Announcing the 2025 Louisiana State Championship, presented by Downriver Chess. Labor Day weekend at Loyola University in uptown New Orleans. Top Louisianan to be crowned Louisiana State Champion. An official Louisiana Chess Association event. Your entry fee includes your dues (not required for out-of-state entrants)!
Tournament details: Seven round, one-section, swiss system, G/90;i30 (first round G/60;i30), USCF classical-rated tournament
Prize fund: $3,000 in prizes. Total prize fund b/90 with 50% guaranteed.
Class prizes: Class prizes to be determined by official September USCF rating. 100 elo added to provisional ratings. Unrated players are eligible for class prizes at or above 1600 elo. If a player does not have a regular rating their quick rating will be used.
Prize Structure:
Open: 1st $800, 2nd $400
U2000: 1st $600, 2nd $300
U1600 / unrated: 1st $300, 2nd $200
U1200: 1st $250, 2nd $150.
Date: 2025 Labor Day weekend, 8/30 - 9/1. Estimated round schedule:
Saturday 9:00 AM, 12:15 PM, 5:30 PM
Sunday 9:00 AM, LCA meeting for 2:00 PM, 3:30 PM
Monday 9:00 AM, 2:00 PM
Venue: The Audubon Room, on the second floor of Loyola University’s Danna Center, located at 6363 St Charles Ave. There is a skittles/overflow room located in the adjacent Octavia Room.
Byes: Three half point byes are available upon request. No bye requests shall be made after pairing round four other than for emergency situations.
Parking: Parking at Loyola University is available for a fee via the ParkMobile app. Street parking is free on many roads in the uptown neighborhood, please obey all posted parking laws.
Eligibility: Entry fee includes LCA dues for the upcoming year (not required for out-of-state)! $105 early entry fee if purchased two weeks prior. $115 standard entry fee if purchased one week prior. $130 late and same-day entry fee. Capacity limited to the first 120 players, please pre-register to guarantee your slot. At least 20 entries to be held for same-day registration. Current USCF membership required. Any USCF member available to compete and win prize, title only eligible to Louisiana residents.
LCA Dues: All Louisiana registrants automatically become Louisiana Chess Association members from Labor Day 2025 to Labor Day 2026. Dues included in the price of entry fee. $15 discount available to out-of-state players (according to USCF registration status) by using code CRAWDAD.
Hotel info: We have a group block with the St Charles Inn, Superior Hotel at 3636 St Charles Ave, just a short streetcar ride from Loyola University. Nightly rate of $164 when you call (504) 899-8888 and mention Downriver Chess when booking. Group rate expires on 7/21/25, must book before them. Please contact the hotel for full details, such as cancellation policy.
Late arrivals: Games are forfeited 30 minutes after the round start time if a player has not arrived.
Refunds: Players who withdraw 30 minutes before round one are eligible for a refund of their entry fee, minus any applicable payment-processor fees (typically 5-7%).
USCF requirement: Current USCF membership required; you may join here. If your membership does not have an expiration date, it is not yet current.
FIDE rated: Played in accordance with the FIDE Laws of Chess. All entrants with valid USCF ID automatically are registered with FIDE and receive a FIDE member ID. Entrants from other federations must provide FIDE ID; any player without an IM or higher title must also provide USCF member ID. No FIDE norms will be awarded.
Contact: Please contact info@downriverchess.com with event-related questions.
More tournaments at www.downriverchess.com/tournaments.