2026 Hawaii Open

September 05 - 07, 2026

Register  Entry List

2026 HAWAII OPEN with $3,000 in Guaranteed Prizes!

Chess & Blitz Chess Championship Tournaments  

When:  Labor Day Weekend, September 5th to September 7th, 2026

Event Organizer:  Hawaii Chess Federation

Where:  The University of Hawaii at Manoa (Campus Center Ball Rooms) - 2456 Campus Rd., Honolulu HI, 96822

Parking: Paid parking is available

Supervision: On-site supervision by a coach, parent or designated guardian is required for all players age 13 and under.

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 ratings and abilities, and it is a double-swiss tournament (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 - 8:30 am On-site Registration
  • 8:00 - 8:45 am Open and Reserve check-in (U800 players do not need to check-in until Sunday morning) 
  • 8:45 am players meeting
  • 9:00 am Open and Reserve Round 1
  • 2:00 pm Open and Reserve Round 2

Sunday Schedule (Open and Reserve): 

  • 9:00 am Round 3
  • 2:00 pm HCF Annual Membership Meeting
  • 3:00 pm Round 4

Sunday Schedule (Under 800): 

  • 8:00 - 8:30 am check-in and on-site registration
  • 8:45 am Players Meeting
  • 9:00 am Round 1
  • 10:30 am Round 2 (and lunch break)
  • 12:30 pm Round 3
  • 2:00 pm HCF Annual Membership Meeting
  • 3:00 pm Round 4
  • 4:30 pm Round 5
  • 6:00 pm Awards Ceremony

Monday Schedule:  

  • 9:00 am Open and Reserve Round 5. 
  • 2:00 pm Awards ceremony.
  • 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm Hawaii Championship 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. *NOTE: NEW PLAYER SIGN-UP IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL PAYMENT IS MADE TO USCF FOR THE FIRST YEAR*
  • Rating from August 2026 USCF supplement used for placement and prizes.

Entry fees:

  • Open and Reserve (under 1500):  $100 entry fee until 11:59 pm, 8/28/26. $140 late entry fee until online registration closes at 7:00 am, 9/5/26. $180 on-site registration. 
  • Under 800 Tournament: $50 entry fee until 11:59 pm, 8/28/26. $70 late entry fee until online registration closes at 7:00 am, 9/6/26. $90 on-site registration.
  • Blitz tournament: $25 entry fee until online registration closes at 1:30 pm Monday, 9/7/26. On-site entry fee doubles to $50.

Byes: Half-point byes available for any round (2 byes maximum) if requested before the start of Round 3. Only zero-point byes available if requested after the start of Round 3.

Prizes: 

  • The winner(s) of the Open section will be declared the Hawaii State Open Chess Champion (or co-champion, if tied) and have their name(s) engraved on the State Champion perpetual trophy (Hawaii residents only).
  • The winner(s) of the Reserve (U1500) section will be declared the Hawaii State U1500 champion (or co-champion, if tied) and will receive a 1st place trophy.
  • The female player with the highest performance rating in the Open or Reserve (U1500) sections will be declared the Hawaii State Women's Champion and have her name engraved on Hawaii State Women's Champion perpetual trophy (Hawaii residents only).
  • Cash prizes are based on entries, with $3,000 unconditionally guaranteed. Prize purse may be increased with large participation numbers, so please spread the word!
  • 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

 

Email hawaiichessfederation@gmail.com with any questions or requests for assistance