The 64th Annual Baltimore Open 2027 will take place from February 5–7, 2027 at the Sheraton Baltimore Washington Airport Hotel – BWI in Linthicum Heights, Maryland.

Organized by the Maryland Chess Association, the long-running Baltimore Open features five Swiss-system rounds and seven rating sections, with both 3-Day and 2-Day schedule options. The Championship, U2100, and U1900 sections are FIDE rated, while all sections are US Chess rated.

Instead of one fixed headline prize fund, the tournament uses guaranteed score-based cash prizes. A player’s final score determines the prize, and ties do not reduce the published amount.

♟️ Event Details

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The tournament uses different time controls according to section and schedule.

♟️ Championship through U1500

Players on the regular 3-Day schedule use:

G/90 + 30-second increment per move

Players choosing the 2-Day schedule use a faster control for the opening rounds:

Rounds 1–2: G/45 + 30-second increment

After the accelerated opening rounds, they join the regular schedule and continue at:

G/90 + 30-second increment

♟️ U1250 & U1000

The lower sections use shorter controls.

The organizer’s published tournament page contains an overlapping round-number typo in the lower-section time-control description. However, the schedule and live registration confirm the current U1250 and U1000 structure.

⭐ FIDE Rules

The Championship, U2100, and U1900 sections use FIDE rules.

The remaining sections follow US Chess tournament rules.

🏆 Prize Fund

The Baltimore Open does not advertise one fixed total prize fund.

Instead, all published score-based prizes are guaranteed. A player’s final score determines the cash award, and players with the same score each receive the full corresponding amount.

For example, if two players both finish 5–0 in the same section, each receives the published 5/5 prize.

🥇 Championship

If the total Championship payout is below $1,500, the organizer will add money to the highest-scoring prize group until at least $1,500 has been distributed.

🥈 Under 2100

🥉 Under 1900

💰 Under 1700

💰 Under 1500

💰 Under 1250

The live registration form and current round schedules identify this section as U1250.

The organizer’s static prize table still labels this same lower section U1300. Players should therefore use the live registration form for the current section name and contact the Tournament Director if clarification is needed.

🏅 Under 1000

The U1000 section also awards:

• Trophies to the Top 5
• Trophy to the Top U800 player

💵 Unrated Prize Limits

Unrated players are subject to maximum cash prizes:

Any balance is redistributed according to the organizer’s published prize rules.

🧩 Sections / Groups

The tournament currently offers seven sections.

📊 Rating Eligibility

The Maryland Chess Association states that live or currently published ratings may be used for section eligibility.

Peak ratings cannot be used.

Players with provisional ratings have 100 points added to their rating when section eligibility is determined.

There is currently an additional difference between two official MCA sources.

The published prize table lists nominal minimum ratings of:

• Championship – 2100
• U2100 – 1900
• U1900 – 1700
• U1700 – 1500
• U1500 – 1200 or unrated

However, the live registration form currently permits:

• Championship – above 2000
• U2100 – above 1800
• U1900 – above 1600
• U1700 – above 1400
• U1500 – above 1100 or unrated

Players close to a section boundary should therefore use the current registration form and contact the Tournament Director if necessary.

📅 Schedule

📆 Championship–U1500: 3-Day Schedule

Registration closes Friday at 6:00 PM.

📆 Championship–U1500: 2-Day Schedule

Registration closes Saturday at 10:00 AM.

📆 U1250 & U1000: 2-Day Schedule

Registration closes Saturday at 10:00 AM.

📆 U1250: 3-Day Schedule

Registration closes Friday at 6:00 PM.

The U1000 section is 2-Day only.

📝 Registration

Players can register through the official Maryland Chess Association registration system.

Official Tournament Page:
https://mdchess.com/index.php?Itemid=1548&catid=1&id=83&option=com_eventbooking&view=event

Individual Registration:
https://mdchess.com/index.php?Itemid=1548&event_id=83&option=com_eventbooking&task=register.individual_registration

💳 Entry Fees

At-the-door entries are subject to available space.

💲 Lower-Section Discounts

U1250: $35 less than the applicable standard entry fee.

U1000: $55 less than the applicable standard entry fee.

⭐ Titled Players

Grandmasters: Free early entry.

International Masters: $45 entry-fee discount.

🏨 Hotel Discount

Players staying at the Sheraton under the tournament hotel arrangement receive:

$5 off the tournament entry fee

The registration form asks for the Sheraton booking confirmation code.

↩️ Cancellation & Refunds

A player receives a 100% entry-fee refund if the organizer is notified at least:

2 hours before the start of the player’s first round

✉️ Mail Registration

Mail entries can be sent to:

Maryland Chess Association
1827 Thornton Ridge Road
Towson, MD 21204
United States

Mailed registrations should include the player’s:

• Name
• Section
• 2-Day or 3-Day schedule

👤 Organizer

Organizer Name: Maryland Chess Association
Tournament Director: Mike Regan
Email: tournaments@mdchess.com
Phone: +1 410-419-5130
Website: https://mdchess.com/

📍 Venue

Sheraton Baltimore Washington Airport Hotel – BWI – 1100 Old Elkridge Landing Road, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090, United States

The Sheraton serves as both the playing venue and official tournament hotel.

It is located close to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and provides meeting facilities, an indoor pool, fitness facilities, restaurant service, and parking.

🚆 How to Get There

✈️ By Air

The nearest airport is:

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)

The Sheraton is approximately 3 miles from BWI Airport.

🚐 Airport Shuttle

The hotel provides a complimentary shuttle between BWI Airport and the Sheraton.

Marriott currently advises guests to arrange or confirm the shuttle through the hotel.

Hotel Phone: +1 443-577-2100

🚆 By Train

The BWI area is served by rail connections, including MARC commuter rail.

Players arriving by train can continue to the hotel using local transport or the airport-area connection.

🚗 By Car

The hotel is located close to I-195 and the BWI airport corridor.

Tournament participants have access to:

Free parking

at the venue.

ℹ️ Other Information

🏨 Official Tournament Hotel

The official tournament hotel is:

Sheraton Baltimore Washington Airport Hotel – BWI

The tournament advertises a special rate of:

$119 per night

Rooms at the tournament rate are limited, so early booking is recommended.

Players staying through the official tournament hotel arrangement receive a:

$5 tournament entry-fee discount

Hotel Phone: +1 443-577-2100

☕ Sunday Continental Breakfast

The tournament provides a free continental breakfast on Sunday morning.

Players can have coffee and light breakfast items before the Sunday rounds.

💤 Half-Point Byes

The official tournament rules state that there is no limit on half-point byes.

However, all requested half-point byes must be committed:

At least one hour before the start of Round 3

A bye may not later be removed if the player avoided a full-point bye because of that request.

The current online registration form provides fields for up to three requested half-point byes.

🔁 Re-Entry

Standard re-entry fee:

$95

U1250 and U1000 re-entry:

$40

With one half-point bye:

• Standard sections – $85
• U1250 / U1000 – $35

With two half-point byes:

• Standard sections – $75
• U1250 / U1000 – $30

🎒 Equipment

The organizer provides:

• Chess sets
• Boards
• Digital clocks

Players therefore do not need to bring their own tournament equipment.

📵 Electronic Devices

Strict electronic-device rules apply in the FIDE-rated:

• Championship
• U2100
• U1900

Players are instructed not to bring cell phones, smartwatches, or similar electronic devices into the playing venue, including the areas immediately surrounding the playing room.

The organizer may use thermal and magnetic scanning and video monitoring.

If an electronic device is turned on or makes a sound:

The player forfeits the game.

For possession of a switched-off device:

• First violation – 30-minute time penalty, limited to no more than half of the player’s remaining time
• Second violation – loss of the game

Electronic scorekeeping devices such as ChessNoteR and eNotate are not permitted.

⚠️ Forfeits

Any player who forfeits a scheduled round must pay a:

$50 fine

before being allowed to participate in a future tournament organized by Maryland Chess Association or Baltimore Chess.

📊 Provisional Ratings

Players with provisional ratings have:

100 rating points added

for the purpose of determining section eligibility.

♟️ House-Player Pairings

A player with a bye may sometimes be paired as a house player in a lower section if another suitable bye player is available.

The player retains the bye for standings in the original section, while the additional game is played and rated under the applicable tournament rules.

♿ Accessibility

The US Chess tournament listing currently marks the event as “Handicap Accessible: No.”

However, the Sheraton itself publishes accessible guest-room and common-area features.

Players requiring specific accessibility arrangements should contact both the Tournament Director and the hotel before travelling.

🌐 Official Links

Maryland Chess Association:
https://mdchess.com/

Official Tournament Page:
https://mdchess.com/index.php?Itemid=1548&catid=1&id=83&option=com_eventbooking&view=event

Individual Registration:
https://mdchess.com/index.php?Itemid=1548&event_id=83&option=com_eventbooking&task=register.individual_registration

US Chess Listing:
https://new.uschess.org/64th-annual-baltimore-open

Official Hotel:
https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/bwils-sheraton-baltimore-washington-airport-hotel-bwi/overview/