2025 Northern Virginia Open: Event Overview and What to Expect

The 2025 Northern Virginia Open returns this fall as one of the region’s most anticipated chess events. Held from November 21–23, 2025, the tournament brings together players of all ages and skill levels for a competitive weekend at the Washington Dulles Airport Marriott in Dulles, Virginia. This year’s edition is a US Chess Heritage Event, part of both the US Chess Grand Prix (40 points) and the US Chess Junior Grand Prix, with a guaranteed $7,200 prize fund.

Venue

Washington Dulles Airport Marriott
45020 Aviation Drive, Dulles, VA 20166

Players can book the special “Northern Virginia Open Chess Tournament” rate by calling 703-471-9500 and reserving before October 25.

Tournament Format

The event uses a 5-round Swiss system, meaning no one is eliminated.
Three sections are available:

1. Championship Section

• Starts Friday at 7:30 pm
• FIDE & US Chess rated
• Requires a US Chess or converted OTB rating of 1600+
• Players who haven’t crossed 1800 since Dec 1, 2020 must pay a $30 premium fee
• Online ratings (Chess.com, Lichess, etc.) are not accepted

2. Amateur (Under 1800) Section

• Starts Friday at 7:30 pm
• FIDE & US Chess rated
• Unrated players may enter
• Prize winnings for unrated players capped at $350

3. Novice (Under 1200) Section

• Runs Saturday–Sunday only
• First round Saturday at 10 am
• US Chess rated
• Unrated players welcome (capped at $250 prize winnings)

A 60-minute no-show rule applies to all sections.

Schedules at a Glance

Championship & Amateur (FIDE Rules)

• Friday, Nov 21: Round 1 – 7:30 pm (G/90; +30)
• Saturday, Nov 22: Round 2 – 10 am; Round 3 – 4 pm (40/90, SD/30; +30)
• Sunday, Nov 23: Round 4 – 10 am; Round 5 – 4 pm (same time control)

Novice Section (US Chess Rules)

• Saturday, Nov 22: Rounds at 10 am, 1 pm, 4:30 pm (G/60; +10)
• Sunday, Nov 23: Rounds at 10 am, 2:30 pm (G/90; +10)

Players traveling on Friday evening should account for potentially heavy Virginia traffic.

Prizes

All place prizes and Top Upset prizes are guaranteed.

Championship

• 1st: $1,000 + Plaque
• 2nd: $700
• 3rd: $400
• Class prizes: Top Expert, Top U2000, 2nd U2000
• Top Upset (Rounds 1–5): $150

Amateur (U1800)

• 1st: $750 + Plaque
• 2nd: $500
• 3rd: $300
• Multiple class prizes plus Top Upset awards

Novice (U1200)

• 1st: $560 + Plaque
• 2nd: $350
• 3rd: $200
• Class prizes for U1000, U800, U600
• Top Unrated: $120
• Top Upset prizes each round

A minimum of 100 total entries is required for some non-place prizes.

Notable Early Entries (as of Nov 17)

The Championship Section already features strong titled players, including:

• IM L.M.S.T. De Silva – 2502
• FM Vaibhav Kalpaka – 2356
• NM Roman Rychkov – 2292
• NM Kevin Zhao – 2257
• IM Oladapo Adu – 2256
• Plus several Candidate Masters and high-rated experts

This suggests the Championship field will be highly competitive.

Registration & Fees

Online registration available at www.vachess.org.

• $130 through Nov 15
• $160 starting Nov 16
• $190 starting Nov 20 and on-site

Players withdrawing before Round 1 receive a refund minus $10.

Mail-In Registration

Mail name, US Chess ID, section, and any bye requests to:
Mike Hoffpauir, ATTN: VA Open
405 Hounds Chase, Yorktown, VA 23693-3356

On-Site Registration

• Friday, Nov 21: 3 pm–6:45 pm
• Saturday, Nov 22: 7:30–9:15 am (Novice only for Round 1)

Late entries may be paired for Round 2.

Byes & Re-Entry

• One optional half-point bye per player
• Must be declared by one hour before Round 2
• Round-1 losers may re-enter for $45 and start Round 2 with 0.5 points

FIDE-Titled Players

GMs, IMs, WGMs, and WIMs receive free entry, with half of the $130 early fee deducted from any prize won.

Membership Requirements

• All players must be US Chess members (except foreign GMs/IMs/WGMs/WIMs)
• Virginia residents must also be members of the VA Chess Federation
• Championship and Amateur players must have a FIDE ID (organizers can help you get one)

Contact Information

Organizer: Mike Hoffpauir (NTD/IA)
Email: mhoffpauir@aol.com
Phone/Text: 757-846-4805