2025 HAWAII OPEN with $3,000 in Guaranteed Prizes!
Chess & Blitz Chess Championship Tournaments
When: Labor Day Weekend, August 30 to September 1, 2025
Event Organizer: Hawaii Chess Federation
Where: The Neal S. Blaisdell Center (Pikake Room) - 777 Ward Avenue, Honolulu
Parking: Paid parking is available for $8/day.
Format: A five-round Swiss-System, non-elimination chess tournament - everyone plays all rounds. It is USCF rated. Clocks and chess sets provided at the event.
Sections: The two main sections are Open (all ratings welcome) and Reserve (for players rated below 1500 or unrated). There is also a one-day, 5-round section on Sunday for players rated under 800. The six-round Blitz tournament on Monday is open to all abilities, and you play each opponent twice.
Time Controls: (Clocks will be started at published round times)
- Open & Reserve Sections: Game in 90 minutes with a 30-second increment (G/90 +30).
- Under 800 Section Game in 30 minutes with a 5-second increment (G/30 +5).
- Blitz tournament: Game in 5 minutes with a 2-second increment (G/5 +2).
Saturday Schedule:
- 8:00-8:45am check in.
- 8:45am players meeting.
- 9:00am Round 1
- 2:00pm Round 2
Sunday Schedule (Open and Reserve):
- 9:00am Round 3
- 2:00pm HCF Annual Membership Meeting
- 3:00pm Round 4
Sunday Schedule (Under 800):
- 8:00-8:30am check in
- 8:45am Players Meeting
- 9:00am Round 1
- 10:30am Round 2 (and lunch break)
- 12:30pm Round 3
- 2:00pm HCF Annual Membership Meeting
- 3:00pm Round 4
- 4:30pm Round 5
- 6:00pm Awards Ceremony
Monday Schedule:
- 9:00am Round 5.
- 2:00pm Awards ceremony.
- 3:00pm - 6:00pm Blitz tournament
Registration:
- If you are already a USCF member, click here to look up your number and expiration date.
- If you are not a current USCF member, you must join or renew here before the tournament.
- Rating from August 2025 USCF supplement used for placement and prizes.
- Blitz tournament on-site registration is open throughout the main tournament. Online Blitz registration closes at 2pm Monday! Double entry fee after 2pm for on-site registration.
Entry fees:
- Open and Reserve (under 1500): $100 entry fee until 11:59pm, 8/28/25. $140 late entry fee, including on-site registration.
- Under 800 Tournament: $50 entry fee until 11:59pm, 8/28/24. $70 late entry fee, including on-site registration.
- Blitz tournament: $25 entry fee until 1:30 pm Monday when on-site entry fee doubles to $50.
Byes: Half-point byes available in any round (2 byes maximum). Last-round byes must be requested before the start of the third round.
Prizes:
- State chess champion name engraved on perpetual trophy for Open section winner(s). (Hawaii residents only).
- Women's champion name(s) engraved on perpetual trophy (Hawaii residents) for performance rating.
- Cash prizes are based on entries, with $3,000 unconditionally guaranteed.
- Prizes distributed so that every player has a reasonable chance of winning a prize.
- Unrated players will only be eligible to win the unrated prize or 50% of the top place prizes in any given section, whichever is greater.
Cash Prizes:
| Section |
Prize |
Percent |
Amount |
| Open |
1st |
20.0% |
$600 |
| |
2nd |
13.3% |
$400 |
| |
u2000 |
10.0% |
$300 |
| |
u1750 |
6.7% |
$200 |
| Reserve |
1st |
10.0% |
$300 |
| |
2nd |
6.7% |
$200 |
| |
u1250 |
5.0% |
$150 |
| |
u1000 |
4.2% |
$125 |
| |
Unrated |
4.2% |
$125 |
| u800 |
1st |
5.0% |
$150 |
| |
2nd |
4.2% |
$125 |
| |
3rd |
3.3% |
$100 |
| |
u600 |
2.5% |
$75 |
| |
u400 |
2.5% |
$75 |
| |
Unrated |
2.5% |
$75 |
| Total |
|
100.0% |
$3,000 |
Official Ratings: USCF official ratings from August 2025 will be used for this event. All participants must be current USCF members. The current list of Hawaii players with USCF ratings is here.
Food: Food and non-alcoholic drinks are allowed in the tournament room, but please only drinks at the boards during active games, no food.