A US Chess Heritage Event!
30th annual Pacific Coast Open
August
8-10 or 9-10, 2025
Hilton Orange County Airport Hotel (same site as last year),
Irvine, Southern California
US CHESS
GRAND PRIX POINTS: 150 (ENHANCED)
$30,000 GUARANTEED
PRIZE FUND!
Click Here For Pairings, Standings, Results And
Other Important Information
6 rounds, 40/80, SD/30; d30 (2-day option,
rounds 1-3 G/35, d10); Hilton Orange County Airport Hotel, 18800 Macarthur
Blvd., Irvine (near Los Angeles), CA 92612. Chess rate parking $18
each day. Free airport shuttle, pool, whirlpool, fitness center.
In 7 sections. 3-day and 2-day
schedules merge after round 3 and compete for the same prizes within the
section.
The top two sections are also FIDE rated.
Premier Section: Open to 2000/over (see www.peakrating.us). $3000-1500-1000-700,
clear or tiebreak win $100 bonus, top USCF U2300
$1400-700. FIDE rated.
Under 2100 Section: $2000-1000-600-400. FIDE rated.
Under 1900
Section: $2000-1000-600-400.
Under 1700
Section: $1600-800-500-300.
Under 1500
Section: $1600-800-500-300.
Under
1300 Section: $1600-800-500-300.
Under 1000 Section:
$1000-500-300-200.
Mixed
Doubles Bonus Prizes: best male+female
2-player “team” combined score among all sections: $1000-500-300-200. Team must
average under 2200, may play in different sections and
schedules; register before both players begin round 2.
Unrated prize
limits: U1000 $150, U1300 $250, U1500 $350, U1700 $500, U1900 $700;
balance goes to next eligible player(s) in line.
World Open rule: Players who scored 8 or more points in
2025 World Open Under 2200 or below must enter higher section than in World
Open.
Top 6 sections
entry fee: $158 online at chessaction.com by Tuesday 8/5,
$180 later or at site (no checks, credit cards OK), until an hour before round
1. GMs free; $150 deducted from prize.
Under 1000
Section entry fee: All $20 less than top 6
sections entry fees.
Online EF $5 less to Southern CA Chess
Federation members; join/renew at scchess.com.
Re-entry $70; not available to go
from Premier Section to Premier
Section.
Special 1 year USCF dues with magazine if paid online with entry: Adult $54, Young Adult
$33, Youth $24. USCF membership required.
CCA electronic devices policies
Prizewinner
tax info
Foreign player rating
info
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 official USCF ratings used. Unofficial or Regular
Online 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. See
also above. Players cannot play below their USCF Online Regular
rating minus 100 points.
3-day schedule: Reg. Fri to
11 am, rounds Fri 12 & 6, Sat 11 & 5, Sun 10 & 3:30.
2-day schedule: Reg Sat to
9 am, rounds Sat 10,12:15, 2:30 & 5, Sun 10 & 3:30.
All schedules: Half point
byes OK any round, limit 2, must commit before round 3.
Hotel rates: $169-169-169-169, use
this hotel reservations link
(link is also posted at chessevents.us, or call 949-833-9999, mention
Chess); reserve by 7/17 or rate may increase.
Prizes not claimed at site usually paid through
PayPal (may take a couple of weeks).
Electronic devices: See
devicerules.com. Not all electronic
scoresheets are allowed.
Car
rental: Avis, 800-331-1600, use AWD
#D657633, or reserve car online through chessevents.us.
Room or travel sharing: Post a request to share a
room on the US Chess Forums.
If you have trouble posting, email your post to
Continental Chess and we will post it for you.
Enter online: Chessaction.com. No mailed
entries. $15 service charge for refunds. Questions: email director@chess.us (see also www.chesstour.com). Entries posted at
chessaction.com (click "entry list" after entering).
Bring set, board, clock if
possible- none supplied.
BLITZ
SIDE EVENT SATURDAY NIGHT! Enter at site Sat. before
9:10 pm.