At this joyous time of the year, join us to play in the '1st Annual Princeton Holiday Classic' Tournament.

WHEN AND WHERE

Saturday, December 26, 2026 - Monday, December 28, 2026

Princeton Marriott at Forrestal

100 College Road East, Plainsboro, NJ 08540

SECTIONS, PRIZES AND ELIGIBILITY

Premier (FIDE Rated), U2100 (FIDE Rated), U1900, U1700, U1500, U1300, U1000

All prizes are guaranteed and based on score. 

Advantages over place based scoring:

1. You can receive your prize as soon as your game ends. You don't have to wait for other games in your section to finish.

2. If there are multiple players with the same score, each player gets a prize as per the table. e.g. If there are 2 players with a score of 5 in the Premier section, they will get $1600 each. The prize amount is not split between players.

3. For a clear first place winner in a section (with a score other than 5), there is an additional bonus. e.g. A clear first place winner with a score of 4.5 in Premier section will get $800 + $300 = $1100 in prize money.

4. In general, games are of higher quality. There are no quick draws.

Unrated prize limit of $400 in U1500, $200 in U1300 and $100 in U1000.

December 2026 USCF Ratings will be used for Pairings. The organizer reserves the right to use a different rating system/conversion for any specific players or section as appropriate. 

Section Eligibility:

USCF published rating will be used to determine if a player is eligible to play in a section.  

Additionally, players may play in a higher section if their live rating is above the minimum required. 

If a player's live rating is above the maximum rating allowed in a section, they must play in the next higher section.

e.g. A player with a live rating of 1525 won't be able to play in the U1500 section. They must play in the U1700 section.

REGISTRATION

Online registration is highly recommended. Please note that caissachess.net tournament management software is used only for registration. Other Information such as bye requests, standings and pairings can be found on Chessroster.com (Old SwissSys) closer to the tournament date.  

Onsite Registration closes one hour before round 1 (9 AM on 12/26). Players may register with a half-point bye after that. 

SCHEDULE and TIME CONTROL:

5 Round Swiss

Premier, U2100, U1900, U1700, U1500: 12/26 at 10 AM and 4 PM, 12/27 at 10 AM and 4 PM,  12/28 at 10 AM.

U1300 and U1000 (2 day only): 12/26 at 10 AM, 1 PM and 4 PM, 12/27 at 10 AM and 4 PM.   

Premier (FIDE Rated), U2100 (FIDE Rated), U1900, U1700, U1500: All games are G/90;+30

U1300, U1000: All games are G/60;d5

Forfeit Time (All Sections): 60 minutes

BYES:

Up to two irrevocable half-point byes allowed. A first round bye must be requested by the time onsite registration closes. 

½ point byes can be requested until one hour before round 2. 

For Premier, U2100, U1900, U1700, U1500 - 3 PM on 12/26

For U1300 and U1000 - 12 PM on 12/26

Afterwards, only 0-point byes are allowed.

NOTE: Players who withdraw from the tournament are not eligible for any prizes. You can request zero-point byes anytime.

ENTRY FEE:

For Premier, U2100, U1900, U1700, U1500: $135 by 10/31, $150 by 12/20, $165 on or after 12/21

For U1300: $95 by 10/31, $105 by 12/20, $115 on or after 12/21

For U1000: $75 by 10/31, $85 by 12/20, $95 on or after 12/21

All entry fee deadlines are in EST. Please select the correct entry fee option for your section while registering. 

CONDITIONS FOR GM/IM/WGM/WIM PLAYERS:

Must play all 5 rounds to be eligible for conditions. No byes or tournament withdrawal allowed.

Conditions for GMs/WGMs:

Free entry. No prize deductions if registered by 10/31. Otherwise, $100 will be deducted from the prize money. 

Conditions for IMs/WIMs:

Free entry if registered by 10/31. Otherwise, the entry fee is $100. 

NOTES:

For Marriott reservations with a chess rate of $139/night, click HERE. Last Day to Book : Saturday, November 28, 2026.

Boards and pieces will be provided. Please bring a pen to write and a chess clock if you have it. Players must know how to set up their own clock.

No Electronic Notation Devices are allowed in any Section. Strict policy in place for cell phones and all electronic devices.

Withdrawals are subject to a 10% processing fee. Full credit can be used for any future ACA tournament. 

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

Players without a FIDE ID AND Playing in Premier/ U2100 section

Please send the following information to us as soon as possible so that we can request a FIDE ID for you.

Name (Lastname, Firstname)

US Chess ID (8-digit ID)

DOB (mm/dd/yyyy)

Federation

Email (FIDE requires unique address)

Gender (M/F selection)

USA ID OK? (Y/N selection)

Everyone needs a FIDE ID so that we can submit the tournament report. 

CONTACT

Email: director@atlanticchessassociation.com