There is something for everyone who enjoys tournament play on the weekend of August 26-28. Iowa, Indiana and Illinois will all host major tournaments that weekend, with thousands of dollars in prize money on the line.
The Bradley Summer Open will take place on one day, Saturday, August 27 with $240 guaranteed to the winner, among many other awards. More importantly, the BSO is the 7th stop of 10 Illinois Tour events. The Peoria event's history is over 50 years. Both the Open and the Reserve (Under 1400) feature four rounds, Game/80, 5-second delay.
The Iowa Open is a two-day event with a 61-year history, but the Reserve (U1600) and RBO (U1200) are Saturday only.
The Open and the RBO are five-rounds, the Reserve features four rounds. Time controls are spelled out below.
First prize at the Iowa Open is $550 and a trophy, with many other prizes guaranteed. Once again, it will take place at the swanky Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Coralville, a few miles from the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City. All Illinois entrants receive a $5 discount -- and the requirement to belong to the state association is waived. The Open features five rounds of Game/90 with a 30-second increment spanning Saturday and Sunday.
The Reserve (Under 1600, Game/75; 5-second delay) is a one-day Saturday only event and the RBO (Under 1200, Game/30; 5-second delay) is also a one-day affair. The entry fee for the Rated Beginners Open is only $16 for Illinois residents -- and will be chiefly run by an Illinois Tournament Director! 11 trophies will be presented including awards to the top five overall and two trophies designated for first-timers.
The Indianapolis Open is a Continental Chess Association event with $2,000 for the Open winner (based on 200 entries, roughly 2/3 guaranteed.) Unlike the Wheeling-based CCA events, there is no discount for ICA membership. There are three-day and two-day options with three-day play beginning Friday, August 26.
If you plan to attend any of these events and would like to report on the event for the ICA web pages, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Registration for the BSO can be found here: http://bradleysummeropen.com/registration.html
Registration for the Iowa Open can be found here: http://www.il-chess.org/open-tournaments/event/2240-61st-iowa-open-championship
For the Iowa Reserve: http://www.il-chess.org/open-tournaments/event/2241-iowa-reserve-championship
For the Iowa RBO: http://www.il-chess.org/open-tournaments/event/2242-iowa-rated-beginner-open-rbo
And the Quick Chess side event on Friday: http://www.il-chess.org/open-tournaments/event/2239-iowa-quick-chess-championship-qc
Registrration for the Indianapolis Open: https://www.chessaction.com/index.php?vendor=Continental%20Chess%20Association
There will also be a Blitz competition at the Indy Open with onsite registration.