The 4th DC International chess tournament concluded on Monday, June 29, 2026, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. Organized in cooperation with the DC Chess Association, the five-day competition ran from June 25 to June 29 and served as a FIDE-rated event offering enhanced US Chess Grand Prix points.
The tournament featured a single open section that attracted a total of 102 competitors. The playing format consisted of a 9-round Swiss system with a time control of 40 moves in 80 minutes, followed by sudden death in 30 minutes, with a 30-second delay from move one.
Three players tied for first place, finishing at the top of the standings to share the bulk of the guaranteed $20,000 prize fund. IM Craig Hilby (Texas, rated 2414), GM Viktor Matviishen (Ukraine, rated 2547), and IM Gus Huston (New York, rated 2345) split the top placement prizes equally, with each player receiving $4,000.
With GM and IM norms possible due to the international composition of the field, four players successfully achieved title norms during the event:
Craig Hilby – Grandmaster (GM) Norm
Justin Chen – International Master (IM) Norm
Daniel Girsh – International Master (IM) Norm
Harshin Jagirapu – International Master (IM) Norm
The tournament used June FIDE ratings for pairings and prize eligibility. The event also featured a strict withdrawal notification policy to comply with FIDE pairing standards, penalizing players who failed to give proper advance notice before skipping a round.
The DC International served as a prelude to the upcoming World Chess Open, utilizing the same playing venue located near the Woodley Park/Zoo Metro Station in the nation’s capital.
