The Hart House Chess Club is pleased to announce an upcoming FIDE Arbiters’ Seminar at Hart House, Friday,January 10th to Sunday, January 12th, 2025. The seminar will be conducted by one of Canada’s leading Arbiters and Organizers, International Arbiter Hal Bond.
Amongst his many accolades, Hal Bond has served as the Chief Arbiter at the 2012 Women’s World Chess Championship, Deputy Arbiter at the 2012 World Chess Championship, and as the Chief Arbiter of the 2017 World Youth Chess Championship.
WHEN: Friday, January 10th, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Saturday, January 11th 10:00 am – 8:00 pm, Sunday, January 12th 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
WHO: The Lecturer will be IA/IO Bond, Hal (CAN), FIDE Lecturer.
ENTRY FEE: $250 paid online only
CAPACITY: 16 participants
LANGUAGE: The seminar will be conducted in English.
ORGANIZERS: Hart House Chess Club
EQUIPMENT: All materials provided by HHCC.
The Seminar will give norms and titles of FIDE Arbiter, according to the Regulations for the titles of Arbiters.
Requirements: All participants must be National Arbiters before the seminar begins.
SCHEDULE (tentative, subject to change): January 10 6 pm – 10 pm: Role of Arbiters, Laws of Chess (4hrs)
January 11 10 am – 1 pm: System of Games, Tie-Breaks (3hrs) 2 pm – 4 pm: Ratings and OTB Title Regulations (2 hrs) 4 pm – 6:30 pm: Swiss System and Pairing Rules (2.5 hrs)
January 12 10 am – 11:30 am: Competition rules, Equipment standards and clocks (1.5 hrs) 11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Arbiter Title Regs (1 hr) 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Fair Play Guidelines (2 hrs) 2 pm – 6 pm: Exam (4 hrs)
REGISTRATION:
Registration is availableonline here. Please note that all participants must be National Arbiters before the seminar begins. Details on becoming a National Arbiter are available here.
The Hart House Chess Club will be conducting lessons this summer! We are happy to announce a lecture series for beginner to intermediate players from June through August. We hope to see you at Hart House on Fridays.
The Beginner to Intermediate Lessons run from 5:00 to 7:00 PM every Friday from June 7th to August 30th. No lesson on June 28 and July 19.
Targets beginners and intermediate players
Focus on:
Pawn structure
Imbalances
Middlegame strategy
Understanding endgames
Studying games of Masters
Taught by Uttam Dhungel
Free for all U of T students and Hart House Chess Club members. By donation for all others.
No formal registration required, just drop by at Hart House on Fridays!
About the Coach
Uttam Dhungel is from the country of Nepal. He has dedicated 13 years to the game of chess and earned the title of National Instructor in 2018. Teaching chess at various levels has been his passion since then. To Uttam, chess isn’t just a game — it’s a transformative pursuit that fosters positive change across various domains of life.
With the lessons at Hart House, Uttam plans to showcase the dimensions of chess. Players will be able to develop their understanding of the game in various ways and gain insight into the play of current Canadian champions.
The Hart House Chess Club is pleased to announce the 2025 edition of our annual Reading Week Open held over the Family Day weekend from Saturday, February 15th to Monday, February 17th. With six different sections to accommodate varying skill levels, the tournament is suitable for everyone – from experienced players to those playing their first ever tournament.
We are also running the Juniors section with a shorter time control, similar to the Junior section at the 2024 Holidays Open. The Junior-U1500 one day event (Feb 16) is a separate event geared towards children rated under 1500.
TIME CONTROL: 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move for the Open
30 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move for Juniors
SECTIONS: Crown, U2200, U1900, U1600, U1300
Juniors – U1500
RATING: Sections will be determined using the highest of CFC or FIDE rating. All sections will be CFC rated. U1600 and above will also be FIDE rated. Crown section paired using FIDE ratings.
EQUIPMENT: HHCC will supply all chess equipment.
FORFEIT TIME: Players who do not arrive within 30 minutes of the round start time will be forfeited.
BYES: Maximum 2 half-point byes in Rounds 1-4 if requested in advance before the start of Round 1
ORGANIZER: Hart House Chess Club with Tanner McNamara Chief Arbiter,
EMAIL: hhtournaments@gmail.com
CAPACITY:
210 for Open
40 for Juniors
Registration
Online registration is available until February 13th, 11:59 PM. In-person and telephone registration is available through the Hart House Information Desk during Hart House hours.
Entry Fees
Open: $70 by January 31st at 11:59 pm, $80 by February 13th at 11:59 pm
Juniors: $40 by February 13th at 11:59 pm
$35 discount for student members and unrated players (max one discount per player). Unrated players are not eligible for prizes. Free entry for IMs/WIMs/GMs/WGMs if registered by January 31st. Please email us for all discount information.
Playing up
Extra $20 to play up a section. Playing up is allowed only for players within 100 rating points of the section’s minimum rating. For example, a player in the Under 1600 section wanting to play up in the Under 1900 section must have a rating no lower than 1500. Play-up fees must be paid on-site at the tournament.
No playing up to the Crown section. Players must be 2200+ CFC or 2000+ FIDE.
Other Info
DGT boards: HHCC will utilize DGT boards for portions of the Crown section. Live games will be available here.
CFC memberships: Registrants must be current CFC members or bring payment prior to playing — please visit https://chess.ca/membership-fees for more info
Parking: Parking is available at a daily rate; however, it is limited. Be prepared and come early to find parking.
Prize Payments: Any prize less than or equal to $100 will be paid via Gift Cards. Direct deposit is required for prizes above $100. All prizes will be payable via direct deposit on request. Please expect 1 week – 3 weeks for payments to be processed
Photography: By signing up, you permit HHCC the ability to take and use photos from the tournament on its social media. If you would not like your photo used, please email us.
Foreign Ratings: All participants must disclose all foreign ratings at time of registration or via email. Accessibility and Visitor Information: Hart House is an accessible building and conveniently located. For further details, visit Visitor Information and Accessibility.
TEAM PRIZE: $400 ($100 per player), teams of 4 players, representing at least 3 different sections. All individual scores will be added up to find the winning team. Register your teams in-person before Round 2.
Questions? Any question regarding the tournament, including registrations, must be sent to hhtournaments@gmail.com, not the Hart House Hub.
Withdrawals: Last minute withdrawals, bye requests, inquiries, please email hhtournaments@gmail.com, and do not call Hart House.
Pre-Registered
Registration lists are updated weekly. Chess Results will be used for pairings and standings.
We are thrilled to announce to the Hart House community that the annual Hart House Holidays Open Chess Tournament is back for another year! We invite you to join us from Friday, December 20th to Sunday, December 22nd at Hart House for another edition of our annual flagship event. Featuring six sections designed to accommodate all skill levels, this presents the ideal opportunity to participate in a competitive chess tournament.
Tournament Details
WHERE: Great Hall, Hart House, University of Toronto.
Juniors (U1200): East Common Room, Hart House
WHEN: December 20th, 21st, 22nd.
SCHEDULE:
Crown, U2200, U1900, U1600, U1300, Wisdom: Friday 20th at 6:30pm, Saturday 21st at 10:00am & 4:00pm, Sunday 22nd at 10:00am & 4:00pm
TIME CONTROL: 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment from move 1 for all sections. 30 minutes + 30 seconds increment from move 1 for Juniors (U1200).
STYLE: 5 Round Swiss split in 5 rating sections – Crown (2200+), Under 2200, Under 1900, Under 1600, Under 1300. 4 Round Swiss for Juniors (U1200).
WISDOM SECTION: Open to players 50+, one section, not separated by rating. Section must have 12 players or players will be placed into their section by rating.
RATING: All sections will be CFC-rated. Crown, U2200, U1900, and U1600 sections will also be FIDE rated. The Crown Section will be paired using FIDE ratings.
FORFEIT TIME: Players who do not arrive within 30 minutes of the round start time will be forfeited.
BYES: Maximum 2 half-point byes in rounds 1-4 if requested in advance before the start of Round 1.
ORGANIZER: Hart House Chess Club with FA Alex Ferreira as arbiter.
EMAIL: hhtournaments@gmail.com
CAPACITY: 220 players in the Great Hall
Registration
Online registration is available until Wednesday, December 18th at 11:59 PM. In-person and telephone registration is available through the Hart House Information Desk during Hart House Hours.
Entry Fees
$70 by November 30th at 11:59 pm, $80 by December 18th at 11:59 pm and $100 cash-only on-site if space permits.
$35 discount for student members and unrated players (max one discount per player). Unrated players are not eligible for prizes. Free entry for IMs/WIMs/GMs/WGMs if registered by Fri. November 30th. Please email us for all discount information. Juniors section $30 discount, no cash prizes.
Playing up
Extra $20 to play up a section. Playing up is allowed only for players within 100 rating points of the section’s minimum rating. For example, a player in the Under 1600 section wanting to play up in the Under 1900 section must have a rating no lower than 1500. Play-up fees must be paid on-site at the tournament.
No playing up to the Crown section. Players must be 2200+ CFC or 2000+ FIDE.
Other Info
HHCC will utilize DGT boards for portions of the Crown section.
Registrants must be current CFC members or bring payment prior to playing — please visit https://chess.ca/membership-fees for more info
Parking is available at a daily rate; however, it is limited. Be prepared and come early to find parking.
Prize Payments: Any prize less than or equal to $100 will be paid via Gift Cards. Direct deposit is required for prizes above $100. All prizes will be payable via direct deposit on request. Please expect 1 week – 3 weeks for payments to be processed
Players will be placed in sections according to eligibility, based on the Dec 19 rating update, not necessarily according to how people registered themselves.
The Hart House Chess Club (HHCC) is pleased to host the Hart House October Open Tournament from Sat. October 26th – Sun. October 27th, 2024. The event is perfect for students and community members wanting to play a classical-rated tournament over only two days. The tournament will be a 5-round Swiss, with 60 mins plus a 30-second increment added per move. We hope to see new and old faces again!
Tournament Details
When:Sat. October 26th to Sun. October 27th. Rd #1 starts at 10:00 A.M.
Format: 5-round CFC-Rated, Swiss Tournament
Location: Hart House Debates Room, Committees Room, 7 Hart House Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3H3
Prizes: Projected $3600 based on 100 fully paid players Organizers: Hart House Chess Club
Entry Fees and Registration
Entry Fees: $50 by September 25th, $60 by October 25th (see discounts below)
Registration: SOLD OUT Online registration by noon Friday, October 25th. No onsite registration. Registration is also available in person or via telephone at the Hart House Hub.
Additional Information
Byes: Up to one 1/2 point bye can be requested by emailing us by noon on October 25.
Section Eligibility: No playing up allowed. CFC regular ratings are used for pairings.
Discounts: $30 discount for unrated players in their first tournament and student members of the Club. Max one discount per player. Unrated players are ineligible for prizes. Free entry for IM/WIM by October 1st (email us for details).
Prize Payments: Any prize less than or equal to $100 will be paid via Gift Cards. Direct deposit is required for prizes above $100. All prizes will be payable via direct deposit on request. Please expect 1 week – 3 weeks for payments to be processed.
The Hart House Chess Club (HHCC) hosts the Hart House Summer Open Tournament from Sat. August 3rd – Sun. August 4th, 2024. The event is perfect for students and community members wanting to play a classical-rated tournament over only two days. The tournament will be a 5-round Swiss, with 60 mins plus a 30-second increment added per move. We hope to see new and old faces again!
TIME CONTROL: 60 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move
SECTIONS: Crown, U1800, U1200
RATING: CFC Regular Rated.
EQUIPMENT: HHCC will supply all chess equipment
PRIZES: $3000 based on 100 players
REGISTRATION: Online registration is open until August 1st at 11:59 PM. In-person and telephone registration is available through the Hart House Information Desk during Hart House Hours until August 1st. – REGISTRATION FULL
Registration Details
Entry Fees: $50 by July 1st, $60 by August 1st. $30 discount for unrated players in their first tournament and UofT students. Max one discount per player. Unrated players are ineligible for prizes. Free entry for IMs/WIMs by July 15th — email us for details.
Section Eligibility: No playing up allowed. Highest of CFC Regular, CFC Quick, FIDE Standard, and will be used for section eligibility at arbiters’ discretion. CFC regular ratings are used for pairings.
Byes: Up to one 1/2 point bye can be requested via email by 11:59 PM on August 1st
Prize Payments: All prizes less than or equal to $150 will be paid via gift cards. Prizes greater than $150 will be paid via direct deposit OR via gift cards upon request.
The Hart House Chess Club is hosting a Summer Rapid and Blitz Festival this July 19th – July 20th! The event is a 7-round double-round blitz tournament on Friday, July 19th followed by a 6-round Rapid event on Saturday, July 20th. Come join us this summer for some fun! We’re also participating in the FIDE 100th Year International Chess Day festivities to break the Guinness World Record for most games played in a day!
REGISTRATION: Online registration is open until July 18th at 11:59 PM. In-person and telephone registration is available through the Hart House Information Desk during Hart House Hours until July 18th. Onsite registration available until 5:30 pm.
REGISTRATION: Online registration is open until July 18th at 11:59 PM. In-person and telephone registration is available through the Hart House Information Desk during Hart House Hours until July 18th.
ARBITERS: FA Alex Ferreira, NA Tanner McNamara, NA Victor Zheng, NA Ahmed Khalf
Registration Details
Entry Fees:
Blitz only: $15 by July 1st midnight, $20 by July 18th midnight. $10 discount for UofT students. Onsite: $20 before 5:30 pm.
Rapid only: $35 by July 1st midnight, $40 by July 18th midnight. $20 discount for UofT students
Rapid and Blitz: $40 by July 1st midnight, $50 by July 18th midnight. $20 discount for UofT students
Free entry for IMs/WIMs by July 1st — email us for details.
Section Eligibility: No playing up allowed. Highest of CFC Regular, CFC Quick, and FIDE Rapid/Blitz will be used for section eligibility at arbiters’ discretion. CFC Quick Ratings will be used for pairings.
Prize Payments: All prizes less than or equal to $150 will be paid via gift cards. Prizes greater than $150 will be paid via direct deposit OR via gift cards upon request.
Attention all Hart House Chess Club members! The Hart House Chess Club’s annual Club Championship is back this year. All students and alumni of the Hart House Chess Club are invited to compete for the honour of Club Champion. Games will be played over Summer 2024 in the Bickersteth Room of Hart House on Friday nights. Add your name to the list of historic Club Champions!
Tournament Details
WHEN: Friday, July 5th – Friday, August 30. 7 pm – 11 pm. Make-up date on July 19th and August 16th. 7 rounds in total. WHERE: Hart House Bickersteth Room (3rd floor), (7 Hart House Circle, Toronto, ON) ROUND TIMES: 7:00 pm weekly TIME CONTROL: 90 mins + 30 secs/move increment SECTIONS: Championship Section and Reserve Section, split by rating into groups of 8 players. RATINGS: CFC Regular and FIDE rated. All players must have a valid CFC membership to play. EQUIPMENT: HHCC will supply all chess equipment PRIZES: Hart House Chess Club Championship Trophy, free entry to all 2024-2025 Club events CAPACITY: 16 players Arbiter(s): Victor Zheng, Tanner McNamara ENTRY FEES: Free for all students and alumni of the University of Toronto. ELIGIBILITY: Only Current students and alumni of the University of Toronto are eligible. Only 16 spots available, ordered by rating. If there is interest, we will aim to accommodate as many players as possible. REGISTRATION is FREE: Registrations are now CLOSED.
David Fox receives his trophy for winning the Club championship in the Fall of 1947. The Club Championship trophy sits on the table. See more at History
The Hart House Chess Club is excited to announce Weekly Quads! This June, join us for up to 3 Fridays, from 7 pm – 9 pm for weekly CFC and FIDE-rated Rapid Quad tournaments. A time control of 10 mins + 5 seconds increment allows for structured improvement and gameplay. It is also a great tournament for those new to chess. No commitment to all weeks is necessary, play whenever you can!
A Quad Tournament is where all players are sorted from highest rating to lowest rating and the top four highest-rated players are placed in one section (a Quad), then the following 4 highest rated players are placed in another Quad. This process continues until all players are given a designated Quad. If there are 1, 2 or 3 players remaining after the last full Quad has been designated, those players will be placed in the last quad section and that section will play a 3 round Swiss match.
Tournament Details
WHEN: Friday, June 7, 14, and 28 from 7 pm to 9 pm. Rd #1 starts at 7:00 pm. June 28th Quad is cancelled due to President Day Holiday at HH.
TIME CONTROL: 10 minutes + 5 seconds increment per move
SECTIONS: Players are split by ratings into pools of 4, up to 4 pools
RATING: CFC Quick and FIDE Rapid rated in all quads where all players have FIDE ratings. Otherwise, only CFC Quick Rated. CFC Quick ratings are used for all pairings. All players must have a valid CFC membership to play.
EQUIPMENT: HHCC will supply all chess equipment
PRIZES: $50 gift card for first place in each quad.
CAPACITY: 16 per night
ENTRY FEES: Free for GMs, IMs, HHCC members, and students of the University of Toronto. $20 for public.
REGISTRATION: Accepted ONLY in person from 6:00 pm – 6:45 pm in the Reading Room.
The Hart House Spring Junior Open is back for another year and is open to anyone born in 2006 or later! The tournament is an opportunity for up and coming juniors to play other juniors and utilize free onsite expert-analysis from some of UofT’s top chess players.
With two sections for anyone U1300 or new-to-chess, this is the perfect opportunity to bring families and young children to their first chess tournament. It is also a great opportunity to meet some of UofT’s best chess players and explore Hart House and the University of Toronto. We look forward to welcoming families and young chess enthusiasts to the magnificent Music Room on March 24th.
Where: Music Room, Hart House, University of Toronto When: Sunday, March 24th, 2024 Rounds: 9:30 am, 11:30 am, (lunch), 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm (Game Analysis available 10 am – 4 pm) Award Ceremony: 6:00 pm or ASAP after round 4. Style: 4Round Swiss in 2 Rating Sections: U1300, and U900. Time Control: 30 minutes plus 30 seconds per move from move 1, for all sections. Rating: All sections will be CFC Classical Rated (Chess Federation of Canada). Byes: Maximum 1 half-point byes in rounds 1-3, if requested in advance before the start of Round 1. Prizes:Trophies for top three finishers and top girl in each section. First and second place receives in both sections also receive 1 tickets to either Rd 6 or Rd 7 Candidates. Entry Fee: $40 for online registrations before 11:59 PM March 22nd. Arbiters: Hart House Chess Club provided Organizer: Hart House Chess Club Game Analysis: Free expert-level analysis will be provided by UofT’s Varsity Chess Team and other U of T players (see below). Notation: E-mail:hhchess@studentorg.utoronto.ca
Other Info: Chess sets and clocks will be provided
CFC Memberships: Registrants must create a CFC ID before registering. Paid CFC memberships are not required as this is a juniors-only tournament with time controls. Rating fees will be covered by HHCC. Unrated players will get a CFC Regular Rating after this tournament and are welcome and encouraged to play!
Parents: WiFi will be provided and you can use rooms such as the Reading Room, or Burwash Room (skittles/analysis room) while waiting for games to finish.
Withdrawals: Full refund by March 10, Refunds from March 11th to close of online registrations are charged $10 fee.
Registration:
All players must have been born on or after year 2006. Tournament is for juniors 18 and under.
Online registration is recommended and available until March 22nd at 11:59pm.
Extra $10 to play up a section. Playing up is allowed only for players within 100 rating points of the section’s minimum rating. The $10 added play up fee is charged in-person. For example: a player in the Under 900 section who wants to play up in the Under 1300 section must have a rating no lower than 800.
The tournament will admit up to 45 participants.
Photography:
HHCC will aim to provide an official photographer for this event. By signing up, you permit HHCC the ability to take and use photos from the tournament on its social media. If you would not like your photo used, please email us.
Game Analysis:
Game analysis will be provided by UofT’s Varsity Chess Team and other strong players after each round in the Burwash Room. All players are encouraged to show their games to HHCC player’s for their feedback and learn from their games.
If there are any corrections, please let us know via email to hhchess@studentorg.utoronto.ca. Please do not call Hart House as they are not informed about the specific details of the tournament.
Hart House Chess Club 