2026 Caveman Beginner's Open #1

June 20th, 2026

Playing Site and Room Bookings:

Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Hotel and Conference Center

5440 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL 60018

• $132 rate per night for 1-4 people (www.cavechess.cc/festival-tourneys-hotel)
• Includes free breakfast ($25 value) for two people. $10 for additional persons.
• Indoor pool
• Fitness center
• While there is a parking fee, it has been reduced to $13 per day from the usual $30. This means that the combined cost of the hotel rate and parking is comparable to the rates at our past hotels.
• Phone: (877) 337-5793
• Arrange room sharing: https://www.cavemanchess.com/forum

Registration:

Enter at https://cavechess.cc/orc !

Entry Fee - Online Only:

• $20 through April 19th
• $25 through May 19th
• $30 through June 19th
• $40 through June 20th, 8:00 AM.

• $20 fee to play up

Format & Sections:

U1400: 4 Round Swiss System, G/50; d5

U1000 & U600: 5 Round Swiss System, G/30; d5

The U1400 section is also open to players who are 14 or older, regardless of rating.

Byes: Two half-point byes available for any round; must commit before the end of round 2.

Round Schedule:

U1400: 

Round 1 at 9:00 AM, Rounds 3-4 at 11:00 AM, 1:30 PM, & 3:45 PM. If possible, afternoon round times may be advanced. Watch postings and listen for announcements at the site.

U1000 & U600:

Round 1 at 9:00 AM. Rounds 2-5 will follow ASAP, as soon as everyone in both sections (U600 and U1000) is done playing (please don't leave the playing area!).

No rounds start between 11:30 and 12:30 to allow for lunch. Watch postings and listen for announcements at the site for round times.

We anticipate conclusion by 5:30 PM.

Equipment: Boards, sets, scoresheets and clocks provided by Caveman Chess, LLC.

Tournament Check-in:

No tournament check-in at the site is needed. Just verify your registration online before the tournament. If there are issues that require making changes to your registration, please visit cavechess.cc/change.

Prizes:

Plaques and medals will be awarded to the top ten finishers in each section and to all others. They will be distributed at the site. If you need a plaque or medal mailed after the tournament, please visit cavechess.cc/plaque-shipping to order prize shipping.

• Plaques/Trophies to the Top 10 in each section.
• Medals to all others.

US Chess Membership:

A US Chess membership is an official, paid subscription to the United States Chess Federation (USCF), necessary for playing in rated tournaments. It provides a national rating, subscriptions to Chess Life or Chess Life Kids magazines, and support for chess events and growth across the US.

Please obtain a USCF Membership BEFORE THE EVENT. Click here for the guide to sign up and purchase a membership.

For parents signing up scholastic players, we recommend skipping this step and purchasing a voucher. Save approximately 50% at U.S. Chess Vouchers — Caveman Chess

Free US Chess membership to Park Ridge K-12 students.

Rules and Scorekeeping

US Chess rules apply to these tournaments. You will be expected to notate/keep score (write down your moves), but we will offer some flexibility for the U600 section as well as children younger than 7. However, to improve at chess, it is important to write down the moves so the game may be reviewed afterward.

You may find this information helpful if this is your first event: 

• Tournament Play - Getting Started!
• How to Notate

Transportation:

-> The hotel is located just 5 -10 minutes from O’Hare Airport, traffic dependent. Participants can also take the Blue Line “L” from O’Hare to the first stop, and then walk half a mile to the hotel.
-> Shuttle Service: There is a shuttle service available from the hotel to O’Hare Airport.

Questions:

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.