2025 Mechanics' Institute Monthly Quads

Open to Everyone!
 

Dates & Location -- Tournament Format -- Byes -- Prize Fund

Registration fees -- Eligibility -- Tournament Rules -- FAQ -- Final Results -- Prize-Winners

Check out the list of Registered Players!

 Masks are optional in the chess room.
Tournament capacity: 80 players

Online registration is closing at 2:00 pm.
Onsite registration is closing at 2:30 pm. No exceptions.
 

1. Dates & Location

• One Saturday every month at 3:00 pm

Onsite registration ends at 2:30 pm

• Location: Mechanics' Institute Chess Room
57 Post Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104 (click here to map)
 

List of processed entries: for May 10 .. coming as we get close to the event.

For live entries, please visit the registration page.

2. Tournament Format:

• Tournament Format: Round-Robin

• Total Rounds: 3

• Round Times: 3:00 pm and Rounds 2 & 3 on a rolling schedule

• Time Control: G/30;d5  (Game in 30 minutes with a 5-second delay at each move.)

• Games will be US Chess regular and quick-rated (so-called dual-rated). Tournament results will be submitted immediately after the last round is finished.

• Players will be split into groups of four (quads) based on their ratings, from the highest-rated to the lowest-rated.

• If the last quad does not have four players, they will play a mini-Swiss tournament.

• Monthly supplemental OTB rating will be used to rank players in starting order. Players may request that their actual rating (after the last rated tournament) be used instead of the supplemental rating.

• If two or more players have the same rating, the following factors will be considered to rank them relative to each other: FIDE title; USCF title; actual rating; alphabetical based on last name; alphabetical based on first name.
 

3. Byes

• No byes are available!
 

4. Prize Fund --  $60 for each quad

• Please allow 2-3 weeks for processing prize checks.

• Per IRS rules, anyone with a cumulative $600+ prize in any calendar year must fill out a W-9; the Mechanics' Institute will also provide a 1099 form. 
 

5. Registration fees:

Please note our late fee is now in effect and is added 24 hours before the start of a tournament in case capacity reaches 75%.

• Mechanics' Institute Member: $30

• Non-Member: $40

• $5 admin fee for all cancellations & refunds.

• $10 late fee for registrations in the last 24 hours before the tournament start.
 

6. Eligibility

• Players must have a current US Chess Federation membership. The expiration date of their US Chess membership must be later than the last day of the tournament.

• Not sure if you have a membership? Need to check the expiration date of your membership? Visit: https://new.uschess.org/player-search

• Become a member or renew your membership: https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess
 

7. Tournament Rules

• Standard US Chess rules apply.

• Forfeit time is 30 minutes.

8. FAQ

• What do the time controls mean?
The time controls tell you how much time you have for each game.
G30;d5: Game in 30 minutes with a 5-second delay at each move. This means you get 30 minutes, your opponent gets 30 minutes, and at each move, the clock counts down from 5 to 0 before the player's time starts. If the player doesn't use up the whole 5 seconds, the remainder of that time is lost.

• How many games/rounds?
This is a round-robin tournament. Every player in each quad will play against all the other players in the quad for three games.