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Upcoming Tournament

Sizzling Summer Blitz

Welcome to the new website. If you find anything that's missing or need updating, please reach out to us at chessroom@milibrary.org.

Top 6 boards are broadcasted on Chess.com - link coming soon.


Register or Join Wait List Change Request Form

Info

  • Date: Tue, Aug 26 , 2025
  • Eligibility: Open to Everyone!
  • Rating: USCF & FIDE
  • Location: Mechanics' Institute, 4th Floor; 57 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
  • Capacity: 80

Registration

  • Online Registration Open Until: Tuesday, August 26: 6:00 pm
  • Onsite Registration: 6:00-6:15pm
  • Entry fee for Mechanics' Institute Members: $20
    • Play-up fee: $10
  • Entry fee for Non-Members: $30
    • Play-up fee: $15
  • Late fee: $10
  • $5 admin fee for all cancellations & refunds.
  • Two ways to check your entries:
    • Check the live entries on the Jumbula site.
    • Check the processed entries here a day before the event.
  • 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%.

Tournament Format

  • Tournament Format: Swiss System
  • Total Rounds: 7
  • Time control: 3 min basetime + 2 sec increment
  • Round Times: 8/26 6:30pm and remaining rounds are on a rolling schedule
  • Sections: 1800+ U1800

Play-up "200-rating point rule":

  • Players must have an 1600 USCF regular supplemental or actual regular rating to be eligible to play up to the 1800+ 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. 

Pairings are based on the Aug 2025 regular supplemental regular US Chess rating.

The games affect FIDE and US Chess Blitz ratings.

 

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 must fill out a W-9; the Mechanics' Institute will also provide a 1099 form. 

Prize Fund:

  • $540 based on 60 paid entries
  • Actual Payout: coming after the event.
  1800+ U1800
  Projected Actual Projected Actual
1st Place $120   $80  
2nd Place $80   $60  
3rd Place $60   $50  
Best u1800 $50      
Best u1300     $40  

 

Byes

  • Maximum three half-point byes are available.
  • Must be requested prior to the tournament start.

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-chessT
  • All players must have a FIDE ID as well. If you don't have one, we'll reach out!

Tournament Rules

  • What do the time controls mean?
    Time controls tell you how much time you have for each game.
    G/3+2 means game in 3 minutes with a 2-second increment with each move. This means you get 3 minutes, your opponent gets 3 minutes, and at each move you get 2 extra seconds added to your clock. 
  • How many games/rounds?
    The event is a 7-round Swiss. Win or lose, players are expected to play in all rounds, unless they choose to withdraw.
  • We provide clocks and set it up for players.
  • Games will be US Chess blitz and FIDE blitz-rated.

Standings

  • Processed entries are coming 1 day before the event starts.
  • Final standings will be posted after the event is finished.

Pairings

Pairings are posted on the wall of the club. We do not post pairings online for blitz events.