The 2nd Annual Atlantic City Open will take place from March 24–28, 2027, at Tropicana Atlantic City in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Organized by the Continental Chess Association, the Easter-weekend tournament offers $40,000 in guaranteed prizes across seven rating sections and awards 200 Enhanced US Chess Grand Prix points.

The Open section is a nine-round FIDE-rated tournament with conditions for GM and IM norms. The U2200 and U2000 sections also receive FIDE rating for games played at the full classical time control. Six non-Open sections offer a choice between four-day and accelerated three-day schedules, while the Open is played exclusively on the full five-day schedule.

The tournament combines major overall prizes, class awards, a separate FIDE U2300/Unrated prize in the Open, Mixed Doubles bonuses, and minimum-prize guarantees for qualifying foreign titled players. A separate Atlantic City Open Blitz Championship is scheduled for Saturday night.

♟️ Event Details

The second Atlantic City Open expands Continental Chess’s Easter-weekend program at Tropicana Atlantic City, with seven sections covering players from beginner level through Grandmaster strength.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The Open section uses the full classical time control in all nine rounds. The other six sections play seven rounds and may select either a four-day or three-day schedule.

At 40/80, SD/30; d30, each player receives 80 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second delay throughout.

The accelerated three-day schedule begins with two G/60, d10 games before joining the regular tournament schedule. The four-day and three-day players compete together for the same prizes within their section.

FIDE Rating

The Open section is fully FIDE rated and is structured to allow GM and IM norms under applicable FIDE requirements.

The U2200 and U2000 sections are also FIDE rated for games played at the full 40/80, SD/30; d30 time control. The accelerated G/60, d10 games in the three-day schedule do not form part of the FIDE Standard-rated portion.

Byes

Players may take up to three byes.

Players should finalize their bye requests before the published deadline because later changes may not be accepted.

🏆 Prize Fund

The tournament guarantees $40,000 in prizes. The published structure covers all seven sections, the Open FIDE U2300/Unrated category, Mixed Doubles, and an additional Open winner bonus.

Open Section

The Open carries the largest individual prizes.

The clear or tiebreak tournament winner receives an additional $200 bonus.

FIDE U2300 / Unrated – Open Section

Eligible players in the Open have an additional FIDE-rating prize category.

Under 2200

Under 2000

Under 1800

Under 1600

Under 1400

Under 1100

Mixed Doubles Bonus

Players from any section may also enter the Mixed Doubles competition at no additional charge.

Each Mixed Doubles team consists of one male and one female player. The team’s combined scores from Rounds 1–7 determine its result.

The two players may compete in different sections and on different schedules. However, their average rating must be below 2200.

Teams must register before both players begin Round 2, and each player may belong to only one Mixed Doubles team.

Unrated Prize Limits

Unrated players may win section prizes, but maximum prize limits apply in several lower sections.

Any portion of a prize exceeding the applicable unrated-player limit passes to the next eligible player or players in the prize order.

These limits do not apply to Mixed Doubles prizes.

Foreign Titled Player Guarantees

Qualifying foreign titled players in the Open can receive minimum-prize guarantees when they register online by March 3 and play all nine games without taking a bye.

🧩 Sections / Groups

Seven sections allow players to compete primarily against opponents of similar rating strength.

The Open section uses FIDE ratings for tournament purposes.

For the lower sections, the organizer uses the March 2027 Official US Chess rating list, together with applicable CCA rules covering unofficial ratings, US Chess Online Regular ratings, and foreign ratings.

Players who would otherwise be unrated may have their US Chess Online Regular rating used. A player may not enter a lower section simply because an official rating has not yet caught up with a substantially higher online or current rating.

Open Section Eligibility

Players below the normal Open qualification threshold may still enter, but a substantial surcharge applies.

An additional $800 Open play-up charge applies unless the player meets at least one of these thresholds:

🗓️ Schedule

The tournament offers three schedule structures. The Open section is played only on the five-day schedule.

5-Day Open Schedule

Registration closes Wednesday at 6:00 PM.

4-Day Schedule

The four-day schedule is available for all sections except Open. Registration closes Thursday at 6:00 PM.

3-Day Schedule

The three-day schedule is also available for all sections except Open. Registration closes Friday at 10:00 AM.

The first two Friday games on the three-day schedule use G/60, d10. Players then move into the regular classical schedule.

📝 Registration

Entry fees rise after the early-registration deadlines, so advance online registration offers the lowest rate.

Open Section

Onsite Open registration closes at 6:00 PM on March 24.

US IMs and WGMs, together with qualifying foreign players rated 1800+ FIDE, receive a $100 reduction from the listed Open entry fee.

GMs and foreign IMs/WGMs may enter the Open free, with $200 deducted from any prize won. That deduction cannot reduce an applicable foreign-player minimum-prize guarantee.

U2200 Through U1400

The same standard fee structure applies to the U2200, U2000, U1800, U1600, and U1400 sections.

Registration remains available until one hour before Round 1 for the player’s chosen schedule.

U1100

The U1100 entry fee is $80 less than the corresponding standard lower-section fee.

Senior Discount

Players aged 65 or older entering U1400 or a higher section receive a $50 entry-fee discount.

Tournament Hotel Discount

Players who enter online by March 3 can receive an additional $10 entry-fee discount by providing their Tropicana hotel confirmation number.

The hotel booking must include both Friday and Saturday nights. Use the published HOTEL discount code during online tournament registration.

Re-Entry

Re-entry is available for $100, except that a player may not re-enter Open from Open.

Checks are not accepted. Credit cards are accepted.

Official online registration:
https://chessaction.com/

👥 Organizer

Continental Chess Association is one of the largest and longest-running chess tournament organizers in the United States. It operates major national events in numerous states and continues under its established trustee management structure.

Tournament questions, schedule changes, and section-change requests should include the tournament name and player name in the email subject.

Official organizer website:
https://www.chesstour.com/

📍 Venue

The tournament is held at Tropicana Atlantic City, a major Boardwalk hotel and casino resort with extensive meeting facilities, restaurants, shops, and entertainment.

Tropicana Atlantic City – 2831 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, United States

The organizer provides free Chess self-parking for tournament participants.

A special chess hotel block is also published.

Players should reserve by March 16. The organizer warns that the chess rate may increase after that date or when the room block fills.

Tournament hotel reservations are available through the CCA hotel link at:

https://chessevents.us/

🚆 How to Get There

Tropicana is located directly on the Atlantic City Boardwalk and is accessible by car, rail, bus, and air.

The Atlantic City Rail Terminal is the endpoint of the NJ Transit Atlantic City Line from the Philadelphia area. From the station, Tropicana can be reached by local bus, taxi, rideshare, or on foot.

Atlantic City International Airport is approximately 12 miles from Atlantic City, while Philadelphia International Airport is about 60 miles away and offers a much larger range of domestic and international flights.

Players arriving by car should navigate directly to 2831 Boardwalk and follow the tournament instructions for free Chess self-parking.

ℹ️ Other Information

Players should bring a chess set, board, and clock whenever possible. Continental Chess states that players are responsible for supplying their own tournament equipment.

Electronic-device restrictions apply during play. The organizer strongly recommends leaving mobile phones in the hotel room, car, or secured bag away from the player during games.

Refund requests are subject to a $15 service charge.

Players should carefully check the online entry list after registering to confirm the correct section, schedule, and any selected first-round bye.

Atlantic City Open Blitz Championship

A separate 2nd Annual Atlantic City Open Blitz Championship will be held on Saturday, March 27 at 9:30 PM.

The Blitz is an eight-game, double-round tournament using G/3, d2 and offers $500 in guaranteed prizes.

Onsite registration closes before the Blitz begins. Players wishing to compete in both events should allow enough time after the Saturday classical round.

Prize Payments

Players are encouraged to claim their prizes at the tournament whenever possible.

Continental Chess notes that players winning $600 or more must provide the tax identification information required under U.S. regulations before receiving payment.

Unclaimed prizes may be processed after the tournament, which can take several weeks.

Official tournament listing:
https://new.uschess.org/2nd-annual-atlantic-city-open

Official organizer website:
https://www.chesstour.com/

Online registration:
https://chessaction.com/

Tournament hotel information:
https://chessevents.us/