If you will be here after the National Open you may want to stop by and watch the second half of the 1000GM Las Vegas Norm RRs June 10-14. It will be held in the Savoy Ballroom.

Currently there are no mask or vaccine mandates in effect.

The following is subject to change in the case of new regulations or CDC guidance.

• Masks will not be required but we will provide 1 mask per day for any player who wishes.
• Most of the tournament staff and hotel staff are fully vaccinated.
  • We strongly recommend all eligible participants be fully vaccinated.
• Tables will be generously spaced to allow some social distancing
  • There will be 2 games per table with space between tables
• High touch areas will sanitized often.
• Playing halls are well ventilated with 18 to 24 foot ceilings.
• Spectators will be limited and required to follow minimal social distancing guidelines.
• Anyone showing Covid-19 symptoms should not enter or remain in the playing site.
• No-touch procedures will be used wherever possible
  • Pairings will be posted widely spaced to allow social distancing.
  • Pairings and Standings will also be delivered electronically.
  • Daily Bulletins will be available on line only.
• Hand sanitizer stations will be plentiful.

This page will be updated to reflect any changes in regulations or policy.

Make your hotel reservations early to be automatically enrolled in a drawing to get your room free.

Each year we invite a player who is or was famous as a child star to host the International Youth Championship. This year our guest host, Dewain Barber, has done so much for scholastic chess that the US Chess federation named him the Dean of Scholastic Chess.

He has taught the game to thousands of kids and organized and promoted numerous events. He actively promotes the US Chess Invitational Tournaments for State Champions and sponsors the Barber Tournament of Middles School Champions.

He is co-author of the book Humor In Chess and will be available to autograph copies on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. Proceeds from copies sold at this event will be donated to chess scholarships.

Mr. Barber is a world class promoter of youth chess but, alas, he is not a great player. WGM Tatev Abrahamyan will be giving the Simul For Kids at 7:00 p.m. Saturday on his behalf. Perhaps we can even persuade Mr. Barber to take a seat.

Past hosts have included Woman Grandmaster Jennifer Shahade, Woman Grandmaster Sabina Foisor, Grandmaster Kayden Troff, Grandmaster Irina Krush, Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, Woman Grandmaster Annie Wang, Grandmaster Ruifeng Li, and Former World Champion Grandmaster Anatoly Karpov.

This is a great opportunity for young players to meet their chess heroes.

Rules

1. You must reserve your room at the Westgate by May 18.
2. You must be part of the chess festival group.
   • Use our online link to reserve your room or
   • phone (800) 732-7117 and use our group code: SVCF1R
3. You must leave a deposit for the first night’s stay.
   • If you are the winner it will be refunded.
4. For each day your reservation is active you automatically get one more “ticket” in the lottery.
5. The drawing will be held on June 17 at 6:00 p.m. at the Las Vegas Chess Center.
   • You don’t need to be present to win.
   • The winner will be notified by email
   • Prize limited to 1 premium or signature room, single or double occupancy.

Anyone may attend but the US Chess Federation will only submit arbiter licenses for Senior Tournament Directors and above.  If you pass the course you may apply for your license after becoming a Senior TD.  Other Federations have different rules.

Each attendee for the FA Seminar will be given the 2018 FIDE Arbiter Manual from which to work.

The seminar will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day with a break for lunch.

Below is an excerpt from the official announcement on the FIDE web site.

FEDERATION: US Chess Federation

ORGANIZERS: US Chess Federation and Vegas Chess Festivals, LLC

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:  Alan Losoff, Enrique Huerta, and Carol Jarecki

OBSERVER: IA David Hater

DATES: Tuesday June 19^th to Thursday June 21^st 2018

PLACE: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

VENUE: Westgate Resort & Casino, 3000 S Paradise Road, Las Vegas NV 89109

SCHEDULE:

Day 1 – Laws of Chess valid since 2017-07-01 emphasizing changes followed by  Tournament Rules.

Day 2 – Systems, Tie Breaks, Pairing Procedures, Title and Rating Regulations, Anti-Cheating.

Day 3 – Electronic Clocks, general review, questions and answers followed by Exam.

LECTURER: IA Carol Jarecki

ASSISTANT LECTURER: IA Boyd Reed

LANGUAGE: English

PARTICIPANTS: 15 – 20 participants most expected from USA but all Federations welcome on first-come first-served basis.

PARTICIPATION FEES: $195 USD with $50 late fee for participants registering after May 31^st  June 20^th.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Phone: 1-702-930-9550; E-Mail: contact@vegaschessfestival.com

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The NATIONAL OPEN is one of America’s longest running premier Open tournaments. No tournament in U.S. history was handled with more regard for the comfort and convenience of the players than the first National Open and we are proud to continue the tradition of this National Championship.

First established by Ed Edmondson in 1965, Fred Gruenberg brought the tournament back to Las Vegas in 1983. He and Alan Losoff organized the National Open for over 25 years and added to its well-deserved reputation as The Chess Vacation of the Year. Over the years, with additional championships and events, the National Open has grown to become the centerpiece of the Las Vegas International Chess Festival.

Alan and Janelle Losoff have organized the tournament since Fred retired in 2009, but he continues to support the tournament as a player and with the “Freddie” awards for promising players under the age of 15.

The National Open is a 7 round (9 rounds for the Open Section) Swiss System tournament, and you can choose between the standard 4-day or alternate 3-day or 2-day playing schedules. Half-point byes are available for all rounds, with proper notice to the Tournament Directors or with your advance entry. The Open, Under  2300 and Under 2100 Sections will be FIDE rated.

Chess sets and boards are provided for tournament play only, not for skittles.  Please Bring Increment-capable Chess Clocks. Live broadcasts of select games from the National Open, and other events will be available here and on some of our sponsor web sites.

Thank you to our many loyal players who keep coming back year after year, for the Chess Event of the Year!

For players age 14 and under, the International Youth Championship highlights a weekend of chess fun.  Players compete for trophies, chess prizes and a computer loaded with software and chess videos.

Side events include

• Simul for Kids
• Youth Blitz Tournament
• Trophy Tournament
• Puzzle Competition
• Grandmaster Chess Camp (for all ages)
• and more

Hundreds of girls and boys from all over the world compete for trophies, prizes and the thrill of the game. Players are grouped by age and rating so everyone can be competitive. The tournaments are Swiss System events, which means that every player gets to play all rounds: no eliminations.

The youth events are separated from the adult events but players, parents and coaches are welcome to participate or watch any of the chess festival events. Many of the kids participate in the open side events and lectures.

For Players of all Ages and Playing Strengths

Small class sizes and top notch instructors make this mini-camp a great opportunity to hone your game. Children and adults are welcome.

Players will be divided into groups of similar strength and ages to maximize the learning experience. Each group will have sessions with several different instructors.  This format allows the instructors to tune each session to the strengths and needs of the students. It’s almost like one on one instruction from some of the top names in chess.

2026 Instructors

Schedule

Registration Fees

• Full Day $120 by May 26, $150 later
• Half Day (a.m. or p.m.) $75 by May 26, $90 later

Here’s what some previous participants had to say

• I liked the small groups with instructors of differing backgrounds.
• One instructor’s idea of having students play a game and taking turns commenting on the moves was very instructive.
• I learned more than I thought I would.
• I liked almost everything: it was exciting and fun to learn. Thank you to all the coaches.
• It went too fast.
• Great stuff, great teachers, nice campers, very fun. Thanks!