67TH ANNUAL U.S. ARMED FORCES OPEN & VETERANS CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

A Heritage Event, A National Championship Event

At Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL),
JB MDL, New Jersey

Saturday-Monday, 10-12 October 2026

FREE ENTRY: There is no entry fee, but all players must be current U.S. Chess Federation members. Join or renew your membership at www.uschess.org.

Tournament Info: Go to www.vachess.org and select the link for the US Armed Forces Open. A map to the playing site will be posted there along with parking instructions, etc.

Registration: Two ways to enter

·         ONLINE: Highly encouraged! Go to www.vachess.org. No entries by email, phone or text.

·         ONSITE: We will accept walk-in entries on Saturday, Oct 10th from 0800-0945 at the tournament site. For pre-registered players, check-in is MANDATORY to confirm that you are present to play at least 15 minutes before the start of the tournament. Failure to check-in or to contact us may result in you not being paired for Round 1.

Two Sections: 5 Rounds, Swiss System, FIDE rated, FIDE rules. Time control is G/90 +30, which means each player has 90 minutes of thinking time plus 30 additional seconds per move completed. There is a one-hour forfeit/no-show policy. You can register to compete in one of the following two sections:

Armed Forces Open: Active Duty, Military Retirees, Midshipmen/Cadets, College ROTC, and active duty National Guard/Reserve. Bring your Military ID card for access Joint Base MDL and to demonstrate your eligibility to play.

Veterans Open: Honorably Discharged Veterans, former military, and National Guard/Reserve who are not on active duty. Bring DD 214, VA Card, or other appropriate proof of your military service to demonstrate eligibility. A valid, unexpired REAL ID compliant government issued identification card will be required to access Joint Base MDL. If you served your country, we want you to come out and play!!

Player Eligibility: All players in the Armed Forces Open Section must meet at least one of the entry criteria below and shall be prepared to prove their eligibility:

Current, retired, and former members of the U.S. Military, Coast Guard, and other uniformed federal services including the Defense Health Administration and the U.S. Merchant Marines.

National Guard/Reserve who are on active duty

Midshipmen/Cadets attending one of the nation's military academies.

ROTC Cadets/Midshipmen attending a college or university where they are enrolled in the ROTC program.

Round times:

Saturday, Oct 10: Rounds 1 and 2 @ 1000 and 1500

Sunday, Oct 11: Rounds 3 and 4 @ 1200 and 1800

Monday, Oct 12: Round 5 @ 0900.

BYE REQUESTS: One half-point bye is available for the tournament; please declare during Registration or up to 1 hour before the start of Round 2 on Saturday. Bye requests after this cutoff are zero-point byes.

Prizes: See the website (www.vachess.org) for the complete list. All prizes are trophies, plaques, and other gifts. There are no cash prizes.

Side event:

USAFO Blitz Championship: Saturday Oct 10 at 1930. FREE FOOD. All Blitz Games are US Chess rated (G5/d0). Plus PIZZA for all Blitz participants!!! All players compete in one section. FIDE RATED!!

Group Photo: Monday Oct 12 at 0845, just before we start Round 5. Everyone is strongly requested to wear their Class A uniform, business attire/something nice.

Awards Ceremony: ASAP after the end of Round 5.

Prohibited Items: The following items are prohibited from being brought through the gates of Joint Base MDL:

Weapons/Knives

Anything the Security Staff could consider as a threat

Lodging information:

Lodging arrangements are being made with the American Inn on Joint Base MDL. Follow the instructions at www.vachess.org.

VETERANS: We anticipate you may not be able to book a room at the American Inn, so we are making arrangements with at least one local hotel; please see www.vachess.org for information.

Tournament Director/Arbiter: International Arbiter Mike Hoffpauir, mhoffpauir@aol.com, 757-846-4805 (cell or text).

Information for Cadets/Midshipmen from the Service Academies: Please Contact the American Inn for lodging instructions (see www.vachess.org).

Playing Site: On Joint Base MDL, address TBD.

Special Thanks to the New Jersey Chess Federation.

Sections: 2
Grand Prix Points: 0
Prize Fund: Trophies & Other Prizes
FIDE Rated: Yes
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Residency Restriction: No
Online Event: No
Organizer: Mike Hoffpauir, NTD/IA. Email: mhoffpauir@aol.com; Phone: 757-846-4805
Website: https://www.vachess.org