The 2026 Las Vegas International Chess Festival will be better than ever with new events and prizes. Most of the information is now on this website but minor details may change during the next few weeks.
We are moving back to Westgate for 2026
News
Couldn’t Stay For Your Prize or Trophy?
Unclaimed checks will be mailed within 10 business days to the address given with your registration. If you have moved, send your new address, with the subject “address for prize for [name]” to vegaschess@gmail.com. If you won more than $599 you must fill out a w-9 form and email it to vegaschess@gmail.com or mail it […]
To the Viktor Go the Spoils
Congrats to GM Viktor Matviishen, winner of the Edmondson Cup with a final score of 7/9, edging out Grandmasters Bilel Bellahcene and Jianchao Zhou on tiebreakers. A draw between Matviishen and Bellahcene opened a path to see four people vie for a share of first. While we find ourselves with the Sicilian not paying off […]
Nice Try Vizzini…Wins With White by Viktor and Bilel, Sicilian on Adoption Alert
GM Matviishen moves Mikaelyan into a bind with with a Maróczy, seemingly able to maintain an edge throughout the whole game, an attempt to challenge the center by Armen left his back rack exposed, leaving a way for Viktor to gain a stronger grip on the position. Naj-dorf? More like My-dorf with the approach Bellahcene […]
Four-way tie at the National Open after 7 Rounds
IM Oleksii Bilych, GM Arman Mikaelyan, GM Bilel Bellahcene , and GM Viktor Matviishen sit at top with 5.5 points. With draws at the top three boards, Grandmasters Bellahcene and Mikaelyan broke free from the trend, one of them getting a shot to take out the young Ukrainian International Master.
Want More Chess? Sign up for Blitz Tonight! Had Enough Chess? Sign up for our Poker Tournament!
$3,600 Prize Fund + Walter Shawn Browne Cup We honor the memory of our friend, GM Walter Browne, by naming the National Open Blitz Championship after him. Walter started the World Blitz Chess Association (WBCA) and always seemed to be in time trouble. His flag has fallen, but he will always be a champion to […]
Draw on Board 1, IM Olexiy Bilych Moves in With a Share of First with Fellow Ukrainian
GM Robby Kevlishvili attempts to take down the leader with a Sicilian Kalashnikov against Matviishen, managing to walk away with a draw. With draws on Board 2 and 3, the streak was brought to an end with GM Bilych on the White side of a Classical Ruy, initially at least. After a few deviations from […]
Streaming Live and Boston Mike is Playing Live
A special thanks to International Master Kostya Kavutskiy for providing coverage during the 2025 National Open. Click here for our live stream For the second year in a row, we are pleased to have Boston Mike to take on all comers in Blitz. You can find him outside El Dorado. Here is where you can […]
GM Viktor Matviishen leads National Open after 5 Rounds
After 5 rounds of play in the National Open Championship, GM Viktor Matviishen, leads they way as the only player on 4.5 points. He’s closely followed by eight players just a half-point behind on 4 points. You can view the current standings here: https://www.vegaschess.com/live/results/ In round 5, GM Matviishen played a very interesting game against […]
FRIDAY FIRST FIFTY Promotion + Book Signings by Rebel Queen and the Dean of Chess at the Bookstore
There is a promotion for the first 50 players who spend $100 at the bookstore will receive a gift card ranging from $5 to $100 at https://www.chessset.com/ From 12:00pm – 1:30pm on Friday, Susan Polgar will be live at the bookstore, signing copies of her new book Rebel Queen. From 1:30pm – 3:00pm Dewain Barber […]
Important Announcement for 3 day Schedule
If you are in the U2300, U2100, and U1900 3-day Schedule, all your rounds today will be in Sunset. Please arrive promptly and quietly, as games will be in progress If you are in the U1700, U1500, U1250 3-day Schedule, Rounds 1 and 2 are in Virginia, Round 3 in SunsetJust came in and not […]
National Invites square off in Round 1
Round 1 of the National Open has begun. 2024 US Senior Champion Vladimir Akopian aims for another National title as he defeats 2024 US Girls Champion qualifier WIM Omya Vidyarthi. The 2024 US National Championships took place last July at the Saint Louis Chess Club. Omya opens with Nf3, and Akopian was Reti for it. […]
Where The Flamingo am I??
Is there a best path? It depends on where you are, where you need to go, and how crowded it is. No, I do not know any secret elevator hacks to help it read your card better…your chances are better at the slots. A bit lost on where to go? Need a bit of help? […]
The 2025 National Open has Begun!
Welcome to the 2025 Las Vegas International Chess Festival! 🦩🦩 Welcome everyone! The 2025 Vegas Chess Festival starts off with the US Women’s Open. LIVE GAMES (When available)US WOMEN’S NATIONAL OPEN Don’t forget to meet your favorite Streamer in our Friday Morning Meet and Greet Schedule of Events for Wednesday, June 4th
How Deep is Your Love of Chess…Just the Rules
At the National Open, there are several free lectures you will be able to attend, two of them will be led by an individual with nearly 40 years of directing, National Tournament Director Tim Just. Tim Just has been directing since the late 1980’s. Along the way he has achieved the NTD title along with […]
One SilverBack vs all Chess Clocks? A word from Chess Shelby
Getting ready for the National Open? So are we! Prepping to sell at a HUGE tournament like this is no easy undertaking. What I am excited about is the SilverBack Chess Clock for sale to the public and being able to show everyone the prototypes for the EZ Notate system. The SilverBack will revolutionize the […]
Meet Your Favorite Streamer!
Sure, many of you are familiar with the Zoom Boom of 2020, but how many of you remember The Brady’s? Soon, you will all get to know the Streamer Bunch. We are proud to announce our streamer panel for the 2025 National Open! More details will follow, so stay tuned. How many can you recognize? […]
Meet the GM Rebel Queen Susan Polgar at the National Open, GM Finegold and Troff also featured
The next cutoff will be April 30th, so register for the National Open and save! GMs Ben Finegold and Kayden Troff will return, and we will be graced with a signing from GM Susan Polgar and her new book Rebel Queen: The Cold War, Misogyny, and the Making of a Grandmaster. More to come! Don’t […]
Chess and Wanderlust, the Twain Shall Meet
You may have heard of the Knights Tour problem in chess, but about 8 months ago in October 2023, Chicagoan Megan Chen completed a tour of her own. Today was a historic day for my #chess life. I wrapped up the 50 states quest in Alaska, with Fairbanks Chess Club's #NationalChessDay G/15 d5 rapid event […]
The Future of Chess, Youth Champions Crowned
Photos courtesy of Lennart Ootes, https://x.com/LennartOotes, https://www.lennartootes.com/ While norm seekers and GM’s are battling it out in the National Open, several hundred youth were putting up their own fight in the International Youth and Youth Trophy championships at the Flamingo as well. Just as important as the learning game itself is fostering values of etiquette […]
Poker Tournament
FM Eugene Yanayt is the 2024 Vegas Chess Festival Poker Champion. In addition to the coveted Chess Festival Poker Bracelet Eugene won $1,450 in cash.
GM Vasif Durarbayli Takes Clear 1st, Wins the Edmondson Cup!
Photo courtesy of Lennart Ootes, https://x.com/LennartOotes, https://www.lennartootes.com/ After an early Round 2 draw against IM Matias Perez Gormaz in a French Advance gridlock, Vasif wins the next five games, including one against last years defending champion Illya Nyzhnyk, and norm seeker Ryo Chen. These pair of wins allow Vasif to climb up the leader board, […]
GM Vasif Durarbayli in clear first, IM Ryo Chen on Norm Alert
We are heading into the last day, and through 7 grueling rounds, GM Vasif Durarbayli is a full point ahead of the field (6.5/7) with one round to go after defeating defending champion GM Illya Nyzhnyk. Vasif faced a Najdorf that transposed into a Scheveningen in the opening and picks up a pawn in the […]
1000GM Has a Mission
For the past couple of years, we have worked with 1000GM to bring more FIDE Norm tournaments to Las Vegas. Founder Srikanth Bangalore has a mission to help kids begin their chess journey as early as Kindergarten. You can join Srikanth on this quest with a moment of your time and possibly a small donation. […]
GM Ben Finegold takes on a simul with a single loss…
Regardless of how strong you are, playing a single game is taxing enough, let alone over 36 at the same time. We are thankful for GM Ben Finegold for putting on quite a display. After the simul, Ben mentioned how exhausted he was and how much concentration it took to play. Chess is hard. Ben […]
