WKU Topper November will take place on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The one-day tournament features four US Chess-rated rounds in a single Open section, allowing players of different rating levels to compete together under a Swiss-system format.
All games use a G/45 +5-second increment time control. Therefore, each player receives 45 minutes for the game and an additional five seconds after every move. A current US Chess membership is mandatory, while the tournament is not FIDE rated.
The prize fund is entirely entry-dependent and equals 97.5% of all entry fees collected. Awards are distributed among the top two overall finishers, Class A through D/E players, and the top two unrated participants. Entry fees remain affordable, with discounted rates available to college students and players under 18.
♟️ Event Details
WKU Topper November is a four-round rated Open held in Kelly Thompson Hall, Room 3058 on the Western Kentucky University campus. The tournament is open to US Chess members and has no residency restriction.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| 🏷️ Title | WKU Topper November |
| 📅 Date | November 14, 2026 |
| 🌎 Country | United States |
| 📍 City | Bowling Green, Kentucky |
| 🏛️ Venue | Western Kentucky University – Kelly Thompson Hall, Room 3058 |
| 👥 Organizer | Larry W. Bell / Dr. Larry Hill |
| ♟️ Format | Swiss System |
| 🔢 Rounds | 4 |
| 🧩 Sections | 1 Open section |
| ⏱️ Time Control | G/45 +5 |
| ⭐ Rating | US Chess rated |
| 🌐 FIDE Rated | No |
| ♿ Accessibility | Handicap accessible |
| 🏠 Residency Restriction | None |
| 🌐 Event Type | Over-the-board |
⏱️ Time Control & Pairings
All four rounds are played in a single Swiss-system Open. The five-second increment applies from the first move, giving players additional time throughout the game.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| ♟️ Pairing System | Swiss System |
| 🔢 Rounds | 4 |
| ⏱️ Time Control | G/45 +5 |
| ➕ Increment | 5 seconds per move |
| ⭐ US Chess Rated | Yes |
| 🌐 FIDE Rated | No |
Since all participants compete in the same Open section, players may face opponents from different rating classes throughout the tournament.
🏆 Prize Fund
The tournament does not have a fixed or guaranteed cash prize fund. Instead, 97.5% of all entry fees collected is returned as prizes, so the final dollar amounts increase or decrease according to participation.
| Prize Category | Share of Entry-Fee Pool |
|---|---|
| 🥇 1st Place | 20% |
| 🥈 2nd Place | 15% |
| 🎯 Class A | 11.25% |
| 🎯 Class B | 11.25% |
| 🎯 Class C | 11.25% |
| 🎯 Class D/E | 11.25% |
| ♟️ 1st Unrated | 10% |
| ♟️ 2nd Unrated | 7.5% |
| 💰 Total Distributed | 97.5% |
For example, the organizer illustrates the prize structure using $400 in collected entry fees. In that scenario, the prizes would be $80 for first, $60 for second, $45 for each Class A–D/E award, $40 for first unrated, and $30 for second unrated.
The example is illustrative only. The actual tournament prize amounts depend on the total entry fees collected on November 14.
🧩 Sections / Groups
WKU Topper November has one Open section. The Class A, B, C, D/E, and unrated designations are prize categories within the same tournament rather than separate playing sections.
| Section / Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Open | All tournament participants compete together |
| Class A | Rating-class prize within the Open |
| Class B | Rating-class prize within the Open |
| Class C | Rating-class prize within the Open |
| Class D/E | Combined rating-class prize within the Open |
| Unrated | Separate prizes for the top two unrated players |
As a result, all players are paired within the same Swiss tournament while still having multiple prize opportunities based on rating class.
🗓️ Schedule
Registration takes place on Saturday morning from 9:00 AM to 9:45 AM. Round 1 starts at 10:00 AM, while Round 2 begins after a longer midday break at 1:00 PM.
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| 📝 Registration | 9:00–9:45 AM |
| ♟️ Round 1 | 10:00 AM |
| ♟️ Round 2 | 1:00 PM |
| ♟️ Round 3 | As soon as possible |
| ♟️ Round 4 | As soon as possible |
Rounds 3 and 4 do not have fixed published starting times. They will begin as soon as practical after the preceding rounds finish.
📝 Registration
The tournament uses on-site registration on the morning of the event. Adults pay the standard rate, while college students and players under 18 receive a reduced entry fee.
| Registration Category | Entry Fee |
|---|---|
| 💳 Adults | $25 |
| 🎓 College Students with ID | $20 |
| 🧒 Players Under 18 | $20 |
A current US Chess membership is required. Membership must remain valid through November 2026 on the day of the tournament.
US Chess membership will not be available for purchase at the tournament site. Players whose memberships have expired should therefore renew online before arriving.
Participants should bring their US Chess membership ID or other proof of current membership to the tournament.
Official tournament information:
https://new.uschess.org/wku-topper-november
👥 Organizer
The tournament announcement lists Larry W. Bell as Tournament Director and Dr. Larry Hill as organizer.
| Contact | |
|---|---|
| 👥 Organizer Name | Larry W. Bell / Dr. Larry Hill |
| 👤 Contact Person | Larry W. Bell |
| ☎️ Phone | +1 270-763-2281 |
📍 Venue
The tournament is held in Room 3058 of Kelly Thompson Hall on the Western Kentucky University campus. Kelly Thompson Hall houses several of WKU’s science departments and is located next to the Hardin Planetarium.
Western Kentucky University – Kelly Thompson Hall, Room 3058 – 1906 College Heights Blvd, Bowling Green, KY 42101, United States
Players should enter Kelly Thompson Hall through the glass doors on the State Street side, next to the Hardin Planetarium. Tournament signs will help direct participants to the playing area.
🚆 How to Get There
The organizer specifically directs tournament participants to approach Kelly Thompson Hall from the State Street side. Free weekend parking options are available around the building and elsewhere on the WKU campus.
| Transport / Parking | Details |
|---|---|
| 🚪 Tournament Entrance | Glass doors on the State Street side of Kelly Thompson Hall |
| 🧭 Landmark | Entrance is next to the Hardin Planetarium |
| 🅿️ State Street | Free parking available |
| 🅿️ WKU Campus Lots | Most are free on weekends |
| 🚗 Large Parking Lot | 1400 Chestnut Street, behind Kelly Thompson Hall |
Players arriving for morning registration should allow enough time to park, locate the State Street entrance, and reach Room 3058 before registration closes at 9:45 AM.
ℹ️ Other Information
Players are specifically asked to bring their own chess board, pieces, and clock. Tournament equipment is therefore not guaranteed to be supplied by the organizer.
The playing venue is listed as handicap accessible.
US Chess membership must already be active before tournament day because membership sales will not be available onsite.
WKU Topper November is US Chess rated but not FIDE rated. Consequently, tournament results affect players’ US Chess ratings only.
The event has no residency restriction, so eligible US Chess members may participate regardless of where they live.
Official tournament listing:
https://new.uschess.org/wku-topper-november
Organizer
♟️ About WKU Chess Club
WKU Chess Club (Western Kentucky University Chess Club) is a university chess organization based at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. Chess has a long history on the WKU campus, with university records documenting organized club activity across several decades. The current club developed from a modern revival led by WKU faculty member Dr. Lawrence Hill, who began rebuilding the campus chess community around 2019.
The club supports casual play, student participation, community chess, and US Chess-rated tournament competition. Its current tournament activity extends beyond WKU students and welcomes players from Bowling Green and the wider Kentucky chess community. In addition, the club provides an accessible university setting where experienced tournament players, college students, juniors, and unrated players can meet and compete.
Dr. Lawrence Hill serves as faculty advisor and principal organizer of the current WKU tournament program. He works closely with veteran Kentucky Tournament Director Larry Bell, who directs the recurring WKU Topper events. During 2026, this partnership developed a regular series of US Chess-rated tournaments at Kelly Thompson Hall, including Topper events in May, June, September, October, November, and December.
📜 Chess at Western Kentucky University
Organized chess at Western Kentucky University has a history extending back many decades. University archival records document a chess club on campus by the early 1960s. Later generations competed under names including the WKU Knights Chess Club and WKU Chess Club.
The university developed a particularly active chess culture during parts of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Historical records show formal club activity, university support, and participation in organized competition.
However, the earlier club became inactive around the middle of the 2010s. When Dr. Lawrence Hill joined WKU in 2016, he looked for an active campus chess community but found that the previous organization had largely faded.
Hill subsequently worked to establish a new club. The modern revival began around fall 2019, restoring regular chess activity on campus and reconnecting WKU with its earlier chess tradition.
🏛️ Dr. Lawrence Hill and the Club Revival
Dr. Lawrence Hill is an Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Chemistry at Western Kentucky University. In addition to his academic work, he is an avid chess player and has served as a faculty advisor for the revived WKU Chess Club.
His role connects the student organization with the university and its facilities. Moreover, he serves as the operational organizer for the current WKU Topper tournament series.
US Chess listings consistently identify Dr. Larry Hill as Organizer for the 2026 Topper tournaments. His role includes event coordination at WKU, venue arrangements, and tournament communication.
The club’s current tournament venue is Kelly Thompson Hall, which is also home to WKU’s Department of Chemistry. Therefore, the tournament series is closely integrated with the club’s university base rather than using an unrelated commercial venue.
🏆 Tournament Direction with Larry Bell
The WKU Topper tournaments are directed by Larry Bell, one of Kentucky’s most experienced chess organizers.
Bell has organized scholastic chess since 1987. Over his career, he has coached numerous Kentucky state champions and helped develop major scholastic events in the state.
He also worked on the 1992 U.S. High School National Championship, an event that exceeded 1,000 participants. In addition, Bell helped establish the consolidated Kentucky scholastic state championship system.
The Kentucky Chess Association Hall of Fame recognizes Bell for his long contribution to scholastic chess, tournament organization, and player development.
His partnership with Dr. Hill gives the WKU series an experienced US Chess tournament director while keeping organizational responsibility connected to the university chess community.
⚡ WKU Topper Tournament Series 2026
The WKU Topper series forms the center of the club’s current competitive program.
The standard format is a four-round Swiss tournament played at G/45 +5. Events are US Chess-rated and require an active US Chess membership.
The series uses a simple open format rather than multiple rating sections. Prize money is directly connected to participation, with 97.5% of collected entry fees returned as prizes. Awards include overall places, rating-class prizes, and prizes for unrated players.
Entry fees are intentionally moderate. Adults pay $25, while college students and players under 18 receive a reduced $20 entry fee.
The tournaments take place in Room 3058 of Kelly Thompson Hall on the WKU campus. Players bring their own boards, sets, and clocks, while weekend parking on campus is generally free.
🌟 WKU Topper November 2026
The WKU Topper November tournament is scheduled for November 14, 2026 at Western Kentucky University.
The tournament consists of four Swiss rounds at G/45 +5. Round 1 begins at 10:00 AM, followed by Round 2 at 1:00 PM. The remaining rounds begin as soon as possible afterward.
Dr. Larry Hill is the organizer, while Larry Bell serves as Tournament Director. The event is US Chess-rated but not FIDE-rated.
The November tournament continues a sequence of WKU Topper events held throughout 2026. Further competition is already scheduled for December 19, 2026, showing that the series has developed into a regular part of the Bowling Green chess calendar.
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