Continental Chess Bulletin

19th annual WESTERN CLASS CHAMPIONSHIPS March 9-11 or 10-11, 2012 Sheraton Hotel, Agoura Hills, CA    $20,000 projected prizes, $16,000 minimum     In 7 sections. Projected prizes based on 230 paid entries (re-entries, Class E count as half entries).      Master Section (2200/up): $2000-1000-500-300, clear/tiebreak first $100, top under 2300 $800-400. FIDE rated, 100 Grand Prix Points.  Expert Section (2000-2199): $1500-800-400-200.   Class A Section (1800-1999): $1500-800-400-200, unrated limit $800. Class B Section (1600-1799): $1500-800-400-200, unrated limit $600. Class C Section (1400-1599): $1400-700-400-200, unrated limit $400.    Class D Section (1200-1399): $1200-600-300-200, unrated limit $250. Class E Section (Under 1200): $600-300-200-100, unrated limit $150, trophies to U1000, U800, U600, Unrated.      Hotel rates: $87 single or twin, 818-707-1220, ask for chess rate, reserve by March 5 or rate may increase.    FULL DETAILS              ENTER NOW

COMING EVENTS Details posted at www.chesstour.com now include the following: . Jan 13-16, 14-16 or 15-16: 3rd annual GOLDEN STATE OPEN. 7 rounds at Concord Hilton in northern California. Free shuttle to Concord BART station. $30,000 projected prizes, $21,000 minimum. Entry fees have been lowered for players rated under 1000. ENTER NOW Jan 13-16, 14-16 or 15-16: 44th annual LIBERTY BELL OPEN. 7 rounds, Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel. $20,000 projected prizes, $14,000 minimum. The $20,000 projected prize fund has been RAISED every year since 2006! ENTER NOW Mar 2-4 or 3-4: 21st annual EASTERN CLASS CHAMPIONSHIPS, Host Hotel at Cedar Lake, Sturbridge, MA. $18,000 projected prizes, $12,000 minimum guaranteed. ENTER NOW Mar 3-4 or 4: 45th annual NEW YORK STATE SCHOLASTIC CHAMPIONSHIPS at Hilton Hotel, Saratoga Springs, NY. 6 rounds, 8 sections. ENTER NOW Mar 9-11 or 10-11: 19th annual WESTERN CLASS CHAMPIONSHIPS, Sheraton Hotel (formerly Renaissance), Agoura Hills in southern California. $20,000 projected prizes, $16,000 minimum guaranteed. ENTER NOW Mar 16-18 or 17-18: LONG ISLAND OPEN at Holiday Inn Islip Airport, Ronkonkoma. First CCA tournament on Long Island since the 1970s. $75 room rates, free parking, free airport shuttle! ENTER NOW Mar 16-18 or 17-18: 16th annual MID-AMERICA OPEN, Crowne Plaza Clayton (Saint Louis). $18,000 projected prizes, $12,000 minimum.  ENTER NOW Mar 23-25 or 24-25: 13th annual PITTSBURGH OPEN, Doubletree Green Tree Hotel. $12,000 projected prizes, $9000 minimum. ENTER NOW Mar 30-Apr 1 or Mar 31-Apr 1: 10th annual SOUTHERN CLASS CHAMPIONSHIPS, Wyndham Orlando Resort. $14,000 projected prizes, $10,500 minimum. ENTER NOW Apr 4-8, 5-8, 6-8 or 7-8: 6th annual PHILADELPHIA OPEN at the luxurious, AAA Four Diamonds Loews Philadelphia Hotel. GM and IM norms possible at this first mega-tournament of 2012! New this year: free entry to IMs and WGMs, and higher second section cutoff (U2200 rather than U2100)! These changes should result in a much stronger Open Section. $80,000 projected prize fund, $60,000 minimum. 9 rounds in Open, 7 rounds in other sections. $98 special chess rates, way below the regular Loews rates. ENTER NOW May 4-6 or 5-6: WESTERN AMATEUR for Under 2300 at Sheraton Four Points LAX, Los Angeles. $89 room rates, $5 parking, free airport shuttle. $10,000 guaranteed prizes. May 24-28, 25-28, 26-28, 27-28 or 25-26:  21st annual CHICAGO OPEN at Westin North Shore Hotel, Wheeling, Illinois. $100,000 PRIZE FUND UNCONDITIONALLY GUARANTEED. Open is 9 rounds with GM and IM norms possible, other sections 7 rounds. The Under 2300 Section returns after a few years absence and is FIDE rated; raising the 2nd section eligibility from Under 2100 to Under 2300 plus new free entry to IMs, WGMs & foreign FMs should make the Open stronger and increase norm chances. Under 1100 Section plays May 25-26, allowing players in this section to also play in a May 27-28 section if desired. ENTER NOW June 29-July 3 (NEW DATES): 9th annual PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL at Sheraton Hotel. 9 rounds, $8000 guaranteed prizes. New this year: $800 minimum prize to the first 5 foreign GMs to enter! Also $300 minimum prize to other GMs and to foreign IMs and foreign WGMs. Note that dates are changed from June 28-July 2 to June 29-July 3, but the tournament is still Friday through Tuesday. July 4-8, 5-8, 6-8, 2-8, 1-3 or 4-5: 40th annual WORLD OPEN at Sheraton Hotel, Philadelphia. 9 rounds in most sections, $250,000 projected prizes, $200,800 minimum. GM and IM norms possible in Open Section. Four FIDE rated sections: Open, Under 2400, Under 2200, and new Women's Championship. 6 round Senior Amateur, 6 round Women's Championship and 9 round Under 13 Championship play July 1-3, allowing these players to also play in a July 4-8, 5-8 or 6-8 section. ENTER NOW

36 WIDELY BELIEVED MYTHS about CCA chess tournaments (revised Aug 8, 2011) CLICK HERE.