2026 AGCA Championship – Spring Edition
USCF Rated Tournament
** Section A is FIDE Rated **
March 20-22, 2026
12466 Los Indios Trail, Ste.100
Austin, TX 78729
* USCF Membership Required *
Free Parking Provided
Capacity: 112 players
All players will be divided into 4 sections:
SECTION A: 1800+ Open USCF and FIDE rated
SECTION B: 1400 – 1799 Open USCF rated
SECTION C: 1000 – 1399 Open USCF rated
SECTION D: U1000 Open USCF rated
**Players are not allowed to play up or down**
**The higher of the official or most recent rating will determine section selection.**
**If two adjacent sections each have an odd number of players, and the highest-rated player in the lower section is within 50 rating points of the higher section, they may be moved up to balance the sections**
These rules are to avoid byes and better pairings for all.
**Maximum number of players per section is 32**
ENTRY FEES:
Early Bird: $100 by February 28, 2026 by 11:59pm
Standard Fee: $120 before March 15, 2026 11:59pm
Late Fee: $150 on or after March 16, 2026
Re-entry Fee: $40 (from 3-day to 2-day schedule) by 8am, March 21. Please, email us at info@austin-chess.com to complete re-entry.
PRIZES:
Section A: $1000, $500, $250
Section B: $500, $250, $125
Section C: $300, $150, $100
Section D: $200, $150, $100
Medals will be awarded to top 3 finishers in all sections
**USCF Rules will be used for prizes**
Open Qualifier Points:
Top 10 places in Section A will earn points according to the following table:
1st Place: 25 OQ Points
2nd Place: 18 OQ Points
3rd Place: 15 OQ Points
4th Place: 12 OQ Points
5th Place: 10 OQ Points
6th Place: 8 OQ Points
7th Place: 6 OQ Points
8th Place: 4 OQ Points
9th Place: 2 OQ Points
10th Place: 1 OQ Points
For more information about the point system, visit
https://austin-chess.com/tournaments/
TIME CONTROL:
3-day Schedule:
Rounds 1-5: G/90; +30 (90 minutes per player with 30-second increment)
2-day Schedule:
Round 1: G/60; +10 (60 minutes per player with 10-second increment)
Rounds 2-5: G/90; +30 (90 minutes per player with 30-second increment)
**Forfeit time for no-show is 1 hour**
5-Round Swiss System Schedule
3-day Schedule:
1st round: March 20, 7:00 PM (Friday)
2nd round: March 21, 1:00 PM (Saturday)
3rd round: March 21, 6:30 PM (Saturday)
4th round: March 22, 10:00 AM (Sunday)
5th round: March 22, 3:15 PM (Sunday)
2-day Schedule:
1st round: March 21, 9:00 AM (Saturday)
2nd round: March 21, 1:00 PM (Saturday)
3rd round: March 21, 6:30 PM (Saturday)
4th round: March 22, 10:00 AM (Sunday)
5th round: March 22, 3:15 PM (Sunday)
Closing ceremony for each section will take place after the final round.
NOTE: Half-point byes are acceptable for all rounds, limit 1. Must commit before the 1st round.
PLAYERS MAY NOT POSSESS CELL PHONES DURING THE TOURNAMENT. Please leave your phone at home, in your car, or turned off (vibrate/silent not acceptable) on top of your table.
Any violators may be subject to disqualification and forfeiture.
CANCELLATION POLICY: If you do not wish to participate in our tournament after paying the entry fee, please email us at info@austin-chess.com no later than 24 hours in advance. We reserve the right to charge a $20 service fee for cancellations. NO refunds will be issued if we are notified of cancellation within 24 hours of the start of the event.
WITHDRAWAL POLICY: If you would like to withdraw from the tournament after it begins, please alert the tournament director. NO refunds will be issued after the tournament begins.
NO-SHOW POLICY: There are NO refunds or credit for players who do not show up for their scheduled tournament matches.
For additional questions, please contact us at info@austin-chess.com