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!
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.