Maryland Chess Association

5th Annual Beltway Open

Hampton Inn and Suites Dulles

22700 Holiday Park Drive, Sterling, VA 20166

August 7-9, 2026

$3,500 Guaranteed Prize Fund

Register on dmvchess.com or visit the direct registration link at https://caissachess.net/online-registration/index/8874

• Five-round Swiss; three-day and two-day schedules (Premier Section must play three-day schedule); up to two half-point byes allowed
  • Three-day schedule: Friday at 7 pm, Saturday at 2 pm, Saturday at 6:45 pm, Sunday at 10 am, Sunday at 2:45 pm
  • Two-day schedule: Round 1 on Saturday at 11 am, merge with 3-day schedule for round 2
• On-site registration closes 30 minutes before the start of round one (after that players may register with a half-point bye)
• Three sections: Premier (FIDE-rated), Under 1800, and Under 1400 (Under 1400 section uses Monrad pairings to reduce mismatches)
  • Click here to view details about The Beltway Open Scholastic: https://caissachess.net/online-registration/index/8875
  • Players may not play up more than 100 points. (If you want to play up, add 100 points to your rating to see which section you qualify for). A player may use either their live (unpublished) rating or published rating to qualify for a higher section. If a player uses their live rating to qualify, the tournament director may also use their live rating for pairing purposes. A player may use their FIDE rating to qualify for the Premier section.
  • Unrated and provisionally-rated players policy: Unrated players may play in the Under 1400 section. To play in a higher section, unrated players must obtain special permission from the tournament director. Players with foreign ratings, FIDE ratings, and provisional US Chess ratings are not considered unrated. The tournament director may use US Chess ratings (published or unpublished) from other categories (quick, blitz, online, online quick, online blitz, or correspondence). The tournament director has the option of assigning a player a rating. In cases where a player has a provisional rating, the tournament director has discretion in determining which section(s) that player may be eligible for. The tournament director has the option to use a provisionally-rated player's live rating (regardless of whether it is higher or lower than the player's official rating) for pairings purposes and section eligibility.
  • Under 1400 section special pairings rules: The Under 1400 section will feature Monrad Swiss pairings. Monrad pairings are a variation of Swiss pairings that reduces mismatches. Monrad pairings can be beneficial in sections with wide rating ranges (such as the Under 1400 section), because players are often paired against closely rated opponents under this system. To read more about Monrad Swiss pairings, visit Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss-system_tournament#Monrad_system
• $3,500 guaranteed prize fund:
  • Premier: $1000 for 1st, $400 for 2nd, $150 for 3rd
  • U1800: $700 for 1st, $300 for 2nd, $125 for 3rd
  • U1400: $550 for 1st, $200 for 2nd, $75 for 3rd
• Time control: Game in 110 minutes with a 10-second increment
  • (Game/45;+10 for round one of the two-day schedule)
  • Forfeit policy: 30-minute forfeit time. If you do not arrive at the board within 30 minutes of the scheduled round time you will lose the game by forfeit unless the tournament director decides otherwise. The tournament director may choose to pair the opponents of absent players against each other rather than award a forfeit win.
• Entry fee: $97 by 7/20, $107 by 7/26, $117 by 8/1, $125 by 8/6, $135 on/after 8/7 (on-site registration closes 30 minutes before round 1)
  • Free entry to GMs ($97 deducted from prizes)--please email josh@dmvchess.com to register
  • Re-entries are permitted in all sections besides Premier--the price to re-enter is $50.
• Boards and pieces will be provided for all players, but please bring a clock if you have one.
• All sections are US Chess-rated. The premier section is also FIDE-rated.
• This tournament is open to all players, regardless of which state they are from.
• PARKING INFORMATION: There is plenty of parking at the hotel.
• Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Click here to show mail address or 703-609-0499 with any questions.
• See the registration page for information about discounted sleeping rooms.

How to Register

Register on dmvchess.com or visit the direct registration link at https://caissachess.net/online-registration/index/8874