You can view the current standings here: https://www.vegaschess.com/live/results/

In round 5, GM Matviishen played a very interesting game against IM Samrug Narayanan. Both players had chances in a game with unbalanced material but in the end Matviishen’s queenside pawns eventually managed to produce a queen and take him to the top of the leaderboard.

On behalf of the all the Tournament Directors (TD) I would like to welcome you to the 2019 Las Vegas International Chess Festival.

As is customary at this Chess Vacation of the Year, our goal is to provide you with the best chess playing conditions and, despite the competitive nature such a money tournament brings, help maintain a friendly and pleasant atmosphere throughout.

If you have an issue during the event, please ask a TD to help you. You should never receive an “I don’t know” answer and each TD is tasked with seeing any issues brought to them up until a resolution is reached. However, if for some reason they personally can’t help you with something, they certainly know a TD that can!

Some Important Rules!

Electronic Devices Policy. Please read the policy that is posted here on our website and also around the playing areas. You should not be in possession of an electronic device, meaning actually carrying a device on you, even if it is turned off. If you happen to bring such a device to your games, please ensure it is turned off and stored in a bag, out of sight. Such a bag must remain at the table the whole time your game is in progress.

Default Time. The default/forfeit time for all games is 30 minutes. Please note this is different from the US Chess standard of 1 hour. If you do not show up within 30 minutes of the start time of your game, you may receive some bad news when you arrive.

Rules. For the FIDE rated sections, the Open, Under 2300 and Under 2100, FIDE rules will be used. For all other sections the US Chess 7th Edition Rules will be used.

Clocks. Please note that we do not provide clocks but we do provide boards and sets. There will be a vendor onsite who can assist you with a clock purchase should you need one. American Chess Equipment have also been kind enough to do some quick videos to help you with setting your clocks for the National Open time controls:

• VTEK300
• ZMF II
• DGT North American

There is also some other useful information on our Frequently Asked Questions page and so I will not duplicate that information here. As we get asked more questions, we’ll try to add the answers there so that everyone can make use of the information.

I look forward to seeing you all in action over the course of the next few days and I wish you the best success in whatever tournaments you are participating in.

Best in Chess,

Chris Bird
Chief TD, 2019 Las Vegas International Chess Festival

Many thanks to everyone who came and participated in this year’s Las Vegas International Chess Festival.

The National Open broke the 700 player mark for only the 3rd time since 2001, finishing with 722 players in the 8 sections. This was also the 1st time we added an extra round to the main event and players could therefore choose between 4-day, 3-day and 2-day schedules.

Grandmaster Cristian Chirila (pictured above receiving the Edmondson Cup from organizers Alan and Janelle Losoff) finished atop the Open Section standings on 6 pts, half-point ahead of a group of very strong Grandmasters. Chirila, well known for this commentary role with the St. Louis Chess Club team stated on US Chess Online that this event was “arguably the most challenging victory of my career.”

In the US Women’s Open, Saikhanchimeg Tsogtsaikhan won the event with a perfect score of 5 out of 5. 44 players participated this year making it the largest so far.

A further 228 players participated in the International Youth Championship bringing the total number of players up to nearly 1000. There were also 124 players in the one-day Youth Trophy Tournament, although I’m sure most of those stayed on and played in the IYC too.

You can check out all the results from all events on our special Standings Page. Please also check out hundreds of photos from the event and the daily Newsletter for a brief overview of the many events and

The dates are already set for the 2019 Las Vegas International Chess Festival which will be held June 11-16, 2019. It was also announced that next year’s Open Section will be changing to a 9-round event making FIDE norms possible! We look forward to seeing you there!

1. While playing, players may not use cellphones or other electronic devices capable of chess analysis or communication, without permission of a Tournament Director/Arbiter (TD). A player using a prohibited electronic device during play will be penalized.

2. Chess clocks and approved electronic score keeping devices are permitted.

3. Devices used to play music, which cannot communicate or operate software, will generally be permitted if the opponent does not object. After round 2 if either player has an 80% or higher score such devices are not permitted even if the opponent does not object. The use of a prohibited electronic device to play music is not permitted at any time.

4. During play, all prohibited electronic devices must be stored out of sight in a bag or case, etc. and must be turned off (not vibrate, silent, sleep or airplane mode). A player with a visible prohibited electronic device during play will be penalized.

5. A player whose prohibited electronic device makes an audible noise in the tournament room while a game is in progress will be penalized. If the offending player’s game is over, the penalty shall apply to the following round.

6. A player who needs to make a phone call during play should see a TD and request permission to do so. A player who anticipates possibly receiving an emergency call should notify a TD at least one hour in advance, and will usually be provided with an alternate number for the caller.

7. The penalty for violating these rules maybe any combination of the following:

a. The player is forfeited.

b. 20 minutes or 75% of the remaining time, whichever is less, is deducted from the player’s clock.

c. 10 minutes or half the remaining time, whichever is less, is deducted from the player’s clock.

d. 10 minutes is added to the opponent’s clock.

The TD will determine the penalty, taking into consideration the details of the offense and the scores of the players. A second offense will generally result in forfeit. If there is evidence of cheating the player will be forfeited and usually ejected from the tournament with no refund.

A single penalty is generally applied for simultaneous violation of multiple rules. For example a player penalized for using a cellphone is not also penalized for having it visible.

8. The TD may ask a player to allow the TD to inspect the player’s clothes, bags, personal items or person. The TD will make every effort possible to respect the player’s privacy and sensitivity while ensuring the integrity of the game. Declining to cooperate with a search request may result in forfeit of game and ejection from the tournament with no refund.

9. While games are in progress, spectators may not possess or use cellphones or other electronic devices capable of chess analysis or communication within the playing halls. Spectators with such devices will be asked to leave.