The Tuesday Night Marathon

The Mechanics' Tuesday Night Marathon (TNM) has a rich tradition that dates back at least 30 years. The idea of playing serious chess one night a week has appealed to a broad range of players from Senior Master to beginner, who find the time commitment fits their schedule quite comfortably. Today we think of eight rounds as the normal duration for a TNM, but that has not always been the case. In 1975 they played 12 rounds per tournament. Recently the Marathon switched to having sudden death for the second time control. It was probably the last tournament in the world to still feature adjourned games, the rest of the chess community having given up the practice years ago due to the rise in playing strength of computers. The Mechanics' Institute still has several hundred adjourned move envelopes, which will no doubt become collector's items.

The TNM not only provides strong competition for players ranging in strength from Master to beginner, it's also very affordable with an entry fee of $50 for eight/nine USCF rated games. The Marathon is a perfect fit for those who can't commit an entire weekend to chess. No matter what your strength, the Tuesday Night Marathon might be the right tournament for you!

— IM John Donaldson, former Mechanics' Institute Chess Room Director & TNM TD