A Heritage Event
US Chess Junior Grand Prix points available to players under 21

48th annual
CONTINENTAL OPEN

AUGUST 16-20, 16-19, 17-19 or 18-19, 2018

Sturbridge, Massachusetts (near the Connecticut border)

Host Hotel at Cedar Lake, 366 Main St (Rt 20 West), Sturbridge Massachusetts 01566 (I-84 Exit 3, near I-90).  Experience early 19th century New England at Old Sturbridge Village (see www.osv.org).  For bus service to Sturbridge, see www.peterpanbus.com.

$35,000 GUARANTEED PRIZES

Top section now 9 rounds, GM & IM norms possible!
Other sections now 7 rounds!

US CHESS GRAND PRIX POINTS: 200 (enhanced)

PREMIER SECTION: 9 rounds, Aug 16-20, 40/100, SD/30 d10, open to FIDE 1900/up or USCF 2000/up and all FIDE rated foreign players.

OTHER SECTIONS: 7 rounds, 3 schedules, all merge and play for same prizes.
4-DAY SCHEDULE: Aug 16-19, 40/100, SD/30 d10.
3-DAY SCHEDULE: Aug 17-19, rounds 1-2 G/60 d10, then merges with 4-day.
2-DAY SCHEDULE: Aug 18-19, rounds 1-4 G/30 d10, then merges with others.

In 6 sections.

Premier: $3000-2000-1500-1000-800-600-500-400-300-300, clear or tiebreak win $200 bonus, top FIDE U2400/Unr $1600-800, top FIDE U2200/Unr $1600-800. FIDE rated, GM and IM norms possible. 

Under 2100: $2000-1000-500-300-200.

Under 1900: $2000-1000-500-300-200.

Under 1700: $2000-1000-500-300-200.

Under 1500: $1400-700-400-300-200.

Under 1250: $900-500-300-200-100, top Under 1000 $400-200.

Mixed doubles bonus prizes: best male/female 2-player "team" combined score among all sections: $1000-600-400. Team must average under 2200; may play in different sections; register (no extra fee) before both players begin round 2; prize limits do not apply. In the Premier Section, only rounds 1-7 count towards mixed doubles.  

Unrated may enter U1250 to U2100, with prize limit U1250 $200, U1500 $400, U1700 $600, U1900 $800; balance goes to next player(s) in line.

Premier Section entry fee: $228 at chessaction.com by 8/14, $235 mailed by 8/7, $250 at site, or online until 11 am 8/16. GMs and foreign IMs/WGMs free; $150 deducted from prize. GMs and foreign IMs/WGMs free; $150 deducted from prize.  US IMs/WGMs and foreign FIDE rated players, $100 less.

Minimum prizes: Minimum prize guarantees to the following who enter online at chessaction.com by 8/3 and play all 9 games with no byes: first 7 foreign GMs $500, first 7 foreign IMs/WGMs $300; deduction cannot lower prize to below the minimum. Larger minimums were offered for some who entered earlier.

Under 2100 Section, Under 1900 Section, Under 1700 Section entry fee: $158 online at
chessaction.com by 8/14, 4-day $164, 3-day $163, 2-day $162 mailed by 8/7, $180 (no checks, credit cards OK) at site, or online until 2 hours before round 1. 

Under 1500 Section entry fee: all $40 less than U2100 to U1700 sections entry fee.
Under 1250 Section entry fee: all $80 less than U2100 to U1700 sections entry fee.

Online entry fee $5 less to MACA members; may join/renew at masschess.org.
Re-entry $80; not available to go from Premier to Premier. 

Special 1 year USCF dues with paper magazine if paid with entry. Online at chessaction.com, Adult $35, Young Adult $22, Scholastic $15. Mailed, phoned or paid at site, Adult $40, Young Adult $25, Scholastic $17.

Foreign player rating info     Prizewinner tax info     CCA electronic devices policies

For all tournaments, adjusted FIDE or foreign ratings, if higher than USCF, may be used. Players must disclose FIDE or foreign ratings when entering, or may later be expelled. Other over the board ratings such as club, league, scholastic, state or province, etc, adjusted if appropriate, may be used at our discretion if above USCF.  No rating below the latest official USCF rating, on the list corresponding to the ending date of the tournament, will be used. For 9 round events offering title norm possibilities, FIDE ratings are used. Click here for further details.

Ratings: August FIDE used in Premier, USCF August official in others. Unofficial uschess.org ratings usually used if otherwise unrated. Players must reveal foreign, FIDE and other over the board ratings, and these ratings, adjusted if necessary, may be used, if higher than USCF, in Under 2100 to Under 1250 Sections. See also above. 

5-day schedule: Reg Thu to 12 noon, rds Thu 1 & 7, Fri 12 & 6, Sat 12 & 6, Sun 10 & 3:30, Mon 10.
4-day schedule:
Reg Thu to 6 pm, rds Thu 7 pm, Fri 12 & 6, Sat 12 & 6, Sun 10 & 3:30. 
3-day schedule: Reg. Fri to 11 am, rds Fri 12, 3 & 6, Sat 12 & 6, Sun 10 & 3:30.
2-day schedule: Reg Sat to 9 am, rds Sat 10,12, 2, 3:45 & 6, Sun 10 & 3:30. 
All schedules: Bye all, limit 2, Premier must commit before rd 3 (round 9 bye, before rd 2), other sections before rd 4.

HOTEL RATES: $98-98-108, 800-582-3232, 508-347-7393, request chess rate, reserve by 8/8 or rate may increase; rooms may sell out before 8/8.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS (enter Group Code 1808CONTIN)

Room or travel sharing: Post a request to share on the USCF "All Things Chess" Forum.  If you have trouble posting, email your request to Continental Chess and we will post it for you.  

Car rental: Avis, 800-331-1600, use AWD #D657633, or reserve car online at chesstour.com.

Entry: chessaction.com or Continental Chess, PO Box 8482, Pelham NY 10803. $15 service charge for refunds. Questions: chesstour.com, chesstour.info, DirectorAtChess.us. Entries posted at chessaction.com (online entries posted instantly).

BRING SET, BOARD, CLOCK IF POSSIBLE- NONE SUPPLIED. 

SATURDAY NIGHT BLITZ TOURNAMENT

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