Ridgefield U1200 October Open

Date and Time

Sunday, October 4th, 2026

Room Opens: 1:00 PM

Check-In & Orientation: 1:10 PM

Round 1: Starts promptly at 1:15 PM, subsequent rounds ASAP.

Award Ceremony & Group Photo: Expected to end by 6 PM.

Location

Way of the Sword Fencing Club

21 Governor Street, Ridgefield, CT, 06877

Sections & Format

• U1200 Open(both scholastic and adult players): 4-Round Swiss, G/25; d5 (Game in 25 minutes with a 5-second delay).
• Limited Seating: Strictly capped at 16 total seats. Once full, seating will not be increased.
• Siblings/Family members: If possible TD will re-pair family members, but this is not guaranteed.
• Notation is required, but player may choose not to notate with a 5 minute penalty (reducing time to G/20;d5). Grade 2 and below are exempt from penalty.

Prizes

• $100 cash prize for section winner. If unrated player prize limited to $50, and balance of $50 goes to next eligible player.
• Top U900, U450, and Unrated trophies awarded.
• Gold or silver medals for all other players.

Registration Fee

• Advance Registration: $30 until Sunday, September 27 at 11:59 PM.
• Late Registration: $40 afterwards.
• Entry Deadline: Sunday, October 4th at 10 AM (morning of event). No on-site registration.
• A nominal platform processing fee will be applied separately at checkout when registering.
• If 12+ players have not registered by Thursday midnight, tournament will be cancelled and registration fee refunded in full.

Byes (skipping a round)

• A half (1/2) point bye requests is available for round 1.
• Zero (0) point bye requests are available for later rounds.
• Byes must be requested before pairing for each round is announced.
• Players may request a half point bye for their first round when registering, if anticipating that a player will arrive late.  Players not playing the first round should arrive by 1:50 PM latest.

Refunds / Cancellation / Inclement Weather Policy

• Registered players wishing to withdraw must contact the tournament director via email (Click here to show mail address).
• Cancellation requests by Sunday, September 27 (midnight): Refunded subject to a $10 administrative fee.
• Cancellation requests after Sunday, September 27 : Refunded subject to a $15 administrative fee.
• Illness: If a player is feeling unwell (coughing, fever, sore throat, etc.) on the day of the event, they should not compete in consideration of the health of other players.
• Inclement Weather: If severe weather occurs and local road conditions in Ridgefield are unsafe, tournament fees will be fully refunded.

Additional Details

• Active US Chess Membership Required: Must be active prior to registering — available at uschess.org/join-us-chess.
• Equipment: Chess sets, clocks, pencils, and score sheets are provided.
• Supervision: The tournament director and assistant director will be coordinating this event. If player requires adult supervision, parent must be present.
• Safety: Masks are optional. No food is allowed in the playing area (water bottles suggested), but parents/players can eat in the downstairs chess room.
• Spectator Policy & Parking: Due to limited seating, suggested 1 parent maximum during gameplay, but parents are encouraged to come for orientation and medal ceremony. Drop-off is suggested, parent cellphone contact must be on file. Ample parking is available in the venue lot.
• Downtown Amenities: Several restaurants nearby, as well as Deborah Ann's Sweet Shoppe. The Ridgefield library is open until 5 PM on Sundays.
• Results & Photos: Tournament results are submitted to US Chess by Friday evening latest, but may not be reflected in a player's official published ratings until the 1st day of the next month, or even later. See KB article for a more complete explanation.
• Orientation Email: Sent by Saturday 7:30 PM the day before the event with details for first-time parents and players.

Live Pairings & Results: Subscribe to SMS/Email updates for instant pairing alerts via CaissaChess

https://caissachess.net/register/11114537