Open Streets

JP Open Streets will be on Sunday, August 2, 2026. Events kick off at 10:30am and last until 3pm.

The ​​​Location

Outdoors, in the streets, outside of the J.P. Licks store at 659 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA 02130. As we shall be outdoors please remember to protect yourself from the sun using suncream and a hat. Drink water and stay hydrated.

The Draft Agenda

09:00am - Streets close to traffic

09:00am - 10:30am Come help set up & play a little casual chess

10:30am - 11:30am Casual Chess

11:20am - All tournament players should be present and checked in with the TD

11:30am - 02:00pm Blitz tournament (rounds will start as soon as possible)

02:00pm - 03:00pm Casual Chess

03:00pm - Help pack up before the streets reopen to traffic

[timing may change as we obtain further details from the Open Streets organizers]

If you can assist with the event please let us know.

The Blitz Tournament

The blitz tournament will be a 10 round SWISS tournament, with one game per round. All games are unrated. Time controls are 5 minutes per player with no increment. USCF rules will apply being touch move and an illegal move wins (must be claimed). Players should be present for all the rounds. We expect each round to last no longer than 10 minutes with 5 minutes for automated pairing and score keeping between rounds. We shall use the SWIPS.eu website for pairings.

We should be able to accomodate up to 40 players. There is no entry fee. Sets and clocks will be provided.

Registration

So we are able to plan please register ahead of time. We shall publish a link for registering here around mid July. Spots may be available on the day depending on late cancellations, no-shows and available physical space. 

Prizes

We are seeking prize donations from individuals and local businesses. The 2024 tournament prize fund was around $300 of gift cards and prizes. We also gave away some chess books and chess sets. If you would like to donate to the prize fund please contact us at jamaicaplainchess@gmail.com . Prizes are typically awarded to overall winners, 2nd and 3rd; highest performing junior and star performer (lower rated player with a stellar performance). We use the modified median score for tie-breaks.

Donors for 2024 (the last Open Streets Tournament) Prize fund allocation

• Kendall Square Dental ($100 of gift cards) - 4 * $25 -> Awarded to: James B; Joseph, Matt, Karanbir

• Monumental Market ($50 of gift cards) <- great Colombian coffee = 2 *$25 awarded to Kaleem and Matt

• Boing Toy Shop (Chess Variant Game <- local toy shop -> Awarded to: Ryan (3rd place, Group A)

• On Centre ($25 gift cards) <- local JP gift shop -> Awarded to: Tal (2nd place Group B)

• The BYTE Shop ($25 gift card) <- will fix your computer and help you with any technological needs-> Awarded to: Kevin

• J.P. Licks (Goodies bag consisting of coffee and container) <- Best icecream in the city >- Awarded to Xavier 

• Papercut Bookshop ($20 gift card) <- browse and buy books-> Awarded to: Ryan (3rd place, Group A)

• Funky Chess Set and Book <- from a JP Chess member-> Awarded to: Dee (3rd place, Group B)

• JP Chess: 4 Chess Mugs -> Awarded to: James B; Joseph, Matt and Karanbir (Winners of Groups A and B)