2025 William J Browne Memorial
Join us for the 21st annual William J Browne Memorial chess tournament: 4R-SS, G/45 d5, open section, $295 in projected prizes
Schedule and Location
Tournament Date: Saturday, September 27, 2025
Round Times: 9a | 11a | 1:45p | 3:30p
Location: The Pittsburgh Chess Club | 5869 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Tournament Format
Format: 4 Round Swiss
Time Control: Game/45 with a 5 second delay from move 1
Sections: There is one Open section; the organizers reserve the right to create additional sections:
Section eligibility will be based on the US Chess rating supplement issued during the month of the tournament, using the following order of priority:
- USCF Regular
- USCF Quick
- USCF Online-Regular
- USCF Online-Quick
The organizers reserve the right to assign any player to a higher-rated section based on the player's rating history. Players without any of the USCF ratings listed will be entered as unrated.
Pairings: Players are expected to play in all rounds they are paired in, regardless of their results (see Commitment to Play All Paired Rounds below).
If twenty or more players are registered in the Open section at the time Round 1 is paired, accelerated pairings will be used for the first two rounds (see US Chess Rule 28R).
US Chess Membership: All players must have a current US Chess membership prior to the start of the first round. Players without a US Chess membership will not be paired.
Prizes
Prize Fund: $295 Projected Prize Fund based on 20 players. Title entries count for ½ when determining player count.
Prize Structure: 1st overall – $125 | 2nd overall – $75 | Top U1500 – $55 | Top U1200 – $40
Payment Method: All prizes will paid via PayPal.
No winner shall receive more than one cash award (USCF Rule 32B1). The organizers reserve the right to withold prize disbursement to any person whose cumulative winnings at Club tournaments exceed $600 for the current calendar year pending receipt of a completed IRS form W-9.
Byes
Bye Requests: A request for up to 1 ½-point byes will be accepted under the following conditions:
- Byes for rounds 1 and 2 must be requested at least 1 hour prior to their posted start times. Byes for rounds 3 and 4 must be requested before the start of round 3.
- Once a bye is granted, it is irrevocable. A player electing to cancel a bye may not receive more than ½ point for the round.
Other Byes: Any bye requested by a player not in accordance with the above will be scored as 0 points.
The organizers reserve the right to grant additional ½-point byes to any player at the Tournament Director's discretion.
Tournament Rules
The tournament will be directed according to the US Chess Federation's Official Rules of Chess.
Fair Play
External Assistance: The use of any device (including chess engines and databases, books, notes) for external assistance during play is strictly prohibited. Assistance from other players or persons in the playing hall is also strictly prohibited.
Electronic Score Keeping: The use of electronic score keeping devices is prohibited at this tournament
Contact
Please email [email protected] if you have any questions. Or call (412) 421-1881.
Registration
Total Entrants: Registration for this tournament is limited to 28 players.
Entry Fee:
- PCC Member Advance Entry: $25
- Non-Member Advance Entry: $31.25
- On-Site Entry: $35
Titled Player Entry: FIDE or USCF titled players may receive free entry with promo code "TITLED-SWISS" at checkout.
Registration Period: Advance entry closes at 11:59 on the day prior to the event. On-site registration begins 1 hour prior and ends 15 minutes prior to the start of the first round.
Commitment to Play All Paired Rounds: All players paired in a given round are expected to play in that round. A player will be scored with forfeit loss if they do not arrive at the assigned board within the lesser of the time control or 60 minutes from the start of the round. A player who forfeits in this manner will be withdrawn from the remainder of the event.
Penalties: A $10 penalty fee will be charged to any player forfeiting the event, or to any player cancelling their entry after the start of the first round. The organizers reserve the right to refuse future entry to any player with outstanding penalty fees.
Advance Entries
The list of advance entries below will not populate until the day of the tournament. So, if you register for the tournament and don't see your name below, don't panic! If you receive a registration confirmation e-mail, then you are registered, even if you don't see your name below.