The Columbia Chess Club Presents
Columbia Tunnelvision XL
January 17, 2026
$1000 Guaranteed
10:30 a.m. 4-Round G/45;inc.5
Columbia Chess Club
6169 St. Andrews Rd.
Columbia, SC 29212
IM Danny Rensch visits Tunnelvision XL!
When registering for the tournament, you can purchase your copy of Dark Squares: How Chess Saved my Life. Dark Squares is a memoir by International Master and Chess.com co-founder Danny Rensch, chronicling his traumatic upbringing in an abusive cult, his rise as a chess prodigy whose talent was exploited by the cult leader, and how the game ultimately became his lifeline, leading to resilience, recovery from a severe medical crisis, and co-founding the world's largest online chess platform. Often described as Educated meets The Queen's Gambit, it emphasizes survival, trust, and chess as a path to redemption.
Auther IM Danny Rensch will be on hand at the end of the tournament for a Q&A, book signing, and simultaneous exhibition.
Registration
Standard registration is $40 until midnight on the Thursday before the tournament. $50 late registration thereafter. Registration online only, registration limited to first 74 players.
Entry for titled players (National Master and above) is free, standard entry fee deducted from prizes. If you are a titled player, simply use the "Titled Player" option at checkout.
Considering Tunnelvision as your first chess tournament? Great! We've put together a guide to help first-time players.
Format
4 Round Swiss. Time control is G45/inc.5 (45 minutes starting time with a 5-second increment ), which will be USCF dual-rated under both Quick and Classical. All equipment provided. USCF Rules Apply, active USCF Membership required. Tournament has three sections: Championship (1600+), Under 1600, and Under 1000. Players may register for a higher section if they are within 100 USCF rating points of the cutoff. Players may use either their live standard rating or live quick rating to play in a higher section. Players may not play in a section lower than permitted by their published standard rating.
If you need to renew or obtain a USCF membership, please visit https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess.
Rules Note: Per USCF Rule 28T, the pairing system will avoid pairing players registered under the same team during the first-half of the event.
Live Standings/Pairings/Boards
The top board of each section will be live streamed to the DGT LiveCloud along with real-time updates to Lichess.org and Chess.com. A live video stream of the top Championship board will also be available on the club's Twitch page. See this site's "Live" menu for links.
Live standings (including current pre-registration information) and pairings are also available below.
Prizes
$1000 Prize Fund Guaranteed.
Championship (1600+)
$400 Fund. 1st: $200; 2nd: $130; 3rd: $70
Under 1600
$300 Fund: 1st: $150; 2nd: $100; 3rd: $50
Under 1000
$300 Fund: 1st: $150; 2nd: $100; 3rd: $50
Schedule
- Round 1: 10:30 a.m.
- Round 2: 12:50 p.m.
- Round 3: 2:40 p.m.
- Round 4: 4:30 p.m.
Byes
A single half-point bye is available any round, including the final round. The half-point bye may be requested as a part of the advance entry or on site before the tournament starts. Thereafter the only bye available is a zero-point bye. The chief tournament director shall have the ability to grant a half-point bye for any round on unusual circumstances.
Location
Columbia Chess Club
6169 St. Andrews Rd., Ste A
Columbia, SC 29212
Questions?
Email info@columbiachess.org or call/text James Brandmair at 803.569.0938.
Parking
The Columbia Chess Club is located in a shopping center with ample parking.
Food
The Columbia Chess Club offers on-site concessions, including drinks and snacks. By the Fire Pizza and Zorba's Restaurant are located in the same shopping center and will be open during the tournament. Many other restaurants are available close by!