Mad Hatter's House of Games
Event Overview
PURPOSE: Our goal is to expand rated chess opportunities in our community to benefit and encourage both new and experienced players.
MONTHLY SPECIAL PROMOTIONS & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Always FREE registration for players with current USCF rating over 2000! Entry fee deducted from winnings.
- PRIZE for Biggest Upset; winner may come from any section! (Prize TBD)
2025-2026 SEASON SPECIAL PROJECTS, CONTESTS & SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS:
- Stipend Fund for 2026 TCA Region I High School Champion - $50 from each of the 10 regular monthly West Texas events ($500 total!) will be set aside and awarded to the 2026 High School Champion to attend the State Scholastic tournament in the spring. If the Champion cannot attend, the next highest finishing eligible player who is attending the state tournament will receive the stipend. A donation jar will be available at all events for players to contribute to the fund.
- 2025-2026 Brilliancy Award - Throughout the 2025-2026 season, players may submit notation to report their, or their opponent's, most brilliant moves! The notation must be legible, clearly labeled with player names, and the brilliant move must be marked. All submissions will be reviewed, and the player with the most brilliant move this season will receive an award at the May Open!
- 2025-2026 Texas Chess Association Region I Recognition Program (Details are to be determined) -Categories and nomination procedures will be announced in the spring. You'll be able to make nominations; self-nomination will not be allowed. Winners must be TCA members. Awards will be presented at the May Open!
DATE: Saturday, August 16, 2025
LOCATION: Mad Hatter's House of Games; 1507 Texas Ave., Lubbock, TX 79401
START TIME: Round 1 begins at 11 AM (Players registered in advance online arrive to pay and check-in before 10:45; Players registering onsite arrive before 10:30am)
END TIME: Most sections will finish at approximately 5:30 PM. The Novice Sections will finish at approximately 4:30 PM if players use full time allowed, but usually end earlier. Section awards will be presented shortly after all players in a section have completed their final round. Lower sections typically wrap up earlier than higher sections.
COST: FREE REGISTRATION for players with current USCF rating over 2000 (entry fee deducted from winnings); $16/player for Early (Online) or $21/player for Late (On-site) registration. Payment options include PayPal at the time of online registration or cash on-site at the door. ***There is a $1 cash payment discount, bringing cash payments down to $15 for early registration or $20 for onsite registration.***
LOCATION: Mad Hatter's House of Games; 1507 Texas Ave., Lubbock, TX 79401
START TIME: Round 1 begins at 11 AM (Players registered in advance online arrive to pay and check-in before 10:45; Players registering onsite arrive before 10:30am)
END TIME: Most sections will finish at approximately 5:30 PM. The Novice Sections will finish at approximately 4:30 PM if players use full time allowed, but usually end earlier. Section awards will be presented shortly after all players in a section have completed their final round. Lower sections typically wrap up earlier than higher sections.
COST: FREE REGISTRATION for players with current USCF rating over 2000 (entry fee deducted from winnings); $16/player for Early (Online) or $21/player for Late (On-site) registration. Payment options include PayPal at the time of online registration or cash on-site at the door. ***There is a $1 cash payment discount, bringing cash payments down to $15 for early registration or $20 for onsite registration.***
REGISTRATION DEADLINES: Early (Online) pre-registrations are due by 6 PM Friday, August 15, 2025 at https://forms.gle/CUU8HuZtKaUUeL8M9. Late (On-site) registrations must be done between 10:00 and 10:30 AM on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
TOURNAMENT DETAILS:
Tournament Director: Robert Moore, Region I Director – Texas Chess Association
Tournament Director: Robert Moore, Region I Director – Texas Chess Association
USCF Rated Event: Current USCF membership required - PLEASE update your membership prior to tournament day. Contact us if you need help registering or renewing your USCF membership.
Schedule: This is a swiss style tournament; See below for number of rounds and time controls for each section. Pairings will be posted 5 minutes after the last game in the previous round ends, and the new round will begin 10 minutes after the previous round is complete. This effectively adds a 10-minute break for players who are the last to finish a round. Round 1 begins promptly at 11 AM.
Equipment: Chess sets and notation supplies will be provided. Some chess clocks will be available, but please bring your own clock if you have one.
Five sections as follows:
- Open Championship - Must be rated above 1300. If fewer than 8 players are above 1300, highest rated players below 1300 will be used to ensure at least 8 players in the section; 4 Rounds, G/40;d5
- Reserve A (U1300) - Rating between 950 and 1300 and unrated players; 4 Rounds, G/40;d5
- Reserve B (U1000) - Rating between 750 and 1000 and unrated players; 4 Rounds, G/40;d5
- Novice A (U800) - Rating between 350 and 800 and unrated scholastic players; 5 Rounds, G/25;d5
- Novice B (U400) - Rating under 400 and unrated players 5th grade or below; 5 Rounds, G/25;d5
- EXCEPTIONS FOR PROVISIONALLY RATED PLAYERS: Adult players with provisional ratings below 750 may choose to play up into a Reserve section, but they may also register for the novice section that matches their provisional rating. Scholastic players with provisional ratings may be placed in an appropriate section by the tournament director.
- NOTE ABOUT PLAYERS' SECTION PLACEMENT: At the TD's discretion, sections may be added, deleted, or combined. A player near the rating cut-off may be moved to maintain an even number of players in as many sections as possible. Also, at the TD's discretion, section rating ranges may be revised onsite based on natural breaks in rating distributions, which could increase the number of players in the Open Championship section to more than 8.
- RATING DETERMINATION: USCF ratings as of August 11 will be used to determine section eligibility for this event.
Prizes:
Cash prizes for Open Championship and Reserve Sections: Cash prize guarantees are based on 50 registered players.
- The total guaranteed prize fund for 50 players is $350.
- The available cash prize fund will be increased or decreased based on registration variance from 50 players. At 100 players, the prize fund will grow to $1000!
- If there are fewer than 50 players, prizes may be given for fewer than 3 places in each section.
- Ties will follow USCF rules for splitting cash prizes.
Trophies & medals for Novice sections:
- Trophies will be awarded to the top three finishers in each Novice section.
- Medals will be awarded to players who tie for third but do not receive a trophy.
- Standard tie breaks will be used.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Photos may be taken during the tournament and awards ceremony. These images may be shared with Texas Chess Association, news outlets, or other interested groups or individuals. Images may be used for promotion of subsequent chess events.
CONTACT: Completing the registration form linked below should generate an email to the address used to complete the form. Prior to the tournament, another email communication will be sent with a link to check tournament registration details.
If you have any questions please email us:
- Robert Moore - [email protected]; 334-233-4373
- Amy Jones - [email protected]; 806-787-3568
Address:
1507 Texas Ave.
Lubbock, TX 79401
United States
Sections: 5
Grand Prix Points:
Prize Fund:
FIDE Rated: No
Handicap Accessible: No
Residency Restriction: No
Online Event: No