Quick Chess Saturday: Blitz + Bullet + 960
MUN Engineering Cafeteria, St. John's (S.J. Carew Building)
Quick Chess Saturday: Blitz + Bullet + 960
Join us for a day of chess featuring three fast-paced tournaments.
Open to all ages and skill levels! Unrated. No membership required. Entry fee is $10 per event. Or $25 to play all three. Note: bundled entry contributes less to the tournament prize funds individually, but keeps fees affordable and encourages playing all events.
You can play in all three events, two, or just play in one. Hopefully there is something for everyone!
We'll start with a blitz (3 minutes +2 second increments per player) tournament at 10am, break for lunch at 1pm before starting bullet (1+1) at 2pm. That tournament should finish relatively quickly and we'll aim to start Chess 960 (10+5) at 3:30pm. Hopefully we can finish around 6pm or a little later.
Chess 960 (also known as Fischer Random or Freestyle chess) is a chess variant where pieces are placed randomly on the first and eighth ranks. There are special rules for castling but otherwise the rules are the same as standard chess. I will generate a position before the event using this generator.
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Event Schedule (All times local)
10:00 AM – Blitz Tournament
- Format:
- If fewer than 10 players: Round Robin double rounds (each opponent played twice)
- If 10 or more: 7 double-round Swiss system
- Time Control: 3 minutes + 2 seconds increment per move
- Estimated Finish: 1:00 PM
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Lunch Break
2:00 PM – Bullet Tournament
- Format:
- Fewer than 7 players: Quadruple Round Robin
- 7 to 9 players: Double Round Robin
- 10 or more: 7 double-round Swiss system
- Time Control: 1 minute + 1 second increment per move
- Estimated Finish: 3:30 PM (with a 10–15 minute buffer)
3:30 PM – Chess 960 Tournament
- Format: 4 rounds Swiss system
- Time Control: 10 minutes + 5 seconds increment
- Positions: Randomized start generated at the beginning
- Estimated Finish: By 6:00 PM
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Additional Information
- Entry Fee: $25 (includes all three events) Or $10 per tournament. Pay onsite in cash or EMT onsite.
- Registration: Onsite
- Location: MUN Engineering Cafeteria
- Equipment: Boards and clocks will be provided. Bring your own set if you prefer.
- Prizes: For each tournament, based on total entrants and fees: 1st 40%, 2nd 20%, Top Junior 20%, NLCA retains 20% for future costs (such as equipment, etc.)
Players can only win one prize per event.
- Membership: NOT required
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Notes
- You may register for one, two, or all three events—please specify during registration (onsite).
- Formats and pairings will adjust based on player turnout for blitz and bullet to ensure a smooth experience. If format is Round Robin, pairing charts may be used instead of computer pairings. If 10+ players in blitz or bullet, we use 7 round Swiss System pairings.
- Expect a competitive but friendly atmosphere. We encourage sportsmanship and respect. Due to short time controls, players will adjudicate their own games for the most part.
- Touch clock rules. Touch move is NOT enforced. Press clock with the same hand you move pieces with.
- Illegal moves must be corrected.
If your opponent makes an illegal move, pause the clock and politely ask them to fix it.
If you cannot resolve the issue, or if there is disagreement, call the Tournament Director for assistance.
Repeated illegal moves may result in penalties, including loss of game or disqualification, at the TD's discretion.
Tournament Director: Steve Martin
- Contact: stevew83[at]gmail[dot]com (happy to answer any questions)
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Looking forward to seeing everyone for a full day of fast and fun chess!