We are pleased to accept entries for the 2025 Las Vegas International Chess Festival. Don’t forget returning players who enter the National Open by January 31st qualify for the Early Bird Discount. We are making a few changes to the 2025 event to improve your tournament experience. This applies especially to the Youth events which […]
Author: Alan Losoff
Couldn’t Stay For Your Prize or Trophy?
Unclaimed checks will be mailed within 10 business days to the address given with your registration. If you have moved, send your new address, with the subject “address for prize for [name]” to vegaschess@gmail.com. If you won more than $599 you must fill out a w-9 form and email it to vegaschess@gmail.com or mail it […]
Poker Tournament
FM Eugene Yanayt is the 2024 Vegas Chess Festival Poker Champion. In addition to the coveted Chess Festival Poker Bracelet Eugene won $1,450 in cash.
Now Taking Entries for 2024
We are now taking entries for the 2024 Las Vegas International Chess Festival. The Early Bird Discount for returning players will be valid through January. Enter now! Reserve your room early to qualify for the free room lottery. The earlier you reserve, the more virtual tickets you receive.
Additional Open Simul Added Thursday
GM Ben Finegold and IM Eric Rosen will both give simuls on Thursday afternoon. If you have already signed up for the simul you will be assigned to one or the other. We can honor change requests on our contact page unless the desired simul is full. At that point you would be put on […]
GM Ben Finegold Simul Announced
Ben Finegold is an American grandmaster, teacher, and streamer. Known for teaching kids and having a unique brand of humor, he is part of a three-generation chess family; his father Ronald, brother Mark, and son Spencer all became master-level players as well. After earning his IM title in 1989, Finegold saw his FIDE rating near 2600 […]
Now Accepting entries for 2023
If you have any problems with our new payment processor or any other problems with entry please contact us.
Westgate Sold Out: overflow hotels available.
Our room block at the Westgate is sold out. All the rooms that the Westgate was holding for our group have been sold. We have arranged chess rates at nearby hotels.
Las Vegas Monorail Discounts
The Las Vegas Monorail is offering Las Vegas Chess Festival attendees exclusive fare discounts. Use the Monorail to travel the Strip and to the tournament without the hassles of traffic and wasted time. Be sure to purchase your tickets before the festival as the discounts are available for a limited time! Buy your discounted tickets at tix.lvmonorail.com/VCF22 […]
Winner of the Free Stay at the Westgate Hotel
The drawing was held this morning and the winner is L. F. of Franklin Tennessee. L.F.’s stay at the Las Vegas Chess Festival is on us. The recording of the drawing is here.
Zoom Town Hall
We will be holding two Town Hall Meetings where players and parents new to tournament chess or new to our event can have their questions answered. These meetings are open to players, parents, and coaches who have registered or wish to learn more before registering. Recordings of the meetings will be posted here for players […]
Over-the-Board Chess Returns June 16-20
Nevada is relaxing (but not eliminating) restrictions, and we are confident that we can return to over the board chess with the Chess Event of the Year. We have delayed accepting entries until we were (nearly) certain that we could proceed. Players who have carried their entries over from previous events will be added to […]
2020 National Open Rescheduled
2020 Chess Festival Cancelled
We regret to announce that we must cancel the Las Vegas International Chess Festival scheduled for June 24-28, 2020. The most optimistic opening date for the host hotel is less than a week before our scheduled start, and we cannot be sure that date will be met. We are hoping to reschedule the event in […]
Vegas Chess Festivals Coronavirus Response
We have received several inquiries as to whether the National Open and the Chess Festival will be canceled. We intend to hold the event as planned if it is at all possible and safe. We hope to make a firm decision by …
Join us for the 2020 Las Vegas International Chess Festival
It’s never to early to plan for the Chess Vacation of the Year! Once again we are offering a drawing with great prizes for early entries to the National Open and the International Youth Championship, and everyone who reserves a room with our group code will also be entered into a drawing for a free […]
Thank you for participating in the Las International Vegas Chess Festival
Congratulations to Illia Nyzhnyk, the winner of the National Open, and to all the winners of other events in the Chess Festival. We hope that every player goes home feeling like a winner. Final Standings are available on our Results Page, and hundreds of photos are on our Facebook Page. Unclaimed prize checks were mailed […]
Drawing for Free Hotel Room
The Drawing was held and the winner was the holder of ticket 6327. The guest with initials W C who made the reservation on January 30th for 6/12 through 6/17 on will have the room paid for by the festival. Congratulations! WC will be notified by email. The drawing for the Free Hotel Room will […]
Registration Now Open for 2019 Events
This year the Open Section of the National Open will be a 9-round Swiss with FIDE norms possible and discounts for titled players. All under sections remain at 7-rounds, a popular change we made last year. Extra discounts are also available for returning players who enter before the end of January. We call this the […]
Where’s my Prize?
All prize checks for less than $600 were mailed Thursday, June 28th, as were larger checks for players who completed a W-9 form. Players expecting prize checks $600 or larger must submit a W-9. You can download the form from the IRS at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf and mail the completed form to PO Box 90925 Henderson NV 89002. […]
U. S. Women’s Open Under Way
The Las Vegas Chess Festival kicks off with the U.S. Women’s Open. Over 40 women and girls are participation. Watch the games Live.
2017 U.S. Women’s Champion Sabina Foisor to Host Youth Championship
Each year we invite a player who is or was famous as a child star to host the International Youth Championship. The current U.S. Women’s Champion, Sabina Foisor, has won medals at the European Youth Chess Championships in various age categories. Her result at 2007 European Women’s Championship qualified her for the Women’s World Chess Championship […]
The Chess Event of the Year!
Put the fun back in chess at the Las Vegas International Chess Festival! In addtion to the 4 Major Chess Tournaments we offer a weekend full of Chess Fun: Free Lectures, Chess Camp for all ages, Simultaneous Exhibitions, Free Analysis of your Games, Blitz, Puzzle Competition and the best Chess Store on either side of […]
50th Anniversary National Open
Celebrate the National Open’s 50th Anniversary with us at the Las Vegas International Chess Festival. In addition to the usual great tournaments and activities we have a few surprises in store. Watch this space. If you played in the first National Open at the Stardust in 1965 we want to invite you to play this year […]
