71st Annual Maryland Open, Chess Tournament in Rockville, May 2026
71st Annual Maryland Open runs from May 8-10, 2026 in Rockville, Maryland, USA. This is a chess tournament in Rockville, Maryland, USA, in 2026. It uses a five-round Swiss format and offers seven sections for different rating groups.
Players can choose between 3-day and 2-day schedules in several sections. The top three sections are FIDE rated, while every section is US Chess rated. The event also uses score-based prizes instead of place-based prizes.
The tournament takes place at the Rockville Hilton on Rockville Pike. The hotel also serves as the playing site. In addition, the organizer lists a published room rate of USD 149 per night.
♟️ Event Details
The core event details are below.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| 📅 Dates | May 8-10, 2026 |
| 📍 Location | Rockville Hilton, 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, USA |
| ♟️ Format | 5-round Swiss |
| 👥 Sections | 7 |
| ⭐ Rating | Championship, U2200, and U2000 are FIDE rated; all sections are US Chess rated |
| 💰 Prize fund | USD 14,225 guaranteed cash prizes |
| 🏨 Hotel rate | USD 149 per night |
| 👤 Capacity | Unlimited |
⏱️ Time Control & Pairings
The top five sections, from Championship through U1600, use Game/90 + 30 seconds in the standard schedule. Players who choose the 2-day option in those sections play Rounds 1 and 2 at Game/45 + 30 seconds. The U1300 and U1000 sections use Game/75 d/5, while the first two rounds of the 2-day schedule use Game/45 d/5. The U1300 section also offers a full 3-day schedule at Game/75 d/5 throughout.
💰 Prize Fund
The guaranteed section prizes listed by the organizer add up to USD 14,225. The official prize chart is below.
| Section | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | $1,600 | $800 | $450 | $175 | $50 |
| U2200 | $1,500 | $750 | $375 | $150 | $40 |
| U2000 | $1,500 | $750 | $375 | $150 | $40 |
| U1800 | $1,200 | $650 | $325 | $125 | — |
| U1600 | $1,000 | $500 | $250 | $100 | — |
| U1300 | $500 | $250 | $125 | $50 | — |
| U1000 | $250 | $125 | $50 | $20 | — |
Unrated prize limits apply in the lower sections. The U1000 section also awards trophies to the top five finishers and the top U800 player. Separately, the highest-finishing Maryland resident aged 50+ in the Championship section receives a USD 750 Maryland Senior State Champion stipend for the John T. Irwin National Tournament of Senior State Champions.
👥 Sections / Groups
The official section structure is below.
| Section | Eligibility | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Championship | Minimum rating 2000 | FIDE rated |
| U2200 | Minimum rating 1900 | FIDE rated |
| U2000 | Minimum rating 1700 | FIDE rated |
| U1800 | Minimum rating 1500 | Standard weekend section |
| U1600 | Minimum rating 1200 or unrated | Standard weekend section |
| U1300 | Under 1300 or unrated | 2-day and 3-day options |
| U1000 | Under 1000 | 2-day only; no adult unrated players |
📅 Schedule
The official round schedule is below.
| Date | Time | Round / Activity |
|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2026 | 6:00 PM | At-the-door registration ends for 3-day Championship-U1600 and U1300 3-day |
| May 8, 2026 | 7:00 PM | Round 1 for 3-day Championship-U1600 and U1300 3-day |
| May 9, 2026 | 10:00 AM | At-the-door registration ends for 2-day schedules and U1000 |
| May 9, 2026 | 11:00 AM | Round 2 for 3-day Championship-U1600 |
| May 9, 2026 | 11:00 AM | Round 1 for 2-day Championship-U1600 |
| May 9, 2026 | 11:00 AM | Round 1 for U1300 and U1000 2-day |
| May 9, 2026 | 12:45 PM | Round 2 for U1300 and U1000 2-day |
| May 9, 2026 | 2:15 PM | Round 2 for 2-day Championship-U1600 |
| May 9, 2026 | 3:00 PM | Round 3 for U1300 3-day and U1300/U1000 2-day |
| May 9, 2026 | 5:30 PM | Round 3 for Championship-U1600 |
| May 10, 2026 | 9:30 AM | Round 4 for all sections |
| May 10, 2026 | 12:15 PM | Round 5 for U1300 and U1000 |
| May 10, 2026 | 2:45 PM | Round 5 for Championship-U1600 |
📝 Registration
The current registration information is below.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| How to register | Online, by mail, or at the door |
| Entry fees | Standard sections: $129 early, $139 regular, $149 late, $160 at the door |
| Lower-section discounts | U1300 fees are $45 lower at each stage; U1000 fees are $65 lower |
| Title discounts | GMs get free early entry; IMs receive a $45 discount |
| Refund policy | 100% refund until 1 hour before Round 1 |
| Membership | US Chess membership required |
| Mail entry | Maryland Chess Assn., 1827 Thornton Ridge Road, Towson, MD 21204, USA |
| Tournament email | tournaments@mdchess.com |
🏁 Organizer
Maryland Chess Association runs the Maryland Open as one of its long-standing flagship weekend events. The association is a Maryland nonprofit chess organization and the state chess affiliate. It also manages a year-round calendar of open and scholastic tournaments across the state.
Email: tournaments@mdchess.com
Website: https://mdchess.com/
📍 Venue
Rockville Hilton, 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, USA
The Rockville Hilton serves as both the playing site and the tournament hotel. The organizer lists a USD 149 room rate for players. The hotel also sits next to a DC Metro stop, which makes the venue practical for both local and visiting players.
🚗 How to Get There
The venue is easy to reach by car from the wider Maryland and Washington area. Metro access is also convenient because the hotel is next to a DC Metro stop. For parking, the organizer lists $6 for day guests and $15 for overnight parking, while the Metro parking lot is free on the weekend.
This event offers one of the strongest multi-section weekend tournaments on the Maryland chess calendar.
Additional Details
Prize Fund (approx.) - $14,225
Organizer
♟️ Organizer Overview
Maryland Chess Association is the state chess affiliate for Maryland, USA and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For players in Maryland, this is one of the most important names in local and regional chess. The association serves adults, juniors, beginners, experts, and titled players. It has a long tournament history and a broad footprint across the state. The Maryland Open has run since 1948, which gives the organizer a deep place in American chess. The current leadership includes Christopher Y. Kim as president, with Michael W. Regan as vice president for open events and John D. Rockefeller V as vice president for scholastic events.
🏆 Tournament Activity
Tournament organization stands at the center of Maryland Chess Association’s work. For adult and mixed fields, it runs major open events such as the Maryland Open, Baltimore Open, Maryland Senior Open, Maryland Action Championship, Maryland Quick Championship, Maryland Blitz Championship, and the Washington International. The association describes the Washington International as the most elite non-invitational chess tournament in America. Its current 2026 calendar also lists the 71st Annual Maryland Open, the 13th Annual Washington International, and the 13th Annual Potomac Open. For scholastic players, the association runs a large statewide program with up to 18 scholastic tournaments during the school year and reports that these events serve about 4,000 players annually. Its long-running title events include the Maryland Scholastic Championships since 1975, the Maryland Sweet 16 since 1995, the Maryland Girls Chess Championship / Mid-Atlantic Girls Chess Championship since 2010, and the Greater Baltimore Scholastic Chess Championships since 2011.
🌱 Player Development and Competitive Pathway
Maryland Chess Association also supports player growth beyond weekend tournaments. It provides five annual travel stipends of up to $750 each for elite scholastic players who qualify for major national invitationals such as the Denker, Haring, Barber, Rockefeller, and Irwin events. The association also works with club development, educational programs, and statewide tournament access. Its scholastic events are held in many different Maryland communities, including Baltimore, Boonsboro, Chestertown, Frederick, Germantown, Hagerstown, Owings, Owings Mills, Perryville, Severna Park, and Towson. This gives young players a real competitive pathway inside the state. At the same time, open events such as the Maryland Open, Baltimore Open, Potomac Open, and Washington International give adult players and stronger juniors regular opportunities for rated tournament chess.
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