1st place trophies for Championship, Club and Reserve sections!
Bystanders will not be allowed into the playing hall due to FIDE rules.
Park where the big red star is:
The ballroom is located below the parking garage, not in the hotel. Take elevators down and you will be at the entrance to the meeting center (next to Kendra Scott). 816 Town and Country Blvd Suite 139, Houston, TX 77024. There's a connecting skywalk that gets you to the hotel.
Houston City Chess Championship
June 27-29th, 2025
Click here to see details on the Houston City Scholastic Tournament
Entry Fee: $99 EF for main event players if paid by 10pm cst on 06/01/25 06/08/25.
$115 EF if paid by 10pm cst on 06/22/25.
$135 EF for all registrations after 10pm on 6/22/25.
Online registration ends once spots run out or by 12 noon Friday June 27th whichever comes first. There is not on-site registration - fill out the online reg. form and we will call/text you if there are still spots available and to collect payment prior to attending.
Pre-sale EFs are 50% refundable if you need to withdraw/cancel participation but you must notify Kwunnie by June 1st 2025 via confirmed received text message to 281.698.0068 or email.
Refund/Withdrawal Policy:
All regular non pre-sale entries are eligible to receive an 80% refund if requested no later than 10pm Wed June 25th 2025 via TEXT message to 281.698.0068 or email to “[email protected]”. Please check for confirmation after sending the request. Any requests afterwards will not be refunded.
Main event details are as follows:
It will be a 5 round Swiss, G90;inc30 with a 3-day or 2-day option. Total 116 spots available.
3 Sections: Championship (1900+), Club (1600-1899), Reserve (unr -1599)
Playing “UP” a section is possible if you have a live rating performance record that is within 100 points of the higher section minimum. I.e you can play in Championship if you previously have a post tournament rating of 1800 or higher. (for Club, reached 1500). Request via text message to 281.698.0068.
All sections will be USCF rated. Championship & Club sections will be both USCF rated and FIDE rated. All 5 rounds in the Champ/Club sections are same time control, G90;inc30, even in the 2-day schedule, and thus will be FIDE rated.
Prize Fund: $4,000 awarded based on 100 paid main event entries! Minimum $800 guaranteed 1st place prize in Championship section. Estimated prizes as follows:
Standard registration EF will be higher than the pre-sale figure! IF for any reason we have a standard registration EF that is lower than the pre-sale figure, then we will refund you the difference.
GMs/IM players: free entry but you MUST compete in a minimum 4 rounds - only one half point bye allowed which must be elected with advance notice by Wed June 25th. $88 EF will be deducted from any prize winnings.
Main Event Round Times
Venue:
The Moran at CityCentre
800 Sorella Ct, Houston, TX 77024
There is a parking garage connected to the hotel, you can park complimentary on the 3rd or 4th level, take the elevators down and you will be right in front of the entrance to the meeting and events center. More parking details here. $149/night room rate while rooms are available valid thru May 28th 2025 now extended to June 13th!. $25 destination fee is charged by hotel per night due to prime location within CityCentre. Lots of shopping & dining within walking distance!!! Hotel Room discounted booking link here.
If an individual with a guaranteed reservation does not check in or cancels the reservation less than seventy-two (72) hours prior to arrival, the individual’s one night deposit will be forfeited or the credit card on record will be charged for one night.
Byes:
Only 2 half point byes may be requested and must be done in advance no later than 12 noon on June 27th if it’s a first round bye or by 12 noon on June 28th for any other round. Last round byes once requested may not be rescinded. Text 281.698.0068 to request byes using the phone number that you registered for the event with or see a TD in person on-site. Alternatively, email from the email you registered with to [email protected].
Forfeit Time:
Default forfeit time is 1 hour from start of round for main event. You must speak directly to a TD in person to claim a forfeit win.
Other Details:
No re-entries in FIDE rated sections. $35 re-entry fee for Reserve section. Unrated foreign players must disclose/inform us of any existing FIDE/overseas rating for conversion purposes and placed in a section accordingly. Failure to do so could result in prize ineligibility. US Chess ratings and pairings rules will be used for both pairing and prize distribution purposes in all sections. FIDE playing rules will govern play in FIDE rated sections. US Chess June 2025 supplement will be used for section placement. Electronic scorekeeping will only be allowed in the Reserve section via US Chess approved devices. All players MUST use the carbon duplicates provided for scorekeeping in the FIDE rated sections (Champ/Club) and must turn in a legible copy (original white, if the yellow carbon is illegible).
Playing Equipment
We will be providing sets and boards, not clocks. You must bring a digital chess clock. There will NOT be a chess store available but we may have a limited few clocks for sale as needed.
Special Prizes:
Highest scoring adult participant (age 50 and up) will win a trophy! 1st place only in Championship, Club and Reserve sections will each receive a 1st place Championship Cup trophy! This is a new prize offered because it’s the celebratory 10th year of this event!
Questions?
Email me at [email protected] or even better, TEXT message me at 281.698.0068. I respond much faster if it’s a text message. No calls please.
Chess boards and pieces will be provided for use for both Main event and Scholastic events.
Players will need to BRING CHESS CLOCKS!
We cannot provide clocks for everyone to use.
Players will need to BRING CHESS CLOCKS!
We cannot provide clocks for everyone to use.
Past Tournament History with Player Counts
