The 2025 U.S. Masters Chess Championship (USM) returns to Charlotte, North Carolina, from November 26–30, 2025, bringing together one of the strongest open fields in American chess. Held over Thanksgiving weekend, the event has long been known as “The Annual Homecoming of the American Master”—a gathering point for top U.S. talent, ambitious juniors, and strong international players seeking FIDE title norms.
This year’s edition, hosted by the Charlotte Chess Center and sponsored by the North American Corporate Chess League and Chess.com, continues the tournament’s long tradition of high-level competition. With a $25,000 guaranteed prize fund, 150 US Chess Grand Prix points, and norm chances for GM, IM, WGM, and WIM titles, the 2025 U.S. Masters stands as one of the premier Swiss tournaments in the country.
A National Championship With Global Appeal
The U.S. Masters is officially recognized as a US Chess National Championship and is part of the FIDE Circuit, making it a qualifying leg in the World Championship Candidates cycle. For many rising players, the event offers one of the most accessible paths toward earning norms, thanks to its “Super Swiss” format that waives the usual federation diversity requirements.
Historically, the U.S. Masters has drawn more titled players than almost any other American tournament. Previous editions have included former U.S. Champions such as Joel Benjamin, Gata Kamsky, Alexander Shabalov, Sam Shankland, and even Fabiano Caruana, who captured first place in 2024. The tournament’s reputation for strong fields continues in 2025, with a deep roster of grandmasters registered after Round 1.
Among the early leaders with one point after the opening round are:
- GM Awonder Liang (2701)
- GM Jeffery Xiong (2649)
- GM Alexander Donchenko (2641)
- GM Olexandr Bortnyk (2601)
- GM Lê Tuấn Minh (2598)
- GM Jianchao Zhou (2591)
- GM Benjamin Bok (2588)
These names signal the elite level of competition at the 2025 USM, and the first-round standings include over 100 titled players with perfect scores.
Venue and Accommodation
The championship takes place at the Hilton Charlotte University Place, located at 8629 JM Keynes Drive. The venue offers free internet, free parking, and convenient hotel accommodations for participants and families. Although the main hotel block is sold out, the organizers have arranged an overflow option at The Mecklen, a 10-minute walk from the venue.
Players and spectators traveling from out of town appreciate the event’s festival-like atmosphere, with plenty of common spaces, analysis rooms, and side activities throughout the long weekend.
Who Can Play? Strict Eligibility for an Elite Event
The U.S. Masters is intentionally designed as a masters-level tournament. To participate, players must meet strict eligibility rules:
- 2200+ USCF or FIDE (established over 26+ games)
- Any NM, FM, WFM, IM, GM (and foreign national masters)
- Untitled juniors born in 2006 or later must be 2000+ FIDE or 2100+ USCF
- CM and WCM titles are not accepted
No exceptions are granted. Those who do not qualify may enter the NC Open, which runs alongside the Masters and offers a $12,500 prize fund.
Registration and Entry Fees
Players are strongly encouraged to register online, with the deadline set for November 26 at 4:00 p.m. Registrations completed after the deadline automatically receive a first-round bye.
Entry fees depend on the player’s title and rating at registration:
- GMs, IMs, WGMs: Free online entry (no prize deduction if registered by October 10)
- FMs, WIMs, WFMs, NMs: $309 by Nov 1; $339 by Nov 15; $379 afterward
- Untitled eligible juniors: $200 more than titled-player entries
Players rated under 2400 FIDE who start poorly may withdraw and join the NC Open for a discounted $100 fee, allowing them to salvage the weekend with a fresh event.
Grandmasters may request conditions by October 1, with confirmation required by October 10. Conditioned players who withdraw after November 1 are ineligible for future CCC conditions.
Format, Schedule, and Time Control
The 2025 U.S. Masters follows a 9-round Swiss system, FIDE and US Chess rated. The time control—G/90 with a 30-second increment—ensures both fighting chess and fair endgames.
Tournament Schedule
- Wed, Nov 26 — Round 1 at 6:00 p.m.
- Thu, Nov 27 — Rounds 2 (10:30 a.m.) and 3 (4:45 p.m.)
- Fri, Nov 28 — Rounds 4 and 5 at the same times
- Sat, Nov 29 — Rounds 6 and 7
- $2,000 Blitz Tournament at 9:30 p.m. (free for USM players)
- Sun, Nov 30 — Rounds 8 (10:00 a.m.) and 9 (4:00 p.m.)
- Playoff if needed at 9:00 p.m.
Players need to submit bye requests before the Wednesday deadline.
Prizes and Titles at Stake
The $25,000 guaranteed prize fund awards the top seven finishers:
- $7,000
- $3,500
- $2,000
- $1,500
- $1,400
- $1,200
- $1,000
Additional category prizes include:
- Top U2500 FIDE: $1,400 / $700
- Top U2350 FIDE: $1,200 / $600
- Top U2200 FIDE: $1,000 / $500
- Top Female: $600 / $300
- Top Senior (born 1975 or earlier): $600
- Clear winner bonus: $500 + USM trophy and title
Because the tournament is part of the FIDE Circuit, strong performances also affect international qualification paths.
The availability of GM, IM, WGM, and WIM norms draws many aspiring titled players each year. FIDE’s requirement of at least one “Swiss norm” makes events like the U.S. Masters especially valuable.
A Thanksgiving Tradition Continues
With more than four decades of history, the U.S. Masters has become one of the most important recurring tournaments in American chess. It attracts over 200 players—including many of the country’s best—and serves as a proving ground for rising stars. The 2025 edition promises another year of intense games, title norm quests, and top-class competition in Charlotte.
Whether one hopes to earn a norm, gain rating, compete against elite grandmasters, or simply enjoy a weekend immersed in chess, the U.S. Masters remains a highlight of the American chess calendar.
Top 100 players after round 1
- GM Awonder Liang — 2701 (USA)
- GM Jeffery Xiong — 2649 (USA)
- GM Alexander Donchenko — 2641 (GER)
- GM Olexandr Bortnyk — 2601 (UKR)
- GM Tuan Minh Le — 2598 (VIE)
- GM Jianchao Zhou — 2591 (USA)
- GM Benjamin Bok — 2588 (NED)
- GM Andrew Hong — 2568 (USA)
- GM Francesco Sonis — 2558 (ITA)
- GM Guillermo Vazquez — 2549 (PAR)
- GM Ruifeng Li — 2545 (USA)
- GM Illia Nyzhnyk — 2544 (UKR)
- GM Aditya Samant — 2529 (IND)
- GM Jose Gabriel Cardoso — 2527 (COL)
- GM Harsha Bharathakoti — 2526 (IND)
- GM Luka Budisavljevic — 2524 (SRB)
- GM Mahel Boyer — 2523 (FRA)
- GM David Brodsky — 2515 (USA)
- GM Praveen Balakrishnan — 2505 (USA)
- GM Yair Parkhov — 2499 (ISR)
- GM Razvan Preotu — 2485 (CAN)
- IM Liam Putnam — 2485 (USA)
- GM Ivan Schitco — 2483 (MDA)
- GM Alexander Shabalov — 2478 (USA)
- GM Koustav Chatterjee — 2475 (IND)
- GM Rahul Srivatshav Peddi — 2472 (IND)
- IM Harshid Kunka — 2472 (USA)
- GM Sergey Erenburg — 2466 (USA)
- IM Tran Gia Phuc Pham — 2465 (VIE)
- GM Mackenzie Molner — 2463 (USA)
- GM Balaji Daggupati — 2459 (USA)
- IM Carissa Yip — 2459 (USA)
- GM Magesh Panchanathan — 2451 (IND)
- IM Robert Shlyakhtenko — 2451 (USA)
- IM Samrug Narayanan — 2440 (USA)
- IM Anthony Atanasov — 2429 (CAN)
- IM Tanitoluwa Adewumi — 2428 (USA)
- IM Jakub Fus — 2426 (POL)
- GM Julio Becerra — 2418 (USA)
- IM Grayson Rorrer — 2417 (USA)
- IM Sandeep Sethuraman — 2417 (USA)
- IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman — 2414 (BAN)
- IM Sai Krishna — 2412 (CAN)
- IM Erick Zhao — 2408 (USA)
- GM Darcy Lima — 2396 (BRA)
- IM Edward Song — 2391 (USA)
- IM Almas Rakhmatullaev — 2390 (UZB)
- FM Daniel Tabuenca Mendataurigoitia — 2389 (ESP)
- GM Jesse Kraai — 2382 (USA)
- IM Matthew Herman — 2378 (USA)
- FM Bryan Lin — 2374 (USA)
- IM Aaron Grabinsky — 2371 (USA)
- IM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova — 2369 (UZB)
- IM John Ludwig — 2354 (USA)
- FM Dachey Lin — 2352 (USA)
- FM Rose Atwell — 2349 (USA)
- IM Tianqi Wang — 2344 (USA)
- FM Avi Kaplan — 2339 (USA)
- IM Sahil Sinha — 2325 (USA)
- WIM Rachael Li — 2325 (USA)
- FM Ethan Guo — 2318 (USA)
- FM Donald Johnson — 2317 (USA)
- Ethan Sheehan — 2309 (USA)
- FM Andrew Jiang — 2302 (USA)
- WGM Jennifer Yu — 2294 (USA)
- WIM Sila Caglar — 2280 (TUR)
- Naveen Prabhu — 2277 (USA)
- IM Justin Sarkar — 2274 (USA)
- Sullivan McConnell — 2258 (USA)
- Evan Sammons — 2258 (USA)
- FM Milind Maiti — 2242 (USA)
- WGM Dina Belenkaya — 2230 (ISR)
- WIM Annmarie Muetsch — 2225 (BEL)
- FM Benjamin Moon — 2220 (USA)
- Saumil Padhya — 2220 (IND)
- FM Seth Homa — 2219 (USA)
- Graham Horobetz — 2218 (USA)
- Nicholas Ladan — 2217 (USA)
- Vikram Rajmohan — 2216 (ENG)
- CM Anjaneya Rao — 2207 (USA)
- CM Pedro Espinosa — 2202 (USA)
- Elbert Fang — 2200 (USA)
- Maahir Patel — 2199 (USA)
- Mitch Fishbein — 2183 (USA)
- WFM Martyna Starosta — 2181 (POL)
- Artemii Khanbutaev — 2099 (USA)
- Andrew Wu — 2085 (USA)
- Broderick Bauml — 2073 (USA)
- Saharsh Santosh — 2062 (USA)
- Vedansh Kumbharathi — 2047 (USA)
- Charles Hua — 2015 (USA)
- Anshul P Shetty — 2007 (USA)
- WFM Aimee Yang — 2004 (USA)
- Owen Levine — 1980 (USA)
- Nate Ziegler — 1968 (USA)
- Lyubomir Gospodinov — 1961 (USA)
- Vihaan Pendse — 1945 (USA)
- Robert Sanchez — 1942 (USA)
- Noah Van Vugt — 1940 (USA)
- Gurugrahan Gurumoorthi — 1852 (USA)
Watch the 2025 U.S. Masters Chess Championship live here
I’m the senior editor of Attacking Chess, a keen chess player, rated above 2300 in chess.com. You can challenge me or asking questions at Chess.com.