Boston Spring Open 2016

The Boston Spring Open 2016 is coming!

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/2/a/7/600_446168871.jpeg

This is our continuation of last year’s very successful Boston Spring Open 2015. This time only better! We moved up the limit to 100 players, and booked the whole first floor of Microsoft NERD Center (http://microsoftnewengland.com/About), overlooking the Charles River and Boston skyline. Check out our last year’s photo (https://www.meetup.com/massgo/photos/all_photos/?photoAlbumId=26018517) and results (http://www.usgo.org/news/2015/04/snowy-day-hot-games-at-boston-spring-open/).

We welcome players of all levels, from professional to beginner. Depending on our strength distribution this year, it is likely to end up with 4 or more divisions (decided on the game day): open division, one or two divisions for dan players, one or two divisions for 1-5kyu players, and one division for 6-15kyu players. All beginners lower than 15kyu will be paired as 15kyu for handicap settings (challenge yourself!).

Except for the last division (6-15kyu), which is a handicap division based on AGA ranks, all other divisions will be even games. See “Format” section for details.

Cash prizes will be awarded in all divisions, with a top prize of at least $150.

• TsumeGo Challenge:

We will provide 50 TsumeGo problems around the hallway for players to solve during the break and lunch hours. Problems will be divided into 3 levels: DDK, SDK and Dan. The champions who solve most problems in each division will get a small gift prize. (Open division players are excluded from this activity)

• Logistics:

Preregistration required! There is a limit for this tournament of 100 players.

Preregistration closes on 2016, March 18 at 9am (24 hours before tournament start).

Please use Meetup to pay online: RSVP to this event and follow directions.

Fee: $20 (All proceeds will go towards prize money)

Please use Paypal to pay online: we are having trouble with Meetup payments at the moment, so please click [here (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7PFRNZ8JRXX3Y)] to pay. Once your payment has been processed we will mark you as "paid" in Meetup.

• AGA Membership Required!

You must be a registered AGA member before the tournament begins! http://www.usgo.org/join-aga-today

If you need to become a member, there are three options:

1. Online regular membership ($30)
2. Online one-day membership ($10)
3. MGA promo new membership ($15) Contact Walther Chen (https://www.meetup.com/massgo/members/100014802/) or David Kahn (https://www.meetup.com/massgo/members/9220592/) for details. You may bring the form to the Sat meetups to sign. This option may take some time to process, so act now!

Location: Microsoft NERD Center, 1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA. It's a beautiful space overlooking the Charles River!

Building entry: all participants are required to sign a waiver and present government issued ID at the front desk. For minors, a guardian with ID is required to accompany them.

Parking: On-site indoor garage parking weekend rate is $10/day. Entrance at One memorial drive.

Time:

Check-in time: 8:15 am - 8:45am

Tournament starts: 9am

Round 2 starts: 11am

Lunch break: 1-2pm

Round 3 starts: 2pm

Round 4 starts: 4pm

Awards and finalize: 6pm

Format:

• All Games are AGA rated

• 4 rounds, Swiss McMahon pairing

• Time Settings: 30 minutes main time, 5 x 30s Japanese Byo-yomi Overtime

• All games will be even, except for the 6-15 kyu division, which will be handicapped according to rank.

• Each division is separated. Please commit to all 4 games and don't take "Bye"s.