60th Cincinnati Open returns on April 10-12, 2026 in Blue Ash, Ohio, United States, delivering a marquee spring weekend for ambitious competitors and dedicated club players across the Greater Cincinnati area. The event runs a 5-round Swiss with both FIDE-rated and non-FIDE options, so players can choose the section that best matches their rating, goals, and preferred pace.

You can compete in three FIDE sections with a choice of 2-day or 3-day schedules, or you can play in one of the UNDER sections with a distinct time control and a structured five-round experience built into a six-round schedule. The tournament advertises an $18,000 prize pool tied to participation, and it pairs a serious playing environment with a convenient full-service hotel venue.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

The tournament bases the $18,000 total prize pool on 280 paid entries. If the event receives fewer than 280 paid entries, the organizers pay prizes in proportion, with a minimum payment of 50% of the advertised amounts. Players split prizes among ties.

Players with GM, IM, WGM, or WIM titles pay no entry fee, but the tournament reduces any prize won by $120.

FIDE Sections Prizes

UNDER Sections Prizes

Seniors U2201 awards one prize per rating category in the section.

Players without an official or unofficial USCF Regular rating may enter any UNDER section, but they may not win a prize larger than the second-place prize amount for the section they enter.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The Cincinnati Open runs a 5-round Swiss. Players in the FIDE sections choose either a 3-day or a 2-day schedule.

FIDE sections use 40/90, SD/30 +30 for all rounds except rounds 1 and 2 of the 2-day schedule, which use G/75 d5 and do not qualify for FIDE rating submission. The tournament sets a 60-minute default time.

UNDER sections use G/110 d5 and schedule six rounds, but every player selects one scheduled round as a required zero-point bye, so every participant completes five rounds. Seniors U2201 may use accelerated pairings for rounds 1 and 2.

Players may take one or two optional half-point byes, and players must finalize bye requests by 5:00 pm on Saturday, April 11.

📂 Sections / Groups

📅 Schedule

FIDE Sections 3-Day Schedule

FIDE Sections 2-Day Schedule

UNDER Sections Schedule

📝 Registration

Register online through King Registration and pay by credit card or PayPal:
https://www.kingregistration.com

You can also enter by mail using the official mail-in entry form and pay by check. Make the check payable to Cincinnati Scholastic Chess and mail the completed entry form to:
9180 Pinewood Drive, Loveland, OH 45140-8234, United States

The tournament charges $120 through Friday, April 3, then $135 until 8:00 am on Friday, April 10, and $150 for onsite entry. The tournament accepts onsite entries on Friday, April 10 (5:00–6:00 pm) and Saturday, April 11 (8:00–10:00 am).

Players in UNDER sections may play up one section with a $15 play-up fee.

👥 Organizer

Cincinnati Scholastic Chess organizes tournaments across the Greater Cincinnati area and has supported scholastic and open competition for years, including the revival of the Cincinnati Open as an annual spring tradition. The organizer runs regular events, maintains archives of past results, and hosts both youth-focused and all-ages competitions in the region.

• Email: info@chesscincinnati.com

• Phone: 513-600-9915

• Website: https://www.chesscincinnati.com/

🏨 Venue

Embassy Suites by Hilton Cincinnati Northeast Blue Ash, 4554 Lake Forest Drive, Blue Ash, OH 45242, United States

The tournament plays at a full-service Embassy Suites hotel in Blue Ash, northeast of Cincinnati. The property offers suite-style rooms and includes amenities such as a free made-to-order breakfast, an indoor pool, and a fitness center.

🛎️ Accommodation

The tournament hotel offers a Cincinnati Open room rate of $119/night for a single king suite and $129/night for a double queen suite, plus applicable taxes. Each room includes a sofa bed, and the hotel includes a free made-to-order hot breakfast for up to two room occupants.

Book through the event link:
https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/cvgbaes-xch-bb62715c-d6aa-4559-aab4-ec3e186c6741/

Or call the hotel at 513-733-8900 and request the Cincinnati Open Chess Tournament rate.

🚗 How to Get There

Blue Ash sits in the northeast Cincinnati area near I-71, and you can reach downtown Cincinnati in about 20 minutes by car. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport sits about 29 miles away, and James M. Cox Dayton International Airport sits about 55 miles away.

Bring your best chess and make your spring weekend count at a tournament that rewards strong play across every rating range.

🧾 Other

Players must make their move on the board before recording it, and players must move the king first when castling. Players may adjust pieces only to remove ambiguity and should do so on their own clock after clearly stating their intention. Players may not wear headphones or headsets during a game.

The event enforces a strict electronic device policy. Players may not use devices anywhere in the playing venue during a game, and players may not carry a device away from the board during play, including to restrooms. The tournament does not permit electronic scoresheets in any FIDE section.

The tournament prohibits smoking and computers at the venue.