first round. Notify the CTDI if you plan 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, look sharp. This dress code applies only to the opening ceremony.

RULES

The invitationals are prestigious national events in which the player represents their state. Significant prizes are at stake. As such, players are required to play all 6 rounds of this Swiss tournament. Any player unable to play in a round or in the remainder of the tournament 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 for 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 his/her 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.

The tournament follows FIDE rules and is both FIDE-rated and US-Chess-rated. 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 specified as 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 two players paired against each other are late for their game, upon the arrival of at least one player, the arbiter will adjust the clock so that both players will lose half the elapsed time from the start of the round to the player's arrival.

While a player is playing in a round of a national invitational for state champions, the player may not play multiple games simultaneously. That is, a player may neither play multiple games simultaneously (for multiple states) in the same tournament, nor play multiple games simultaneously (neither for the same state, nor for a different state) in the national invitational for state champions and in another tournament (the U.S. Open, a side event of the U.S. Open, or any other tournament).

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 2 participants 75+ years old, then the award will go to the top finisher 70+ years old. There must be at least 2 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.

Gift Certificates for U.S. Open Bookstore

Biggest Upset in each round $50 (6 rounds)
State versus State $400 (total)

State versus State Championship

The five national invitationals for state champions that run 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 bookstore will be awarded to each player from the 3 highest-scoring states. In addition, gift certificates will be awarded to each player of the highest-scoring state whose players’ average rating is Under 2100, Under 1900, or Under 1600. A total of $400 of gift certificates will be awarded. 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. Each state’s Irwin representative will be the state’s honorary captain.

Internet Chess Club (ICC) Membership

Each participant who completes all 6 rounds (including the host state’s alternate, if available for all 6 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 onsite with the U.S. Open bookstore vendor or may be redeemed online at uscfsales.com within 6 months (no shipping charged). Cash prizes will be mailed and are intended to reimburse some players for tournament expenses. Note: The bookstore may not open until 8/1, so only those playing in the U.S. Open will be able to redeem on site.

3rd 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 2022 champion was Grandmaster Andrew Hong (2604, N-CA).

Saturday, July 29, 2023, 10 AM - 1 PM. Optional. No entry fee. Open only to players in the 5 simultaneous national invitationals for state champions running concurrently with the U.S. Open: the Irwin, Denker, Haring, Barber, & Rockefeller. 4 sections: Championship (2200+), 1800-2199, 1400-1799, & Under 1400. Prizes: $3,200 ($800 per section). Section eligibility and pairings determined strictly by US Chess Regular rating—no playing up. The tournament follows US Chess rules and is US-Chess-rated. 4DSS: 4 double rounds (players alternate as White & Black) with Swiss-system pairings. G3 +2: 3 minutes base time with a 2-second increment added after each move. Players must bring a chess clock, and it should support 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 4 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.

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 in advance of the event. Requests for accommodations made on site will be handled to the best of our ability. All requests should be made to nationalevents@uschess.org.

QUESTIONS?

Contact the Chair of US Chess’s National Tournaments of State Champions Committee, Mike Nietman, at mike.nietman@charter.net or 608.467.8510 (landline; no texting) prior to Friday, 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 US Chess’s National Tournaments of State Champions Committee.