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🍣 USCF Rated Tournament

Carmel Valley
Sushi Slam.

Three rounds of USCF rated chess. A catered sushi lunch delivered to the club. A live digital lecture from WCM Clara Isabel Peña Gonzalez with Q&A. All included in your entry.

3-round quad · G/30 dual rated Sushi lunch included Master lecture & Q&A
Register Now → View Details →

June 2026

20

Saturday

Round 1 at 10:00am
Ends ~2:45pm
9 Del Fino Place
Suite 201

-- Days
-- Hrs
-- Min

Most chess tournaments end and everyone goes home. I wanted one where the chess is the start of the day, not the whole day. So we play three rounds. Then we eat sushi together. Then we listen to a Woman Candidate Master tell us something we don't know and ask her questions. Come for the chess. Stay for the lunch and the lecture. That's the whole idea.

— Coach JB, Tournament Director

Tournament Details

Everything You Need to Know

Date

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Round 1 starts at 10:00am sharp. Whole event wraps by 2:45pm.

Location

9 Del Fino Place, Suite 201

Carmel Valley, CA 93924
Upstairs at 9 Del Fino Place — Suite 201

Format

3-Round Quad · G/30

USCF Dual Rated (Quick & Regular). Round robin in groups of 4 — you play every other person in your quad once. No eliminations.

Sections

Grouped by Rating

We sort all entries by rating and break you into quads of 4 with similarly rated players. You're matched against people you can actually beat — and people who can actually beat you.

Registration

Space Is Limited

Register early. Spots fill on a first-paid basis. Walk-ins may not be accommodated.

Equipment

Bring Your Own Set & Clock

If you don't have access to a board, set, and clock, email the tournament director and one will be provided for you.

Bye Requests

Email Before Tournament Day

No bye requests will be accepted on the day of the event. Email the tournament director before June 20 if you need to skip a round.

Contact

chessclubcv@gmail.com

(831) 392-7456 · Justin Bradley, Tournament Director

Day-of Schedule

Saturday, June 20, 2026

# What Time
1

Round 1

Doors open at 9:30am for check-in

10:00 AM
2

Round 2

11:15 AM
3

Round 3

12:30 PM
🍣

Sushi Lunch

Lunch delivered to the club — your pre-order is waiting for you

1:45 PM
🎓

Live Digital Lecture + Q&A

WCM Clara Isabel Peña Gonzalez — topic chosen by the master, your questions answered live

~2:00 PM
END

Wrap

Head home with full belly and a better understanding of the game

2:45 PM

Entry Fees

Register Before June 7 & Save

Entry covers your tournament play, a catered sushi lunch delivered to the club (gratuity for the restaurant staff included), and the live digital lecture from WCM Clara Isabel Peña Gonzalez. Register early — space is limited and it'll fill.

$50

Early Bird

Includes chess, sushi, and the lecture

Through June 7

$65

Regular Registration

After June 7 — same everything, just less savings

June 8 – June 19

Every Entry Includes Everything.

No upsells. No à la carte. You register, you show up, you play, you eat, you learn. That's it.

♟️

3 Rated Games

USCF dual rated (Quick & Regular). G/30 quads. You play three games against three different opponents in your rating bracket. Three games means three chances to learn something.

🍣

Sushi Lunch

A catered sushi lunch delivered to the club. You pre-order your dish when you register, so it's ready as soon as the last round wraps. Gratuity is built into your entry — no need to tip on top.

🎓

Master Lecture & Q&A

A live digital lecture from Woman Candidate Master Clara Isabel Peña Gonzalez. The master picks the topic, and you get to ask her your own questions afterward.

Register Now — Space Is Limited

Meet the Master

WCM Clara Isabel Peña Gonzalez

WCM Clara Isabel Peña Gonzalez at a chess tournament

"I don't believe in psychology. I believe in good moves."

Clara is a 22-year-old Woman Candidate Master from Lara, Venezuela. She was a member of the 2024 Venezuelan Olympic Chess Team and is currently competing in the qualification cycle for the next Olympiad. She's also in her seventh semester studying Informatics Engineering — which is why her chess is as structured and analytical as it is.

She'll join us live, pick the topic herself, and take your questions afterward. Bring a notebook.

FIDE Standard 1947
FIDE Rapid 1967
FIDE Blitz 2096

Sushi Lunch Menu

Pick Your Dish When You Register

Catered by Mika Sushi and delivered to the club. You pre-order during registration so your meal is ready when you walk away from your last round. Symbol key: 🐟 raw fish · 🌶️ spicy · 🥦 vegetarian · GF gluten-free.

Sushi Roll Combinations

Served with miso soup and salad

Alaska Roll 🐟 GF

Salmon, crab meat, avocado, and cucumber

California Roll

Crab meat, avocado, and cucumber

Cuavo Roll 🥦 GF

Cucumber and avocado

Philadelphia Roll 🐟

Salmon, avocado, cream cheese, and cucumber

Rolling Stones Roll

Eel, avocado, cucumber

Santana Roll 🐟 GF

Hamachi, salmon, avocado, cucumber, and shiso herbs

Shrimp Tempura Roll

Shrimp tempura, crab meat, avocado, and cucumber

Spicy Tuna Roll 🐟 🌶️

Spicy tuna and cucumber

Other Mains

Chicken Don

Grilled teriyaki chicken over rice

Tempura Lunch

Lightly battered deep-fried mixed vegetables with 3 pieces of shrimp tempura and miso soup

Soups

Japanese Udon

Udon noodles with sliced carrot, fish cake, mushroom, and onion

"K" Ramen 🌶️

Korean ramen noodles, sliced carrot, onion, and egg in a spicy soup

Drinks at the Club

Water, Keurig coffee, and tea available self-serve at the club. Bring your own bottle for anything else.

Food allergy notice: Mika Sushi's kitchen prepares food containing milk, eggs, wheat, soybean, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. If you have a serious allergy, email chessclubcv@gmail.com before registering and we'll work it out.

What to Expect

How the Day Actually Works

⏱️

G/30 Time Control

Each player gets 30 minutes for the whole game. Fast enough to play three rounds before lunch, slow enough to think about your moves.

♟️

3-Round Quad Round Robin

You're placed in a group of 4 players with similar ratings. You play each of the other three players in your quad once. Three rounds, three opponents, no eliminations.

📊

USCF Dual Rated

Games count toward both your Quick rating and your Regular rating. Two ratings updated in one tournament.

🆕

First Tournament?

Email me before the day with any questions. I'll make sure you know exactly what to expect before you walk in the door. — Coach JB

🍱

Lunch Is Pre-Ordered

You order your sushi dish when you register. That way it's ready as soon as the last round wraps. No standing in line, no decisions to make on the day.

📍

Right Here in Carmel Valley

No long drive. No crowded convention center. A real USCF rated tournament in our airy, bright club space in Carmel Valley.

Before You Register

Two Things You Need to Know

I run tight tournaments. The pairings depend on every registered player showing up on time, paid up, and ready to play. Read these before you sign up.

💰

Cancellation & Payment Policy

All sales are final. No refunds. Not for illness, not for emergencies, not for any reason. Quad pairings depend on every registered player showing up — pulling someone out after registration creates problems for everyone else in the section.

Payment is due the same day you register. If we don't receive payment within 24 hours, your spot opens back up to the next player on the waitlist.

If you can't make it — you can transfer your spot to another player at a comparable rating. Email me at chessclubcv@gmail.com at least 48 hours before the tournament so I can update the pairings.

⏰

Don't Be Late

Doors open at 9:30am. Be at your board by 9:50am. Round 1 starts at 10:00am sharp.

If you're late: your clock is already running. Every minute you're not at the board comes off your 30.

If you're more than 15 minutes late: you forfeit the round. You can still play the rest of the day, but you'll start at 0–1.

I don't pause rounds, re-pair, or wait. The schedule has zero slack — three rounds, lunch, and a master lecture all in five hours. If you're running late, text (831) 392-7456 so I know.

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Ready to Play?

Space is limited and the early bird deadline is June 7. Register through the link, pick your sushi, and we'll see you at 10am sharp. Questions? Email chessclubcv@gmail.com or call (831) 392-7456.

Register Now →

What We've Done Before

Past Tournaments

Real USCF rated chess. Real players. Real ratings. Here's what we've already pulled off.

Inaugural USCF Membership Drive Tournament at Carmel Valley Chess Club, May 23 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026

Inaugural USCF Membership Drive

5-round Swiss · G/30 · USCF Rated · Two divisions · 18 registered players. The first official tournament at Carmel Valley Chess Club. The first day this club existed as a place where USCF ratings get made.

Division 1 Champion

Tom Gonda 🏆

Division 2 Champion

Michael Gorback 🏆

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