Organized by Chess Earth (Congress Tournament Shirt & Vending)

$18,500 in Prizes  based on 240 paid entries

All Chess Sets; pieces, boards, clocks, and score sheets provided.

5-Round Swiss. 2-Day or 3-Day Schedule: 

3-Day Schedule: On-Site Registration is from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM Friday, August 28, 2026.
● 3-Day Time Control for all Rounds: G/90 d/30 
2-Day Schedule: On-Site Registration is from 7:30 AM to 9:15 AM Saturday, August 29, 2026.
● 2-Day Time Control for Rounds 1-2: G/60 d/10. Then...Rounds 3-5: G/90 d/30. 

Blitz Tournament:  Aug. 29. Saturday at 9:00 PM.  Register by 8:45 PM.  5-Rounds. Entry Fee $20. Time Control: 3+2.

OCA Board Meeting:  Aug. 30. Sunday OCA Board Meeting – 2:00 PM

3-Day Schedule:   

- On-Site Registration for the 3-Day Schedule is from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM Friday, August 28, 2026.

- G/90 d/30 for all rounds in the 3-Day schedule. 

Round #1 – Aug. 28. Friday – 7:00 PM.   

Round #2 – Aug. 29. Saturday – 10:00 AM   

Round #3 – Aug. 29. Saturday – 4:00 PM 

• Saturday, Aug. 29: Blitz Tournament – 9:00 PM, Reg. by 8:45 PM (on-site registration only). 5-Rounds. EF: $20. 3+2

Round #4 – Aug. 30. Sunday – 10:00 AM 

• Sunday, Aug. 30: OCA Board Meeting – 2:00 PM

Round #5 – Aug. 30. Sunday – 4:00 PM 

BYES – Must request a BYE by 12:30 PM Saturday, Aug. 29. 

2-Day Schedule:

- On-Site Registration for the 2-Day Schedule is from 7:30 AM to 9:15 AM Saturday, August 29, 2026.

- G/60 d/10 for Rounds #1 and #2. Then....Rounds 3-5 merge with 3-day: G/90 d/30)

Round #1 – Aug. 29. Saturday – 10:00 AM  

Round #2 – Aug. 29. Saturday – 1:00 PM 

Round #3 – Aug. 29. Saturday – 4:00 PM 

• Saturday, Aug. 29: Blitz Tournament – 9:00 PM, Reg. by 8:45 PM (on-site registration only). 5-Rounds. EF: $20. 3+2

Round #4 – Aug. 30. Sunday – 10:00 AM 

• Sunday, Aug. 30: OCA Board Meeting – 2:00 PM

Round #5 – Aug. 30. Sunday – 4:00 PM 

BYES – Must request a BYE by 12:30 PM Saturday, Aug. 29. 

Entry Fee for all sections: 

• $125 by August 16  
• $135 by 9:00 AM Friday, August 28
• $145 On-site. 
• GM, IM, WGM, WIM, FM FREE Entry; entry fee ($125) will be deducted from the prize.

Re-Entry: $40 – Available For 3-Day Schedule only

• Not available in the Open Section or Under 2200 
• Not available to players in the 2-day schedule.
• Re-enter by 9:15 AM Saturday, August 29, 2026.

Register & Pay:  https://www.kingregistration.com/register/OhioCongress2026

• Check out  the Entry List of Players who have entered

Playing Up:

• In the FIDE Sections there is NO playing-up as such; however, players rated from 1900 to 2199 may choose which section to play in (Open FIDE or Under 2200 FIDE). No play-up fee applies.
• Players rated between 1700 and 1899 may choose to play in the Under 2200 FIDE section or the non-FIDE Under 1900 section.

In the non-FIDE Sections, players may play up one section with the payment of a $20 play-up fee.

• Players rated 1600-1699 must play in the non-FIDE Under 1900 section. 
• Play-up options in the non-FIDE sections are shown in the table below:

Players Rated:	Natural Section	Play-up Option
1300-1599	Under 1600	May play in Under 1900 ($20 fee applies)
1000-1299	Under 1300	May play in Under 1600 ($20 fee applies)
100-999	Under 1000	May play in Under 1300 ($20 fee applies)

 

 Scroll down (towards the bottom) for info on playing in the FIDE Open Section

• Alan Hodge is the FIDE Arbiter and Chief Tournament Director who leads our TD team. 
• Trophy to the Ohio State Champion. (Must be Ohio Resident to win trophy)

Open Section – FIDE Rated: (1900+ USCF rated to enter) 1st-$3,000.   2nd-$1,500.   3rd-$800.   4th-$500

Under 2200 – FIDE Rated: (1700+ USCF rated to enter)    1st-$1500.    2nd-$1,000.   3rd-$500 

Under 1900:   1st-$1,300   2nd-$750    3rd-$500

Under 1600:   1st-$1,300   2nd-$750    3rd-$500

Under 1300:   1st-$1,300   2nd-$750    3rd-$500 

Under 1000:   1st-$1,300+trophy    2nd-$750+trophy    3rd-$500+trophy   4th-$250+trophy

The Under 1000 Section receives trophies. 
1st-4th place winners receive a trophy along with the cash prize…..in the Under 1000
Section.  If there is a tie, both and all players who tied will receive an engraved trophy.
The trophies are meant to give scholastic players a reason to play and to mark their
achievement and their historic rise. 

• USCF Official Rating will be used. Regular as of August 1, 2026.  Unofficial USCF ratings may be
  used if otherwise unrated.
• Unrated can only play in the Under 1000 section, “Unrated” means NO USCF/NO FIDE Rating. If
  you have a provisional rating, we use that rating.
• Players must reveal foreign, FIDE or other over the board ratings, and these ratings, adjusted, may
  be used if higher than USCF.

• Notation required in all sections. Only US Chess approved electronic score sheets allowed.

Doubles Prize: $200-$100

Best male/female or female/female 2-player “team.”

• Combined score among all sections. 
• Must average under 2200; may play in different sections. 
• Register by 5:00 PM Saturday, August 29. Prize limits do not apply to the Doubles Prize. No additional fee to register.

Embassy Suites by Hilton Blue Ash

4554 Lake Forest Dr, Blue Ash, OH 45242

• Reserve by Aug. 21, Extended Discount Rate until Aug. 21
• 2 Room Suite – 1 King Bed – Balcony – Nonsmoking – $145.00
• 2 Room Suite-2 Double Beds – Nonsmoking – $155.00

Call to Reserve: +1 513-733-8900.

Reserve Online and book your hotel room online at the Embassy Suites

Organized by Chess Earth. 

(Congress Tournament Shirt & Vending)

• All chess sets; pieces, boards, clocks, and scoresheets provided.
• Chess Earth is the vendor and has created a tournament shirt. 
• We are selling chess equipment, chess merch, and chess swag
• Questions?  admin@chessearth.com

Register & Pay:  https://www.kingregistration.com/register/OhioCongress2026

• Check out  the Entry List of Players who have entered

FIDE Rules apply in the Open Section.

The information below pertains to the FIDE Open Sections only. 

Floor ratings to play in a FIDE section:

Players must be rated USCF 1900 or higher to play in the Open FIDE Section, and USCF 1700 or higher to play in the Under 2200 FIDE. Players must have a FIDE Identification Number (FIN) and be current USCF members. If you do not have a FIN, please obtain one before entering the tournament. FIN APPLICATION FORM - APPLY HERE

FIDE Rating Requirements and USCF Membership 

• Players do not need a FIDE rating to play in a FIDE section. But you need a FIDE Identification Number (FIN). A player must be a current member of the US Chess Federation (USCF) on the tournament dates to play in any FIDE section. A USCF membership may be purchased or renewed on the USCF website.

FIDE Identification Number: 

In addition to a current USCF membership, players must have a FIDE Identification Number (FIN) to play in any FIDE section. If you do not have a FIN, please obtain one before entering the tournament. FIN APPLICATION FORM - APPLY HERE

Players who qualify for a FIN under the US Federation may obtain one by completing the FIN application form on the USCF website. Please make sure to apply for a FIN early enough to allow processing to be completed before the tournament. We recommend applying at least three weeks prior to the tournament. It does no harm to apply for a FIN even if you later decide not to enter a FIDE section, or do not enter the tournament at all. You could very well want to have a FIN at some future time, so getting a FIN now takes care of that.

Players who do not qualify for FIN under the US Federation must obtain their FIN through their national federation before entering the tournament.

FIDE Rating Considerations: 

The time control for rounds 1 and 2 of the 2-day schedule does not qualify, so these games will not be submitted for FIDE rating. To earn a FIDE rating, you need five games against rated opponents at a stipulated time control (over a period of 26 months)... are required to get a FIDE rating.  Moreover, FIDE will not include a player on its list of rated players unless his or her FIDE standard rating is at least 1400. (FIDE Handbook, B. Permanent Commissions, 02. FIDE Rating Regulations (Qualification Commission), FIDE Rating Regulations effective from 1 March 2024, section 7.1.4.)

Arriving late to a game: 

The default time (the period of time after a round starts that is allowed to a player to arrive at his or her board before forfeiting) is 60 minutes. Be aware that if both players are absent when a round is started, White’s clock will be started, and all the time that elapses until White’s arrival will reduce White’s time, even if Black also arrives late.