USCF Rated Tournaments

Tournaments at
the Club.

Real USCF rated chess in Carmel Valley. We planned our Sushi Slam for June 20 — three rounds, a catered sushi lunch, a master lecture. The field we needed for a rated event didn't come together this time, so we postponed it. But what happened that Saturday is exactly why people drive here. More tournaments are coming.

USCF rated All skill levels New dates coming soon

Get Tournament Dates → Read What Happened →

June 20, 2026

Sushi Slam

Postponed

New tournament dates
coming soon.
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What Happened on June 20

When the field we needed for a proper rated tournament didn't come together, we made the call to postpone the Sushi Slam rather than run something that wouldn't do our players justice.

But one player had already made the trip. An older gentleman had driven hours down Highway 1 — just to play chess at our club. I wasn't about to let that drive be for nothing. So we sat down at a board, the two of us, and played a few games. No clock that mattered. No rating on the line. Just two people who love this game, on a Saturday, in a room built for exactly that.

That's the club. A tournament can wait for the right turnout. The chess never has to.

— Coach JB, Tournament Director

The Format We Run

What Our Tournaments Look Like

Here's how the Sushi Slam was built — and the template for the rated tournaments we'll run next. Dates for the next one are coming soon.

When

A Saturday · Dates TBD

Round 1 starts at 10:00am sharp. The whole event wraps by mid-afternoon. The next date will be announced soon.

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

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 tournament day if you need to skip a round.

Contact

chessclubcv@gmail.com

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

Day-of Schedule

How a Tournament Day Runs

Round 1

Doors open at 9:30am for check-in

10:00 AM

Round 2

11:15 AM

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

What Entry Includes

Everything in One Entry Fee

When we run a rated tournament, one entry covers your tournament play, a catered sushi lunch delivered to the club (gratuity included), and a live master lecture. That's the kind of value we build into every event — the next set of dates is coming soon.

$50

Early Bird

Includes chess, sushi, and the lecture

Typical early rate

$65

Standard Entry

Same everything, registered later

Typical standard rate

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.

Get Notified About Future Tournaments

Meet the Master

WCM Clara Isabel Peña Gonzalez

"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.

Who's Playing

Current Roster

Updated automatically when a new player registers. Your name appears here once registration is complete.

What We've Done Before

Past Tournaments

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

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 🏆

Tournaments atthe Club.