Time Trouble Rapid & Blitz

Time Trouble is a recurring tournament on scheduled Saturday afternoons from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Time Trouble is formatted on an alternating schedule as either a Rapid G/10+5, 5-Round Swiss or a Blitz G/3+2, 6-Round Double Swiss, depending on the scheduled Saturday. $400 Prize Pool b/30.

REGISTRATION

Standard registration is $20. Paid club members are $15. "Paid Club Member" rates are for players with Columbia Chess Club Memberships only. See our website if you are interested in becoming a member of the Columbia Chess Club.

Entry for titled players (National Master and above) is free, standard entry fee deducted from prizes. If you are a titled player, simply use the "Titled Player" option at checkout.

K-12 Player? Consider playing in our Palmetto Scholastic Chess League during the morning before Time Trouble. More Details >>

Inaugural Tournament Supports the Checkmating Alzheimer's Project

A portion of the proceeds of the inaugural "Time Trouble" tournament series will be donated to the student-founded Checkmating Alzheimer's project. This initiative enhances cognitive function in seniors through chess, establishing clubs in local communities. The project is co-founded by Caton Tsao and Allen Hong—both top junior chess players in South Carolina. By promoting chess, the project aims to reduce the risk of the disease that affects nearly 7 million Americans. The Columbia Chess Club supports this initiative, aligning with its mission to promote chess for cognitive health and community engagement.

SCHEDULE

BLITZ SATURDAY SCHEDULE (G/3;+2, 6-Round Double Swiss):

Round 1: 2:00 p.m.
Round 2: 2:30 p.m.
Round 3: 3:00 p.m.
Round 4: 3:30 p.m.
Round 5: 4:00 p.m.
Round 6: 4:30 p.m.
Estimated Completion 5:00 p.m.

RAPID SATURDAY SCHEDULE (G/10;+5, 5-Round Swiss):

Round 1: 2:00 p.m.
Round 2: 2:45 p.m.
Round 3: 3:30 p.m.
Round 4: 4:15 p.m.
Round 5: 5:00 p.m.
Estimated Completion 5:30 p.m.

FORMAT

Blitz Tournament: 6-Round Double Swiss, meaning that the player plays two games against each opponent, alternating colors. Time control is G/3+2 (3 minutes starting time with a 2-second increment), which will be USCF Blitz rated. Note that per USCF rules, if a player hits their clock after an illegal move, it is a loss (opponent may capture the king). See Ch. 11 USCF Blitz Rule 7(d).

Rapid Tournament: 5-Round Swiss. Time control is G/10+5 (10 minutes starting time with a 5-second increment), which will be USCF Quick rated.

All equipment provided. USCF Rules Apply, active USCF Membership required. If you need to renew or obtain a USCF membership, please visit https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess.

Rules Note: Per USCF Rule 28T, the pairing system will avoid pairing players registered under the same team during the first-half of the event.

PRIZES

$400 b/30* (both the Blitz and the Rapid formats)

1st: $100; 2nd: $80; 3rd: $60; 4th: $40

Top Under 1800: $40

Top Under 1300: $40

Top Under 800: $40

Players that are unrated in the applicable USCF rating category (Blitz or Quick) are not eligible for rating-based prizes.

*Based on 30 players, meaning that 50% of all prizes are guaranteed and scale with participation to the amount shown.

BYES

A single half-point bye is available any round (1-point bye in double Swiss format), including the final round. The bye may be requested as a part of the advance entry or on site before the tournament starts. Thereafter the only bye available is a zero-point bye. The chief tournament director shall have the ability to grant a half-point bye for any round on unusual circumstances.