2026 William J Browne Memorial
Join us for the 22nd annual William J Browne Memorial chess tournament: Quads G60;d/5. 1st $65 (+$10 for perfect score).
Schedule and Location
Tournament Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Round Times: 9:30a | 12:15p | 2:30 p
Location: The Pittsburgh Chess Club | 2204 Murray Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Tournament Format
Format: Quads (3 rounds)
Time Control: Game/60 with a 5 second delay from move 1
Sections: Quads. Players are sorted into sections of 4 players by rating. If number of players is not divisible by 4, a three round mini-swiss will be played in the remaining section.
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.
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: 1st Place $65 (+$10 for perfect score).
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
No requested byes will be allowed
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 requires pre-approval from the TD prior to play.
Contact
Please email [email protected] if you have any questions (email heavily preferred) or call (412) 421-1881. (Note: Voicemails do not always get passed along, so please email!).
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
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.