Uncategorized – Las Vegas International Chess Festival

So…what was the best chess game played each round?

Jiten Patel — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 02:59:38 +0000

Sounds like a question that would spark an intense debate. While highly subjective, there might be be a way to evaluate what could make some games played “better” than others. All you need to is ask NM Ionatan Giurgiu, who has developed a program that considers the following:

First, I need to run an engine analysis on the game to see how the evaluation changes. Then, run a “difficulty” scorer that uses Lc0 and Maia3 neural networks to estimate how difficult each move is. This information is used to get a “baseline score”, where a perfect game that’s easy might get around 10 points. And a perfect game that is incredibly difficult, around 20 points. Mistakes made in difficult positions are forgiven more than mistakes in easy positions.

That baseline score is also multiplied by a number, derived from various possible game features, including:

King hunt
Abnormality
Sacrifices
Tension

Also, bonuses can be received if the game includes:

Brilliant moves (only-moves with a decent sacrifice score)
Underpromotions that are only-moves
Quadrupled pawns or a pawn chain of length 6.
Castling after move 40.
En passant mate

The feature scores and bonuses are added together and dampened using a logarithm, so that high feature scores don’t completely blow up the score.

This way, a badly played game that was very interesting can score as high, or even higher than a perfectly played game that was easy, with no interesting features.

More champions crowned, the next wave of future titled players

Jiten Patel — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 21:55:44 +0000

While norm seekers and titled players 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 Westgate.

Just as important as the learning game itself is fostering values of etiquette and sportsmanship. Chess is often seen as a solo side-hustle for the eager ego, but this could not be further from the truth. Lessons learned, and skills sharpened towards the next round and well beyond the chessboard.

Viewing a child’s limitations is like staring into the trees but missing the forest

The Youth Trophy Tournament draws over 200, and the International Youth Championship over 250.

Winners will be posted here later

6 leaders after 7 rounds…isn’t that a meme?

Jiten Patel — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 17:08:03 +0000

After a hat trick of draws in the early rounds, GM Jianchao Zhou take down IM Olexiy Bilych, who found himself in a complicated middlegame resulting in an imbalanced material situation that he was not able to overcome.

GM Christopher Yoo surges ahead for a share of the lead, applying steady kingside pressure on the white side of a Sicilian against GM Ehsan Ghaemmaghami until it became too great and Yoo broke through.

WGM Zoey has had a phenomenal so far in the 2026 National Open, holding back others with key draws against GM Christopher Yoo, IM Liam Putnam, GM Jianchao Zhou, and a win againt GM Arman Mikaelyan…all current leaders!Unfortunately, she is handed her first loss against GM Prraneeth Vuppala.

Sunday is a new day. With two more rounds to go, the last person they want to see themselves paired up against is WGM Tang

IM Liam Putnam beats fellow IM Alice Lee after a central push revealed an exposed queenside, allowing his well advanced rook to create threats of promotion.

IM Samrug Narayanan finds play on the queenside and center against a kingside attack by GM Arman Mikaelyan. A solid game on both sides but a misstep by Samurug leads to a way for Arman to crash through the position.

Ukraine may not have qualified for the World Cup, but leading group play here, Bilych still in first.

Jiten Patel — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:50:55 +0000

IM Oleksii Bilych and GM Ehsan Ghaemmaghami play a solid game throughout with points in the game that Ehsah could have pressed for a greater advantage. With the position locked up, the only avenue of play was the open a-file, and both players felt content to let it evolve into an endgame and a draw was agreed upon.

IM Alice Lee goes up against MN Christopher Yoo, where another even battle took place. Lee opened off with her Catalan, and maneuvers to gain the Bishop pair, but takes an opportunity to trade it back and convert into a bishop of opposite colors ending, a valuable draw against the highly rated Yoo.

IM Samrug Narayanan opts for a solid Berlin Defense against GM Fidel Corrales Jimenez and was even for the entire game except for one move. In the endgame, Fidel allowed Sammy a winning opportunity where Sammy could trade rooks, win material, and invade with the king for winning chances. This was missed by both players, and the game was drawn many moves later.

GM Prraneeth Vuppala acquired two bishops vs two knights early in a queenless middlegame against IM Liam Putnam. Liam was able to hold for a long time, investing large amounts of time to zig everytime Vuppula zagged. An error by Putnam made him give up the Exchange but battled with some exceptional endgame play with less than five minutes, including a portion where he was threatening to promote and closing in on a win. Liam was not able to find the correct sequence with seconds on the clock but the game still ended in a draw.

IM Oleksii Bilych, clear first after 5 rounds

Jiten Patel — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 16:36:37 +0000

We are down to one sole perfect 5/5 score in the National Open. IM Bilych was a familiar face atop the leader board in last year’s National Open, and has been impressive this time around as well. Against GM Prraneeth Vuppala he gains an edge in the opening, leverages his open file in the center to gain a grip on queenside and then win a pawn on the kingside with the help of a monster knight posted on d6. By the time Vuppala’s pieces were able to break loose and become active, the lead in position and material was too great, a clean win for the Ukrainian.

GM Ehsan Ghaemmaghami moves into clear 2nd, 4.5/5 after defeating IM Bohdan Bilovil. A solid game was played on both sides in the first two phases of the contest. Time became a factor after queens were traded resulting in a double rook endgame. Ehsan took advantage of the errors made with the grace of a Grandmaster as the game bore on. This is shaping to to be an exciting Round 6

No Woman, no Ruy. Three-way tie after Round 3 of the Womens

Jiten Patel — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 17:35:44 +0000

Your undefeated leaders after 3 rounds are FM Megan Lee, WIM Munkhzul Davaakhuu, and WGM Carla Serrano after their victories Thursday night. FM Lee navigates the middlegame of a Ruy Lopez beautifully after fending off a push on her queenside.

WIM Munkhzul executes the White side of a Caro Kann Two Knights Variation equally well. Munkhzul maintains a slight edge in the opening, and was able to increase a grip on her opponents position

In another Caro Kann, it is WGM Carla Serrano playing Black against the Advance Variation. While her opponents pieces converge on the kingside, WGM Serrano finds a break on the queenside, proving to be superior, crashing down and invading White’s second rank.

Welcome/@vegaschessfest on Insta!

Sofia Doroshenko — Wed, 20 May 2026 17:15:38 +0000

Reminder, Poker Tournament is Monday. Updated Details.

Jiten Patel — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 03:27:00 +0000

Please Click Here for the updated details

Our first Champion Awarded, Congrats to our Womens Open Champion

Jiten Patel — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 18:09:31 +0000

Congrats to our first winner of the National Open, WFM Rachael Li. Rachel won her first four games and draws in the final round, securing a share of first and letting tiebreaks determine who will win out.

A longtime competitor of the Womens Open, WFM Tsogtsaikhan Saikhanchimeg drew in Round 4 and needed a win in the final round to stay in the hunt and she delivers. What started off as a quiet London System soon escalates to a battle on both wings with opposite side castling. It was evenly contested until a decisive error allows Tsogtsaikhan to capitalize against fellow WFM Jessica Regam

Checks

Glenn Panner — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 03:38:49 +0000

We understand that some of the checks issued to prize winners had a misprint that is preventing the banks from cashing them. We are sorry for this inconvenience, if you are impacted by this, please contact us at contact@vegaschessfestival.com so that we may get your hard earned winnings to you ASAP. UPDATE AS OF 6/30, most of the checks have been mailed out, with the remainder scheduled to go out this weekend. As a reminder, if you received a check that has this mistake, you need to let us know or else we assume you received one of the checks that was fine.

Additional Open Simul Added Thursday

Alan Losoff — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 13:35:14 +0000

GM Ben Finegold and IM Eric Rosen will both give simuls on Thursday afternoon. If you have already signed up for the simul you will be assigned to one or the other.

We can honor change requests on our contact page unless the desired simul is full. At that point you would be put on a waiting list.

Meet IM Eric Rosen at the Las Vegas Chess Festival

Glenn Panner — Sat, 29 Apr 2023 19:03:37 +0000

We are thrilled to have IM and streamer Eric joining us again this year. Eric will be the guest host of our youth events. All of our festival participants will get a chance to meet him as he will also be part of a meet and greet, play blitz against all comers, and be a part of other events to be announced. Stay tuned for more details.

GM Ben Finegold Simul Announced

Alan Losoff — Sun, 16 Apr 2023 04:10:59 +0000

Ben Finegold is an American grandmaster, teacher, and streamer. Known for teaching kids and having a unique brand of humor, he is part of a three-generation chess family; his father Ronald, brother Mark, and son Spencer all became master-level players as well. After earning his IM title in 1989, Finegold saw his FIDE rating near 2600 at times, but it was not until 2009, at the age of 40, that he earned his final norm to become a grandmaster. Finegold is also a two-time National Open Champion, finishing tied for 1st in both 2005 and 2008.

After lecturing at the Saint Louis Chess Club for several years, Finegold opened the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Atlanta in 2017. Finegold is also a Chess.com-partnered streamer on Twitch, often going online seven days a week. His streams include tournaments such as Arena Kings, games with viewers, and analyses of games, from those of past masters to viewer-submitted contests of their own. Countless hours of Finegold’s lectures and streams can be found on YouTube.

GM Finegold will give a Simul at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 15th. If there is enough interest a second simul will be announced. Please visit our Registration Page to register for this event.

Now Accepting entries for 2023

Alan Losoff — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 01:12:16 +0000

If you have any problems with our new payment processor or any other problems with entry please contact us.

Now Accepting Entries for 2022 Chess Festival

Chess Festival Staff — Sat, 18 Dec 2021 06:17:05 +0000

We are now accepting entries for most events in the 2022 Las Vegas International Chess Festival. Enter Now! Returning players who enter the National Open before January 31 are eligible for a $40 Early Bird Loyalty Discount.

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

Broadcast Links

Erik Czerwin — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 02:25:34 +0000

We’ll be broadcasting some of the games from the 2021 National Open! Check out the broadcasts at any of the following links:

National Open

US Women’s Open

Walter Browne Blitz

Winner of the Free Stay at the Westgate Hotel

Alan Losoff — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 08:59:55 +0000

The drawing was held this morning and the winner is L. F. of Franklin Tennessee. L.F.’s stay at the Las Vegas Chess Festival is on us.

The recording of the drawing is here.

Over-the-Board Chess Returns June 16-20

Alan Losoff — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 03:23:34 +0000

Nevada is relaxing (but not eliminating) restrictions, and we are confident that we can return to over the board chess with the Chess Event of the Year.

We have delayed accepting entries until we were (nearly) certain that we could proceed. Players who have carried their entries over from previous events will be added to the entry list manually so please be patient as we are doing this one at a time.

2020 Chess Festival Cancelled

Alan Losoff — Mon, 04 May 2020 18:00:30 +0000

We regret to announce that we must cancel the Las Vegas International Chess Festival scheduled for June 24-28, 2020. The most optimistic opening date for the host hotel is less than a week before our scheduled start, and we cannot be sure that date will be met.

We are hoping to reschedule the event in fall. Next year’s event, June 16-20, 2021, will have an increased prize fund.

Hotel reservations made through our link or with our group code will be refunded automatically. Please do not try to contact the hotel unless you do not hear from them within a few weeks.

Advance entries will be applied to the rescheduled event or to next year’s event and protected from price increases. Details will be sent by email and posted here within a few weeks.

Alan & Janelle Losoff

Thank you for participating in the Las International Vegas Chess Festival

Alan Losoff — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 16:54:06 +0000

Congratulations to Illia Nyzhnyk, the winner of the National Open, and to all the winners of other events in the Chess Festival. We hope that every player goes home feeling like a winner.

Final Standings are available on our Results Page, and hundreds of photos are on our Facebook Page.

Unclaimed prize checks were mailed to the address provided with registration.

Unclaimed trophies can be shipped or picked up at the Las Vegas Chess Center. Use our contact form to make arrangements. After July 1 unclaimed trophies will be donated.

Plus score certificates were only available on site. If you did not get to use yours, you may use it for mail order purchases as described here.

Once again, thank you to all who participated.

Alan & Janelle Losoff, Tournament Organizers