2025 Summer Celebration Blitz

USCF- & FIDE-rated 3+2 BLITZ event

Open for everyone!
 

Final Standings -- Winners

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

Registration -- Eligibility -- Tournament Rules -- FAQ
 

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

 

1. Date & Location

• Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at 7:00 pm (please note that it's 30 minutes later than the usual TNM start time)
• Location: Mechanics' Institute Chess Room
  57 Post Street, 4th Floor
  San Francisco, CA 94104 (click here to map)

2. Tournament Format:

• Tournament Format: Swiss System
• Total Rounds: 7 rounds of single games (7SS)
• First Round: 7:00 pm and consecutive rounds are on a rolling schedule. Estimated end-time: 9:00 pm.
• Time Control: G/3+2  (Game in 3 minutes with a 2-second increment with each move.)
• Games will be US Chess blitz rated and FIDE blitz rated. Tournament results will be submitted immediately after the last round is finished.
• Two Sections: 1800+ and under1800
• Pairings are based on the higher of June 2025 OTB supplemental regular US Chess rating. 
   

3. Byes

• Byes are available for players in case they can't participate but would like to stay in the tournament.
• Byes can be requested for a maximum of 2 rounds.
• Late registrations will receive two half-point byes for any missed round, up to a total of 2 rounds.
   

4. Prize Fund --  $540 based on 60 paid entries 

	Open
1st Place	$200
2nd Place	$125
3rd Place	$90
Best Under 1800	$75
Best Under 1300	$50

• Please allow 2-3 weeks for processing prize checks.
• Per IRS rules anyone with a cumulative $600+ prizes in any calendar year will need to fill out a W9 and Mechanics' Institute will be providing a 1099 form. 

 

5. Registration:

• Mechanics' Institute Member: $20
• Non-Member: $30
• $5 admin fee for all cancellations & refunds.
• Click HERE to Register: https://mechanics-institute.jumbula.com/2025Tournaments/2025SummerCelebrationBlitz
   

6. Eligibility

• Players must have current US Chess Federation membership. 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 members? Visit: https://new.uschess.org/player-search
• Become a member or renew your membership: https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess
   

7. Tournament Rules

• FIDE blitz rules apply.
• Forfeit time is 3 minutes.

8. FAQ

• What do the time controls mean?
  Time controls tell you how much time you have for each game.
  G3+2 means game in 3 minutes with a 2 second increment with each move from move 1. This means you get 3 minutes, your opponent gets 3 minutes, and at each move the clock adds 2 seconds to the player's time. 
• How many games/rounds?
  The 5DSS before the time control means it is a Swiss System tournament with five rounds, with two games in each round games. This makes it a total of 10 games played in this tournament. The tournaments are never elimination, so win or lose, you can stay in the tournament. 
• Selected FIDE blitz rules as a reminder:
  1. Making an illegal move shall result in a penalty of 1 extra minute to the opponent on the first offense. On the second offense, the game is declared lost.  
  2. Taking the king to demonstrate an illegal move is also considered an illegal move.
  3. When promoting a pawn to a queen, you may not use an upside down rook. Under FIDE rules, it is still just a rook.If you do not have an extra queen available, pause the clock and one of the arbiters will help you locate one.

 

Mechanics' Institute Chess Club reserves the right to update any details of this event (including but not limited to sections, time control, round times, prize fund, etc.) as we get closer to the event date to ensure an excellent tournament experience for players.