Chess Tournaments in Los Angeles
Rated and unrated chess tournaments, quads and club nights in greater Los Angeles — and what to expect if it is your first one.
What is on
Southern California has a long-established club circuit and a heavy scholastic calendar through the school year.
| Event | Format | Who it is for | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica Bay Chess Club Tuesday Tournaments✓ Verified 14 Aug 2026LA County's longest-running club (since 1937); most tournaments are 4-round USCF-rated Swiss at G/90+10, first-time players free. (West Los Angeles) | Swiss | Anyone can participate regardless of skill level; players rated from the hundreds to the two thousands | Tuesdays, 7 PM to 11 PM |
| San Gabriel Valley Chess Club Monday Night Tournaments✓ Verified 14 Aug 2026USCF-rated club tournaments at the San Marino Masonic Lodge, with a casual-play area and occasional one-day weekend events. (San Marino) | Club night | SGVCC members (anyone welcome to drop by and check things out before joining) | Mondays, 6:00-10:00 PM |
| Chess Club of Los Angeles Weekend Blitz Tournaments✓ Verified 14 Aug 2026USCF-rated blitz tournaments at Tanner's Coffee, with friendly unrated games in the afternoon before rated play starts. (Culver City) | Club night | Kids (5:00-7:00 PM blitz) and adults (7:30-9:30 PM blitz) | Saturdays and Sundays; rated tournaments after 5 PM |
| ICEA Chess West LA Monthly Tournament✓ Verified 14 Aug 2026USCF-rated monthly event at G/45;+5; ICEA also runs a monthly rated tournament at Rio Hondo on the east side. (West Los Angeles) | Swiss | Five rating sections: U600, U1000, 1000+, 1600+ and 2000+ | Second Saturday of each month, 9 AM to 6 PM |
| ICEA Chess Scholastic Monthly Tournament✓ Verified 14 Aug 2026USCF-rated scholastic tournament at G/25;+5, listed on the SCCF scholastic calendar. (Irvine) | Scholastic | Students in four sections: K-12, K-8, K-5, and K-3 | First Saturday of each month, 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM |
| Los Angeles Open (21st annual)✓ Verified 14 Aug 20265-round Swiss (40/80, SD/30; d30) run by Continental Chess with $20,000 guaranteed prizes and 3-day or 2-day schedules. (Irvine (Orange County)) | Open | Open to all with USCF membership; 7 rating sections from Major (1900+) down to Under 1000 | Annual; Nov 6-8, 2026 |
Always check the organiser’s own page before you travel. Dates, venues and sections change, and no directory is a substitute for the source.
Who runs chess here
The organisations behind the listings above — their own calendars are the authoritative source for dates and entry details.
- Southern California Chess Federation (SCCF) — State federation for Southern California; maintains the regional tournament calendar and a separate scholastic events calendar. — their calendar
- ICEA Chess — Organizer of monthly USCF-rated tournaments in West LA, Rio Hondo, and Irvine, plus free quarterly events at The Wende in Culver City. — their calendar
- American Chess Academy — Nonprofit chess school with Glendale and Encino locations; organizes scholastic tournaments in the LA area including the L.A. Back to School Championships and the 2026 Southern California Open. — their calendar
If this is your first one
Start with a quad if you can find one. Four players, three games, everybody near your child’s strength, finished in an afternoon. A Swiss is fine too — nobody is eliminated and pairings follow your score — but it is a longer day and the first round can be a mismatch.
Plan for the whole day even when the chess is only three hours. There are gaps between rounds, and the awards ceremony always runs late. Bring a book and food.
The full version is here: Is my child ready for their first tournament?
Looking for a coach in Los Angeles?
We do not run a coach directory, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. What helps more is knowing what to ask before you hire anyone — a coach’s own rating predicts very little about whether your child will improve.
How to choose a chess coach · Club or private coach?
Running something in Los Angeles?
List your event — free, forever
There is no fee, no account and no catch. Send the details and it goes into this page and the national directory. We link straight to your own entry page, so the traffic is yours.
Running a club rather than a one-off? Say so and we will list the recurring schedule once rather than every date.