Registrations Over 700 (now 750!) For 2016 Chicago Open

 

With more than two dozen Grandmasters already signed up, registrations are mounting for the Memorial Day Weekend's Chicago Open.

As of  this hour, the overall number has eclipsed 600 700 750 and may approach or exceed 800 when all is said and done. (Last year's event included 826 including re-entries).

The eight-section event has already guaranteed a $100,000 prize fund. The Westin North Shore is the host site for the Continental Chess Association event.

Yangyi Yu (US Chess rated 2787!) , Varuz Akobian and Tigran Petrosian have all pledged to spend five days playing at the Open, beginnning Thursday, May 26.

Registered Illinois GM's include Boris Avrukh, Nikola Mitkov, Dmitry Gurevich and Vladimir Georgiev. Over 120 have signed up for the Open alone.

$250 entry fee remains available for through two hours before the first game -- or at site until one hour before the initial match. Four-, three- and two-day options are available in the other sections except in the Open or the Under 1000.

In the U1000 which offers both trophies and cash prizes, registration is still available for $80 -- with three- and two-day options. That competition begins tomorrow, Saturday, May 28.

Hugo Padilla (rated 2299) is guaranteed to be the top-rated player in the Under 2300. Others in the section include Andrew Karklins, Kenneth Wallach, Marvin Dandridge, Angel Angelov and Alex Bian. Over 80 are entered.

U2100 entries include Ryan Phillips and Downer Grove's Steffen Klug along with Springfield's Tian Lu Peng. Over 100 are signed up.

George David, Selden Trimble and Krishna Venkatasubba head the field of 100-plus in the U1900's.

The field of more than 100 U1700's will include Ryan Obermeyer, Chelsea Harper, Raam Raghunathan and Joseph Zemgulys.

Among the 70 or so in the U1500's we should see Vishall Meduri, Otis Lewis, John Freeman and Neil Wren.

U1300 entries shows Alex Parkel with the top rating at 1299 with over 60 entered.

For players rated Under 1000, Jack Wilde, Linzie Tuck, and Alex Yang are all on board along with over 70 others. 

Illinois Chess Association members are eligible for a discounted entry fee in most sections.

And a little birdie has suggested that there will be a resurrection of the Illinois Chess Tour for the year which would mean points from the Chicago Open will count toward the season totals.

So remember to keep your ICA membership current so as to accrue Tour points!

 

Details on the revitalized program are pending. The Chicago Class in July and the Midwest Class in October are also tabbed as Tour events on recent line ups -- and those also include entry discounts for ICA membership.

Registration can still be accomplished through http://chicagoopen.net/ and or onlineregistration.cc up until two hours before the player's first match, one hour at the site in Wheeling.