Dear Scholastic Chess Players,

You are cordially invited to play in the upcoming Susan Polgar Foundation National Open for Girls & Boys, set to take place National Chess Day weekend October 10-11 on Chess.com. The tournament is co-hosted by the Susan Polgar Foundation and the Washington Chess Federation and is open to all students registered in grades K-12. All sections are WA State Elementary Qualifiers. Prizes include $100,000 in scholarships to Webster University!

Website: http://www.spfno.com/

Flyer: https://nwchess.com/calendar/SPFNO_2020.pdf

Registration: https://nwchess.com/OnlineRegistration/roster.php?tournamentid=531

SPFNO for Girls and Boys

The prestigious annual Susan Polgar National Open Championship for Girls and Boys (SPFNO) was created in 2006 and is sponsored by the Susan Polgar Foundation (SPF) to give more opportunities to young chess players in the United States.

Prizes include $100,000 in Scholarships to Webster University!  The top-scoring player in each 2-day Championship section (Girls sections only) in the SPFNO will earn qualification for the prominent Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls.

15th Susan Polgar Foundation National Open for Girls & Boys – Oct 10-11, 2020

2-DAY CHAMPIONSHIP SECTIONS

K-5 Girls, K-5 Open, K-8 Girls, K-8 Open, K-12 Girls, K-12 Open.

  • TIME CONTROL: G/70;+10.
  • RATING: Dual NWSRS and US Chess Online Rated.  Paired by TD using US Chess ratings.  Zoom monitoring with webcam required.
  • ROUND TIMES: Sat/Sun @ 8 AM, 12 PM, and 4 PM PDT.
  • PRIZES: Trophies awarded to the top-scoring individuals in each section.  Prizes include $100,000 in Scholarships to Webster University!

1-DAY SECTIONS (Saturday-only)

K-1 U800, 2-3 U800, K-3 Open, 4-8 U900, 4-8 Open, 9-12 Open.

  • TIME CONTROL: G/25;+5.
  • RATING: NWSRS Rated, US Chess Unrated.  Paired by TD using higher of NWSRS or US Chess ratings.  Zoom help desk available; Zoom monitoring not required.
  • ROUND TIMES: Sat @ 8 AM, 9:15 AM, 10:30 AM, lunch break, 12:15 PM, 1:30 PM.
  • PRIZES: Trophies awarded to the top-scoring individuals in each section.  Medals for first timers who do not earn a trophy.
  • WA State Elementary Qualifier.

Event Venue: Online via Chess.com

Playing Area: Live Chess

Registration: nwchess.com/OnlineRegistration

Contact Us:

Josh Sinanan
Washington Chess Federation President
Email: WashingtonChessFederation@gmail.com, Cell: (206) 769-3757

Jacob Mayer
Washington Chess Federation Scholastic Director
Email: Jacob.MayerChess@gmail.com, Cell: (206) 697-5625

Tournament and Side Event Information:

Time Control, Round Times, Entry Fees, and Package Deal Discounts!

  • 2-DAY CHAMPIONSHIP SECTIONS:
    K-5 Girls, K-5 Open, K-8 Girls, K-8 Open, K-12 Girls, K-12 Open.
    Time Control: G/70;+10. Game in 70 minutes with a 10 second increment.
    Rating: Dual NWSRS and US Chess Online Rated.  Paired by TD using US Chess ratings.  Zoom monitoring with webcam required.
    Round Times: Saturday, 10/10: R1 @ 8AM – R2 @12PM – R3 @ 4PM
    Sunday, 10/11: R4 @ 8AM – R5 @ 12PM – R6 @ 4PM PDT.
    Entry Fee: $70 by 9/25
    Late Fee: +$15 9/26-10/7, +$30 10/8 or after
  • 1-DAY SECTIONS (Saturday-only)
    K-1 U800, 2-3 U800, K-3 Open, 4-8 U900, 4-8 Open, 9-12 Open.
    Time control: G/25;+5. Game in 25 minutes with a 5-second increment.
    Rating: NWSRS Rated, US Chess Unrated.  Paired by TD using higher of NWSRS or US Chess ratings.  Zoom help desk available; Zoom monitoring not required.
    Round Times: Saturday 10/10: R1 @ 8:00 AM, R2 @ 9:15 AM, R3 @ 10:30 AM, lunch break, R4 @ 12:15 PM, R5 @ 1:30 PM.
    Entry Fee: $35 by 9/25
    Late Fee: +$15 9/26-10/7, +$30 10/8 or after.
  • ALL SECTIONS:
    Open to all students registered in grades K-12.  Grade is based on 2020-2021 school year.  Registration deadline Fri. Oct 9th @ 5pm. $15 Late Fee for payments accepted after the deadline. Unpaid players will receive a zero-point bye for round 1. Trophies for top-scoring individuals and teams. Higher of October 1st US Chess or NWSRS rating will be used to determine section and pairings.
    Procedure: Pairings will be released prior to the start of each round. Games will be started automatically by the TD in the Live Chess area. Players must report their result upon completion of the game.
    Fair Play Policy: All players and parents (if U18) are required to sign the WCF Fair Play Agreementprior to the start of the tournament.  Zoom monitoring required during all games in 2-day Championship sections, Puzzle Solving Competition, and Blitz Championship.  WCF’s fair play committee will review any suspicious games on a case-by-case basis.  Cheating of any kind is strictly prohibited.
  • US Chess Membership
    US Chess membership required for the 2-day Championship sections, and for the Blitz Championship.
    US Chess membership not required for the 1-day sections.
    Join or renew your US Chess membership here.
  • Parents and Coaches Seminar
    Saturday, 10/10: 11 AM-12 PM via Zoom.
    Led by GM Susan Polgar.
    Entry Fee: Free!
  • Girls Workshop
    Saturday, 10/10: 2-3 PM via Zoom.
    Hosted by GM Susan Polgar with special guest WIM Megan Lee, 2020 WA State Champion.
    Entry Fee: Free!
  • Polgar Chess Camp
    Sunday, 10/11: 10 AM – 3 PM via Zoom.
    Led by GM Susan Polgar and FM Paul Truong.
    Entry Fee: $100 by 10/7, $120 10/8 or after.
  • Puzzle Solving Competition (one section)
    Sunday, 10/11: 5-5:30 PM via Zoom.
    Trophies to Top 5 1000+ and Top 5 u1000 contestants.
    Entry Fee: $25 by 10/7, $45 10/8 or after
  • Blitz Championship
    Sunday, 10/11: 5:30-7:00 PM via Zoom.
    Trophies to Top 5 players in Grades K-5 & 6-12 sections.
    Entry Fee: $25 by 10/7, $45 by 10/8 or after
  • Special Package Deal:
    Bundle Main Event, Polgar Chess Camp, Puzzle, and Blitz events to receive an autographed copy of Breaking Through chess book by GM Susan Polgar ($30 value).
  • Registration: nwchess.com/OnlineRegistration
  • Questions?
    Josh Sinanan
    Washington Chess Federation President
    Email: WashingtonChessFederation@gmail.com, Cell: (206) 769-3757
    Jacob Mayer
    Washington Chess Federation Scholastic Director
    Email: Jacob.MayerChess@gmail.com, Cell: (206) 697-5625

Hope to see you there!