The Blitz Tournament of the Americas

The Mechanics’ Institute in San Francisco believes in the power of chess to bring communities together. We are excited to announce an event that showcases chess at its finest, both in the level of talent of the players involved, and the spirit in which each player is participating. We are proud to organize The Blitz Tournament of the Americas on Saturday, August 15 at 3pm Pacific time.

Working in partnership with KmadaChess and Chess Sin Fronteras, this nine round G/3 +2 will be held on Chess.com and is exclusively for titled players (national title or FIDE) from North, Central, and South America. The goal of this event is to showcase chess culture from Latin America, and for players from different countries to engage. Mechanics’ Institute has partnered with chess clubs and individuals streaming these events, representing many countries, with English and Spanish coverage. This event is completely free, with no prize fund, and therefore all focused on showcasing chess cultures together in friendly competition with a slate of renowned, titled players coming together to play online for a good cause.

Headlining the current advance entries from the U.S. are GM Enrico Sevillano, IM Christopher Yoo, IM Keaton Kiewra, IM Andrew Hong, IM Ladia Jirasek, IM Elliott Winslow, FM Kyron Griffith, FM Josiah Stearman, FM Ezra Chambers, FM Eric Yuhan Li, and FM Andy Lee. Top entries from other countries include GM Cristhian Arnaldo Cruz Sanchez (Peru), GM Omar Almeida Quintana (Cuba), IM Santiago Avila Pavas (Colombia), IM Lisandro Fernandez Reyes (Ecuador), FM Cristian Vitier (Cuba), and FM Jerzy Jesus Perez Leiva (Venezuela).

In addition, we are excited to announce that there are more than 20 women players confirmed to play, including WIM Rochelle Wu (USA), WIM Ann Lindsay Chumpitaz Carbajal (Peru), Gabriela Vargas Talavera (Paraguay), and Guadalupe Besso (Argentina). To see the tentative entry list, as well as the streaming teams, visit the following page, which is updated regularly: https://www.milibrary.org/chess-tournaments/blitz-tournament-americas.

If you are a titled player and would like to participate, visit this link and join: https://www.chess.com/club/the-blitz-tournament-of-the-americas

Mechanics’ Institute is excited to see chess transcend barriers in this collaborative event, and our hope is that the tournament showcases more than a typical blitz tournament where action abounds. Since the event will bring players together from other countries and cultures, we anticipate it will help facilitate new friendships and partnerships. In addition, it will showcase a wealth of titled women players, matching up against some of the best players in many countries. We want to thank all the players and streamers in advance for being a part of this, and we hope this event launches new relationships, experiences, and partnerships as we all work together to bring communities together through chess.