Susan Polgar Foundation Girls’ Invitational Online Championship 2020
June 20-21, 2020 via chess.com
Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the annual SPF Girls’ Invitational, the first and most prestigious all-girls championship in the US, had to be canceled. Because of this, the SPFGI Committee has decided to host an online version for 2020.
Day 1: June 20, 2020 3:00PM GMT
11:00AM East Coast USA (EDT)
08:00AM West Coast USA (PTD)
5:00PM / 17:00 Central Europe (CET)
8:30PM / 20:30 Indian Central Time (IST)
Day 2: Play-off for the Top 4 place finishers – June 21, 2020
Starting time will be the same as the previous day.
Eligibility: All Girls in ANY COUNTRY born after to January 1, 2001
Platform: chess.com
REGISTRATION DEADLINE:
THURSDAY 9PM PDT, Friday 12AM(midnight) EDT / 6AM CET, 9:30AM IST
Two sections:
- Championship section: Any player can enter this section, regardless their chess level. However, participating in a LIVE Zoom call is mandatory for this section, and players are eligible for prizes & scholarships.
- Open section: Any player can enter this section, regardless their chess level. No Zoom call is necessary for this section, however, players DO NOT qualify for prizes & scholarships.
Format:
- 7 rounds of G/15’+2” (Game in 15 minutes with 2 second increment)
- 30 minute lunch break after round 4.
- Paired according to Swiss rules using the player’s chess.com rapid rating.
- First round is paired at 11AM EDT SHARP.
- Consecutive rounds are paired after all games are finished in the previous round.
- There will be a 30-seconds delay between the round finish and next round start.
- Late entries are accepted throughout the tournament, players receive 0 point for any missed round.
- No chess.com rating adjustments for any players. No exceptions.
Play-off format:
- Top 4 players from the open tournament to participate in an elimination style play-off.
- Time control: G/15+2 (Game in 15 minutes with 2 second increment)
- Semifinal: 1st place vs 4th place, 2nd place vs 3rd place — Color allocation via coin flip
- Final: Winners of the two games go into the Final, and play two games, G/15’+2”, with alternating colors
- If the score after two games is 1-1, the playoff moves on to an Armageddon game
- In the Armageddon game, White will get 5 minutes while Black will get 4 minutes with no increment or delay. Colors will be allocated with a coin toss. White must win to win the match while Black needs a draw or win for victory.
- Winner of the final match will receive the $600 first place prize and the Champion scholarship
- The loser of the final match will receive the $400 second place prize and the 2nd place scholarship
- 3rd Place: Players who lost in the semifinal games will play two games of G/15+2 with alternating colors to determine the 3rd place. In case of a tie, an Armageddon match will be played with the same condition as above.
- The winner of the match for 3rd place will receive $200 third place prize and the 3rd place scholarship
- The loser of the match for 3rd place will receive $100 fourth place prize and the 4th place scholarship
Prize eligibility:
- Must join the Championship section (club), and be on a Zoom call to be eligible for prizes. Zoom link along with specifications will be shared upon verification of the Google Form responses.
- Must have established a (non-provisional) rapid rating on chess.com – minimum 25 games
- Additional verification of birth date may be requested before payout
How to join?
- Players need to fill out the following Google Form to register for the tournament, and provide their full name, date of birth, residence and email contact information.
- Players also need to request to join one of the two Susan Polgar Foundation Club on chess.com:
- Join requests will be approved and Zoom meeting information will be sent upon verification of the Google Form responses.
- On Saturday (June 20, 2020), 1 hour before the tournament (10AM/7AM/4PM/7:30PM): Join the tournament by going to and looking for the event in the tournament tab. Make sure to click join! Round 1 starts at 11AM EDT SHARP!
- We are not able to put any player into a round that has already started. Players are able to join the tournament with 0 points for any missed round, and will be paired in the following round.
- Direct link to the tournament will be available on the day of the tournament.
Prizes: $1,500 total in cash prizes
- $600 – First place
- $400 – Second place
- $200 – Third place
- $100 – Fourth place
Additional $100 prize each to the top finisher under 13 years old (born after January 1, 2007) and under 10 years old (born after January 1, 2010).
Bonus prize: The Champion receives a special invitation to participate in the 2020 SPICE Cup in St. Louis, October 20-25. (flight up to $500 reimbursed, hotel with full hot breakfast for 5 nights, entry fee waived – about a $1,500 value)
Scholarships:
Champion **: Webster University Scholarship * ($15,000 per year x 4 years = $60,000 value) *
2nd place: Webster University Scholarship * ($12,000 + per year x 4 years = $48,000 value) *
3rd place: Webster University Scholarship * ($10,000 + per year x 4 years= $40,000 value) *
4th place: Webster University Scholarship * ($8,000 + per year x 4 years= $32,000 value) *
* The scholarships to Webster University must be exercised no later than Fall of 2024, and are not transferable. These scholarships cannot be combined with other academic scholarships, or stacked. If players won scholarships in past events, they can choose to exercise the highest one. Regular academic admission criteria apply.
** This scholarship may be upgraded up to a full scholarship (up to $45,000 per year x 4 years = $180,000 value) – The winner can contact chess@webster.edu for additional criteria.
Commentary:
- WFM Alexandra Botez with GM Susan Polgar will be following the event and doing live coverage on twitch.tv/botezlive.
Have questions? Email polgarcommittee@gmail.com and the organizers will answer as soon as possible.
Disclosure:
Event organizers and Tournament Director discretion will be used to resolve any problems during the event. (Since it is hard for some to get a 25-game rapid rating, we have made a few exceptions for those who were close and had established ratings in other time control).
Where is the registration form