Chess in America (My experiences at the World Open, North American Open, National Open & more)

Hello! I'm a strong club chess player that has traveled to many of the largest (and usually strongest) OPEN tournaments in America. I'm here to give my personal take on which of the following tournaments chess tourists should go to. This is from my personal experience, so feel free to agree or disagree with me. This list only includes chess tournaments with a prize fund of $30,000 or higher and 7 rounds or longer, because the atmosphere seems more competitive when there is a lot of money at stake and people get more bang for their buck with longer events.

#1. National Open ($125,000 Prize Fund)

This is by far my favorite, and without doubt, most well organized chess tournament I've ever attended. It's quite nice to not have to bring your own board and pieces and the Las Vegas Strip is a great place to be, with shows, restaurants, gambling, and a zip line to top it all off. This tournament is part of the Las Vegas International Chess Festival and hosts many side events, including a youth tournament, a blitz event, grandmaster simuls and more.

#2. World Open ($225,000 Prize Fund)

Ah, the World Open. The largest chess tournament in America, boasting a $225,000 prize fund. This event usually attracts around 1200 players from all corners of the globe. This is one of the first chess events I traveled to, and one that I haven't regretted going to. Philadelphia is a historic city with many attractions, and the venue is in an excellent location in the center of the city. There are over a dozen side events, and if you're going to stay for more than a week, I highly recommend playing in the Philadelphia Open (or International if you're a stronger player). The SEPTA is also a nice benefit for quick transportation in the city.

#3. US Open ($60,000 Prize Fund)

The US Open is more variable because the venue changes every year, but I think that's usually a good thing to avoid some of the repetitiveness of the other American chess events. This is a highly unusual chess tournament, because it is a one-section event with high class prizes and an extremely long time control. This occurs concurrently with other Invitational chess tournaments and hosts many side tournaments. This used to be a 9-day/6-day/4-day event, but it appears that the format will be changing to a 7-day event starting in 2025. My only complaint with this event is that it's rather weak (since it's a one section event) and I prefer having the option to play up for the first couple of rounds if I can.

#4. Washington International ($40,650 Prize Fund)

This is a chess tournament where boards, clocks and pieces are provided! That's not something you see every day in America! The venue is good and the organizer is pretty chill, and I do like the time control of G/100+30 (Game in 100 minutes with a 30 second increment). There are many historic sights to see in Washington D.C. and the metro is easy to use so you can access many places in the area.

Runner-Ups:

The Chicago Open ($100,000 Prize Fund) and North American Open ($130,000 Prize Fund) don't have anything special that make them stand out (beside their massive prize funds), but of the two, I prefer the North American Open. The venue at Chicago is a bit disorganized, and there aren't many food options within walking distance from the hotel.

Special Note: The Open at Foxwoods will be replaced by the Princeton Open starting next year, so there is no relevant information I can offer on that topic.

Universal Open ($75,000 Prize Fund)

The first edition of this tournament was held in Dallas this year. I have a host of complaints about the venue. The chairs are crappy high school cafeteria plastic chairs, the venue is difficult to access from the entrance, and THERE WAS NO AC FOR MOST OF THE EVENT (remember this event is held in TEXAS). There also aren't many food options within walking distance from the hotel. The ONLY good part of this event was that I was able to watch a super-grandmaster blitz match live in person between Vidit Gujurathi and the world-famous Hans Niemann.

Other options:

The Southwest Class (held in February with a $35,000 Prize Fund) and the American Open (held in November with a $40,000 Prize Fund) are also decent midsize events, but I have one problem with each of them. The Southwest Class is not held during a specific holiday, so taking additional leave from work may be required. The American Open is held during Thanksgiving in California, so getting there is very expensive.

That's all folks! Feel free to leave a comment down below if this article helped you pick your next chess tournament .

Awesome brief posts on these events! I'm thinking about going to the NA Open this year but I'm not sure yet as I live in the NE and it won't be cheap when all costs are added. There are other smaller events around that time including the Eastern Open in Arlington, VA and the Boston Chess Congress that I need to consider. If you have any info on these smaller events it would be appreciated. I went to Foxwoods this year and it was a great event. Its a shame they're relocating it - I wasn't aware of that. Next year I would really like to play at the World Open. Thanks for the nice recap of these major events!

Thanks so much for your comment! I will be trying to travel to the Eastern Open next year if my rating allows me to play in the Premier section, so hopefully I'll eventually be able to add that to this list.

Cool! If I don't do the NA Open in Vegas then I'll do this one. Best of luck!