Featuring 20-board simuls by:
GM Melikset Khachiyan
-USCF Rating of 2619, FIDE Rating of 2542.
– Participant in US Closed Championship 2007, 2009 & 2010.
-Coach of the US Women’s Chess Olympiad Team
-Long time coach of Levon Aronian, now 2nd in world.
GM Mikheil Kekelidze
-USCF Rating of 2580, FIDE Rating of 2444.
-Achieved IM at age 24, Grand Master at age 26.
– 1st: Cannes, Dubai, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, AZ int’l tournaments
– Winner of 2010 National Open Blitz Championship
· 4 sections, 5 Rounds of Swiss Pairings. Game/90 minutes + 30 second increment; Scholastics Game/30 minutes.
· Sections: Open, Reserve Section (U1800), Booster Section (U1400), Scholastic (grades K-9 & U1200). Scholastic tournaments – one held on Saturday and one on Sunday at same site. Players may enter both scholastic events.
· PRIZES: Open ($$1st $1,000, B/60 2nd $600, 3rd $300; U2400 $200, U2200 $200-75, U2000 $200-90-50, 40 GPP awarded), Reserve (B/40 1st $300, 2nd $160, 3rd $80; U1600 $160-90-60), Booster (B/25 1st $200, 2nd $120, 3rd $75; U1200 $100-50-30, trophies 1st & 2nd U1000, 1st UNR), Scholastic (Each day, Trophies to 1st, 2nd, 3rd individuals, medals to top team. Teams can have up to 4 players. Players are not required to be from same school, age group, or institution.)
· USCF Rated. Open Section – FIDE & USCF rated. USCF memberships available at site. NS, NC, W.
· Entry Fee (if postmarked by 2/5): $70–Open (Free to GMs & IMs), $45–Reserve, $30–Booster. Add $10 late fee if postmarked later than 2/5, add $20 late fee if postmarked later than 2/22 or for on site entries. $25 Scholastic (Both Days), $15 Scholastic (Sat. or Sun.) No late fees for scholastics.
· Open/Reserve/Booster schedule: Sat., Feb. 26th – Reg: 8 – 8:45am. Rds – 9, 1:45, 6:45; Sun., Feb. 27th – 9 & 2.
Scholastic schedule (Sat. & Sun.): Reg: 8 – 8:45am. Rounds: 9, 10:30, 12, 2, 3:30. Awards at 5pm each day.
· Players may request in advance up to two ½ point byes for any round. All other requests will be zero points.
· Hotel: $56 @ Plaza Inn, Albuquerque, NM. Call (505) 243-5693; ask for chess tournament rate, available while blocked space remains or by 2/10/11. Free shuttle to/from airport, tournament site, and anywhere within 5 miles.
· Blitz Tournament! Friday Feb. 25th, 7:30PM. 5DSS, G/5, one section. EF: $20. Prizes: 80% of entry fees.
· Enjoy Breakfast with GM Khachiyan on Sun. morning (7:30 AM) as he gives his opinions on chess and shares his personal stories from his rich chess history including his experience at the US Championships (07, 09, 10), experience as coach of the US Women’s Olympic team, coaching techniques he used on Super-GM Aronian, and lessons from being coached by former world champion Tigran Petrosian! $20 per person to attend, breakfast provided. Must enter by 2/22, limit 30.
· Enjoy Pizza and Blitz with GM Kekelidze Sunday evening (7:00 PM). $20 will provide food and drinks plus the guarantee of at least one blitz game versus GM Kekelidze (more if time permits).
More Info: www.SouthernRockyOpen.com – Chad Schneider (505) 550-4654 – WiredKingsCC@gmail.com
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Your Name (PRINT):______________________ Mailing Address: ____________________________________________
Phone: _____________________ Email:_____________________________________ USCF ID: __________________
Please circle all events below you would like to enter. Entry Fee(s) Enclosed $____________ Team: ______________________
Open Reserve Booster Sat. Scholastic Sun. Scholastic Friday Blitz GM simul (circle one): Khachiyan Kekelidze
*Please bring own board and set for simul.
Sunday Breakfast with GM – food provided, list dietary requirements if applicable:
.
Bye round requests (please circle): Open/Res/Boost 1 2 3 4 5 – Sat. Scholastic 1 2 3 4 5 – Sun. Scholastic 1 2 3 4 5
Make checks payable to: Wired Kings Chess Club
Send entry flyer and payment to: Chad Schneider, 12004 Prospect Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112
*** Or enter online at www.SouthernRockyOpen.com ***
Does anyone know why the entry fees in USCF tournaments are so steep? Most people who love chess are not that wealthy. If you add the hotel, it really gets expensive.
Why not have low fees and token prizes instead?
The Wired Kings Chess Club runs a USCF tournament about every month with a $10 entry fee. Almost all USCF-rated tournaments in New Mexico have entry fees less than $50, including two-day tournaments like the New Mexico Open state championship. We wanted to do something different for the Southern Rocky Open.
To our knowledge, New Mexico has never had a tournament with a $1000 guaranteed prize to first place, or a tournament with a projected $5000 prize fund. To offer the 40 Grand Prix points for this tournament, we are required to offer a certain level of prizes. There are many prizes available for players of all abilities, and the entry fees for the U1800 and U1400 section are not as much as the entry fee for the Open section.
We also have several side events that players can participate in. Two Grandmasters, GM Kekelidze and GM Khachiyan, will offer simul exhibitions, meet the GM events, and both will play in our Friday night blitz tournament. Scholastic players can play in our Saturday and/or Sunday scholastic events.
Wired Kings Chess Club, thanks for your response.
Didn’t mean to point out your tournament specifically, but the high entry fees are a general observation. For example, received a flier the other day about the Golden State Open. Their entry fees are $153-$155 for the open section. Add to that 4 nights of hotels, and it gets pretty steep. There are lots and lots of chess players who don’t participate because of high fees.