24th Pafnutieff Memorial Tournament

Welcome to our new website!
If you notice anything missing or in need of an update, feel free to let us know at chessroom@milibrary.org. We appreciate your feedback!

Top 6 games are broadcasted on Chess.com with a 15-minute delay:

https://www.chess.com/events/24th-pafnutieff-memorial-tournament

Register or Join Wait List Change Request Form

Registration

• Online Registration Open Until: Sunday, March 29: 9:30 am
• Onsite Registration: 9:30-9:45am
• Entry fee for Mechanics' Institute Members: $70
  • Play-up fee: $15
• Entry fee for Non-Members: $100
  • Play-up fee: $20
• Late fee: $10
• $5 admin fee for all cancellations & refunds.

Two ways to check your entries:

• Check the live entries on the Jumbula site here by clicking on the View Entries button.
• Check the processed entries here a day before the event.

 

Tournament Format

• Tournament Format: Swiss System
• Total Rounds: 4
• Time control: 90 min basetime + 30 sec increment
• Round Times: 3/28 10:00am 2:30pm 3/29 10:00am 2:30pm
• Sections: 2000+ 1600-1999 u1600

Play-up "200-rating point rule":

• Players must have an 1800 USCF regular supplemental or actual regular rating to be eligible to play up to the 2000+ section.
• Players must have a 1400 USCF regular supplemental or actual regular rating to be eligible to play up to the 1600-1999 section.

US Chess rating will be used for section determination and pairings.  FIDE or other ratings are only used if no US Chess rating is available. 

IMPORTANT: Pairings are based on the March 2026 regular supplemental regular US Chess rating.

 

Prize Fund

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

Total Prize Fund: $2600 based on 80 fully paid entries.

Actual Prize Fund:  $2,568 based on 79 fully paid entries -- 99% payout. 

 

Byes

• Byes are available for players in any rounds if they can't participate that round but would like to stay in the tournament.
• A maximum of two half-point byes can be requested in this tournament.
• Round 1 through 3 byes must be requested 15 minutes before the official round times.
• Round 4 (last round) bye must be requested before the start of Round 1, and it is irrevocable to prevent possible prize-fund manipulations.
• Late registrations will receive a half-point bye for any missed round, up to two rounds.

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

Tournament Rules

• What do the time controls mean?
  Time controls tell you how much time you have for each game.
  G90+30 means game in 90 minutes with a 30-second increment with each move. This means you get 90 minutes, your opponent gets 90 minutes, and with each move players get 30 seconds added to their clock.

• Forfeit time:
  • 30 minutes without prior notice
  • 60 minutes with prior notice. Please email to chessroom@milibrary.org or call us to request this!
    A player will be awarded a forfeit win against any opponent who doesn't show up according to the prescribed rules, and every effort will be made to find that player an extra game.
• We provide clocks and set it up for players.
• Games will be US Chess and FIDE regular rated. Modified FIDE rules apply.
   
• What do the time controls mean?
  Time controls tell you how much time you have for each game.
  G90+30 means game in 90 minutes with a 30-second increment with each move. This means you get 90 minutes, your opponent gets 90 minutes, and with each move players get 30 seconds added to their clock.

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.

Standings

• Processed entries are posted at least the day before the tournament.
• Standings will be updated periodically during the tournament.
• Final standings will be posted after Round 4 finished.

 

 

Pairings

• Pairings are posted on the wall of the club.
• Pairings and standings will be updated here as time permits.
• Round 3 will be paired on Sunday morning at 9:30am. We ask you to email or call the club with any bye or withdrawal request.