The NATIONAL OPEN is a prestigious Open tournament with a rich history. Established by Ed Edmondson in 1965, it has become one of America’s longest-running premier events. In 1983, Fred Gruenberg brought the tournament to Las Vegas, where he and Alan Losoff organized it for over 25 years. The National Open has gained a well-deserved reputation as the ultimate Chess Vacation of the Year. Throughout its history, the tournament has prioritized the comfort and convenience of the players, upholding the tradition of being a National Championship with great pride.
We highly encourage Chess Gaja students to take part in this major chess tournament in the US circuits this summer.
Event date :
The event is scheduled to take place from June 14th to June 18th, offering attendees various options to attend from Wednesday to Sunday, Thursday to Sunday, Friday to Sunday, or Saturday to Sunday.
Sections :
Open (Championship) Under 1900
Under 2300 Under 1700
Under 2100 Under 1500
Under 1300 with separate under 1000 prize
Beginners: Unrated or provisionally rated under 1300
Format and Eligibility :
- Open Section: Open to all players.
- Under Sections: Limited to players with ratings below the section limit.
- Provisional Ratings: Players with provisional ratings (25 games or fewer) cannot win more than 40% of the top prize in any Under section. The remaining prize balance goes to the next players in line.
- Players without Official Ratings: Can participate in the top two sections or Beginner section schedules. Verified foreign ratings can be used with reliable conversion methods. FIDE ratings convert to USCF using USCF = FIDE + 50 if FIDE >= 2200, and USCF = 0.765 x FIDE + 560 if FIDE < 2200.
- Rating Sources: June FIDE ratings apply to the Open section, official June US Chess ratings are used for other sections. Higher ratings, including US Chess online ratings, may be considered. Rating changes in the June supplement may result in automatic section adjustments.
- Higher-Rated Players: Players rated over 100 points higher than the section limit in the last two years may be moved to a higher section.
- Decision Authority: The chief tournament director has final authority over eligibility, rating adjustments, conversions, unofficial ratings, the CCA minimum rating list, and other rating-related matters.
- Appropriate Section Placement: Every effort is made to place players in the correct sections. Errors discovered late in the tournament will be corrected. Players should seek a review before Round 1 pairing if there are any concerns about section eligibility.
Prizes :
$100,000 Guaranteed Prize Fund! 9 Rounds Open, All Other Sections 7 Rounds with 3 Schedules.
Registration :
To register for the event – https://www.vegaschessfestival.com/registration/entry-form/
All the best for the tournament from Chess Gaja.