Brian Costella Memorial Chess Tournament - Benefits Scholastic Chess

A York Chess Club Charity Event Benefitting Scholastic Chess

In Memory of Brian Costella: U.S. Army Veteran, USCF Senior Tournament Director, York Chess Club Founder, New Oxford Class of '84

DATE: Saturday, September 27, 2025 

LOCATION: 
New Oxford Social and Athletic Club Pavilion
200 West Golden Lane
New Oxford, PA 17350

TOURNAMENT FORMAT:
5 Round Open Swiss Tournament
Time Control: G/30;d5 (Game in 30 minutes with a 5-second delay)

There will also be a FREE UNRATED SECTION for kids who have never played in a tournament before. See details lower on this page. 

SCHEDULE:
Registration: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Round 1: 10:30 a.m.
Lunch Break
Round 2: 1:00 p.m.
Round 3: 2:15 p.m.*
Round 4: 3:30 p.m.*
Round 5: 4:45 p.m.*
Awards
*Times are approximate. Rounds 3-5 will start as soon as prior rounds and new pairings are complete.

ENTRY FEE: $30

PRIZES:
1st Place: $120
2nd Place: $90
Top Under 1800: $70
Top Under 1400: $60
Top Under 1000: $60

FOOD:
Players will receive a gift bag with snacks and a bottle of water. Additional snacks and drinks will be available for purchase.
Please bring a lunch or plan to purchase lunch offsite during the lunch break. A large refrigerator is available on-site for storing food. Several restaurants are located within a few minutes' drive.

PIZZA PARTY: We will hold a post-tournament pizza party. Cost is $8 per person and includes three slices and a drink. You can purchase pizza party tickets on the ticket purchase page or sign up on tournament day before noon at the director's table.

FREE UNRATED SECTION: For K-12 students who have never been USCF members, or members of other national or international chess associations. Equipment provided. Thanks to a generous sponsor, each player will get a prize, snacks, a free pizza party, and while supplies last, a free tournament chess set to take home with them. A few top players will be awarded annual student USCF memberships and tournament entries to local tournaments.

This unrated tournament is meant to be a gentle and fun introduction to the thrill of tournament play. Players should know the basic rules of chess, but we will give a tutorial on tournament rules and using a clock.

The unrated section will use a shorter time control, 20 minutes per player in each game, no delay, and novice players usually do not use as much of their clock time as more experienced players, so this tournament will be over earlier than the open section. For the unrated section, arrive before 10 a.m. to sign in. We will start unrated games by 11. We’ll play 2 or three games, take a pizza and drink break, then play a couple more before a quick awards ceremony. That will likely be about 6 hours from registration to the end. If that sounds like a long day for your young player, don’t worry. It’s ok to play three rounds, enjoy some pizza, and leave before the event is over. Just let a tournament director know the player is withdrawing.

We’ll try to accommodate as many players as possible, but the free tournament sets are limited. You can sign up on the main tournament site, tickettailor.com/events/yorkchessclub/1667395 or use QR code below. Email erictrimmer@yorkchess.org if you have questions.

BENEFICIARIES: 
25% to the New Oxford scholastic chess program, benefiting students at Brian's own high school alma mater (Class of '84)
25% to the Mason Dixon Chess League, which supports scholastic chess competitions in Adams County
50% to York Chess Club to fund chess events and programs in York County for K-12 players

SUPPORT: If you would like to sponsor this event; sponsor a scholastic team (can be a homeschool group, club, or any other group of K-12 players); donate prizes, snacks, supplies; volunteer to staff the event; or participate in any other way, please email erictrimmer m@yorkchess.org. 

You can also donate directly through our fundraising page.