Grab your chance to join the event at a special reduced advertised price! For details and to register, visit: https://cavechess.cc/orc Don’t wait—secure your spot today!

2026 U.S. Senior Open Championship!

$13,100 Guaranteed! 120 Grand Prix Points

June 19th, 2026 - June 21st, 2026

Playing Site and Room Bookings:

Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Hotel and Conference Center

5440 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL 60018

$132 rate per night for 1-4 people (www.cavechess.cc/festival-tourneys-hotel)
Includes free breakfast ($25 value) for two people. $10 for additional persons.
Indoor pool
Fitness center
While there is a parking fee, it has been reduced to $13 per day from the usual $30. This means that the combined cost of the hotel rate and parking is comparable to the rates at our past hotels.
Phone: (877) 337-5793
Arrange room sharing: https://www.cavemanchess.com/forum

Eligibility:

Open to players age 50 and older as of June 19, 2026

Format and Sections:

* 6-Round Swiss System with 2 Sections, Open and Reserve (U1800)

* Time Control: G/90; +30

* The Open Section is FIDE rated and uses FIDE rules.

* The Reserve section is US Chess rated only and does not use FIDE rules.

Schedule:

* Friday 6/19: 1:00 PM, 6:00 PM

* Saturday 6/20: 9:00 AM, 2:30 PM

* Sunday 6/21: 9:00 AM, 2:30 PM

Byes: Two half-point byes available for any round must commit before the end of round 2.

Equipment: Boards, sets, scoresheets and clocks provided by Caveman Chess, LLC.

Prizes: $13,100 Guaranteed!

* Players may win both a cash award and an age award.

Open:

* Prizes: $2000-$1500-$1000-$500; U2400: $500-$200; U2200: $400-$200;

U2000: $400-$200; U1800: $400-$200

* Plaque to the top player in each age category: 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75+

* Top Woman $500-$400-$300

* Winner receives Invitation to the US Senior Championship (Tie-break if needed).

Reserve (U1800):

* Prizes: $500-$400-$300; U1600: $400-$200; U1400: $400-$200; U1200: $400-$200; U1000: $400-$200

* Plaque to the top player in each age category: 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75+

* Top Woman: $400-$250-$150

Entry Fee - Online Only - Do not request discounts after cut-offs:

GMs, free entry.
IMs, WGMs, 50% off entry.
FMs, 25% off entry.

$75 through April 7th (only on cavechess.cc/orc )
$120 through May 3rd
$155 through May 19th
$180 through June 12th
$205 after that; NO ONSITE ENTRIES!
+$40 for playing up
$60 for round 2 re-entry with a 1/2 point bye for round one.

"Onsite" entries will be done online at the site. Players registering late will possibly receive an automatic ½ bye in round one.

Resources:

*2023 FIDE Laws of Chess

*Summary of FIDE-US Chess rules differences 2023

Transportation:

-> The hotel is located just 5 -10 minutes from O’Hare Airport, traffic dependent. Participants can also take the Blue Line “L” from O’Hare to the first stop, and then walk half a mile to the hotel.
-> Shuttle Service: There is a shuttle service available from the hotel to O’Hare Airport.

Questions:

Email: contact@cavemanchess.com

Side Events:

Senior/Medior/Quick (6/20, $1k)
Junior Open Blitz (6/20, $1k)

Summary of Key Terms and Conditions:

This is a summary of essential Terms and Conditions. To see all Terms and Conditions, go to https://www.cavemanchess.com/terms-conditions

Withdrawals: To withdraw from an event, go to https://cavechess.cc/withdraw and fill out the form. Emails will be ignored.

Refunds: Go to the Terms and Conditions link above for the entire policy. Here are important points:

Processing refunds is secondary to running the event without a hitch
While we attempt to pay refunds sooner, our policy is to pay within ten business days following the event.
In our standard refund policy, refunds incur a fee as follows:
- For registrations $20 and below, a $5 fee
- For registrations from $20.01 to $60, a $10 fee
- For registrations above $60, a $15 fee

Registration Corrections and Changes: Please verify the information before submitting the registration. For example, some browsers with persistent "autofill" tools often overwrite a participant's name with the name of the person completing the registration.

To make a change/correction, do not email. Go to https://cavechess.cc/change, to process changes.
There is a $5 fee for each (set of) changes.

Prizes: It is important to see all of our terms and conditions for prize payment at Terms and Conditions for Prizes. Key rules include:

Prizes are paid within 10 business days of the later of the end of the event or the receipt of a W9 [or W-8 if applicable] if one is required (cumulative prizes for the year from Caveman Chess to you are over $600.)
Prize winners need to provide appropriate information to receive their prizes electronically via our online form.

Photographs/Video: By registering, you agree to allow photographs and video of your image to be posted on our websites or related social media. Titled players and players at least age 13 agree to the use of their full name on our websites or social media along with images. Players under the age of 13 must be registered by their parents or guardians who agree that their names can be used in tournament standings or other listings, their first names may be used in general photos or videos, and their full names may be used in prize photos or videos.

Participants or their legal representatives agree to these terms by registering the player.

Caveman Chess pays our Tournament Directors and Staff fairly, often exceeding Cook County's minimum wage. Unlike other chess providers who hire staff as independent contractors and usually pay less, we believe in fair compensation. Consider this when comparing our entry fees with others.