22nd Festival International de Dieppe A – Grand Prix Duchesse de Berry
22nd Festival International de Dieppe A – Grand Prix “Duchesse de Berry” runs from August 21-29, 2026. This is a chess tournament in Dieppe, France, in 2026. It is the main stronger section of the Dieppe summer festival and keeps the event in one of Normandy’s best-known seaside tournament settings.
The tournament uses a 9-round Swiss system with a classical time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes to finish, with a 30-second increment from move one. It is rated for the September 2026 FIDE list, and the FFE page also notes that Open A counts toward the Normandy circuit Grand Prix qualifying path for the Open Accession.
Play takes place at the Salle des Congrès et Casino de Dieppe Groupe Partouche on Boulevard de Verdun. In addition, the wider festival includes Open B, the senior Open des Rois, the morning Open de la Côte d’Albâtre, and blitz events during the week, so the Dieppe program offers more than the main classical section alone.
📌 Event Details
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| 🏁 Tournament | 22nd Festival International de Dieppe A – Grand Prix “Duchesse de Berry” |
| 📅 Dates | August 21-29, 2026 |
| 📍 Location | Dieppe, France |
| 🏛️ Venue | Salle des Congrès et Casino de Dieppe Groupe Partouche, 3 Boulevard de Verdun, 76200 Dieppe, France |
| ♟️ Format | Classical over-the-board Swiss open |
| 👥 Sections | Open A |
| 🔢 Rounds | 9 |
| ⏱️ Time control | 90 min for 40 moves, then 30 min to finish, plus 30 sec increment from move 1 |
| 🌍 Rating | FIDE standard |
| 👤 Capacity | Shared limit of 270 players for Opens A and B |
| 🏢 Organizer | Echiquier Dieppois |
The event details above reflect the official 2026 brochure, the FFE tournament page, and the registration page for the festival.
⏱️ Time Control & Pairings
Open A uses a Swiss system over 9 rounds. The time control is 1h30 for 40 moves, then 30 minutes to finish, with a 30-second increment per move, which gives the event a full classical structure for a week-long festival.
Players may take one half-day rest through the published bye system and receive a half-point, provided the arbiter is informed in advance. That makes the event especially practical for players who want to combine chess with time in Dieppe during the festival week.
👥 Sections / Groups
| Section | Eligibility | Rounds | Time Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open A | From 1500 Elo | 9 | 90/40 + 30 min + 30 sec |
This page covers the Grand Prix A “Duchesse de Berry” section only. However, the full Dieppe festival also includes Open B “Les Vikings”, the Open des Rois for players aged 50 and over, and the Open de la Côte d’Albâtre played in morning rounds.
🗓️ Schedule
| Date | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| August 21, 2026 | 15:00 | Round 1 |
| August 22, 2026 | 14:30 | Round 2 |
| August 23, 2026 | 14:30 | Round 3 |
| August 24, 2026 | 14:30 | Round 4 |
| August 25, 2026 | 14:30 | Round 5 |
| August 26, 2026 | 14:30 | Round 6 |
| August 27, 2026 | 14:30 | Round 7 |
| August 28, 2026 | 14:30 | Round 8 |
| August 29, 2026 | 09:00 | Round 9 |
The closing ceremony takes place at 17:00 in the performance hall of the Casino. During the same week, the festival also schedules a 4-player team blitz on Monday, August 24 at 21:00 and a separate Wednesday blitz on August 26 at 20:30.
📝 Registration
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Official registration link | https://l-echiquier-dieppois-5fe0df7b5aa75.assoconnect.com/collect/description/662223-d-inscription-a-l-open-a-et-b-du-22eme-festival-international-de-dieppe |
| Registration method | Online registration only |
| On-site registration | Not available |
| Senior entry fee | €60 |
| Junior entry fee | €50 |
| Free entry | GM and IM |
| Club member rate | €30 for Echiquier Dieppois members |
| Mandatory pointage | Online from August 1 to August 21 |
| Shared capacity | 270 players for Opens A and B combined |
| Refund note | Refund requests should be made before August 1, 2026; later cases may be reviewed in force majeure situations |
The registration process is fully digital. First, players register online. Then they must complete the mandatory online pointage before the event. Because no on-site registration is available, early action is important.
🏢 Organizer
Echiquier Dieppois organizes the festival and continues to build Dieppe as a strong summer chess destination in Normandy. The official contacts for the event include the festival registration team and chief arbiter Julien Clarebout for late-arrival or withdrawal notices.
Phone: +33 6 16 21 24 77
Email: festivalechecsdieppe@gmail.com
📍 Venue
Salle des Congrès et Casino de Dieppe Groupe Partouche, 3 Boulevard de Verdun, 76200 Dieppe, France
The venue gives the tournament a practical seaside base close to the beach and town center. In addition, the hotel-casino complex states that it can be reached from Dieppe train station in about 10 minutes on foot, which is especially useful for players arriving by rail.
🚆 How to Get There
Dieppe train station is the main rail arrival point for the tournament. From there, the Casino and congress venue at 3 Boulevard de Verdun is about a 10-minute walk. Drivers can also use the nearby Indigo La Plage car park a few metres from the hotel-casino complex.
This Dieppe Open A combines a strong classical structure with a practical seaside festival setting.
Organizer
Echiquier Dieppois is a chess club in Dieppe, Normandy, France. The club was founded in 1999 and now runs its regular activity from the Centre Oscar Niemeyer in Dieppe. Its official website presents a broad structure built around club life, training, competition, school activity, online lessons, and practical support for players. That setup gives the organizer a strong local base. As a result, it avoids a narrow event-only profile. The club also keeps a steady public rhythm through weekly play and internal activities. In addition, it maintains direct communication with members and visitors. Over time, Echiquier Dieppois has become one of the more visible chess organizations on the Normandy coast. It is now a recognizable name in the regional chess scene.
🏆 Tournament Activity
Tournament organization is one of the club’s strongest public features. Echiquier Dieppois runs the Festival International de Dieppe, which had reached its 22nd edition in 2026. The festival includes several sections, among them the main open and the Open des Rois. It takes place at the Casino de Dieppe. The club also runs the Challenge Dieppois, a Trophée Blitz, the 18ème Rapide de Dieppe, and official youth championships for Seine-Maritime. In the Normandy circuit, the Dieppe festival is listed as one of the recognized FIDE events on the regional calendar. This sustained event work gives the organizer a solid competitive identity. It also shows that the club can deliver both large summer festivals and regular events during the rest of the season.
🌱 Youth Development and Local Impact
Youth work plays a central role in the club’s identity. Recent club coverage highlights a strong junior dynamic, with a large delegation at the Normandy Youth Championship 2026. External coverage from 2024 also reported that six Dieppe juniors qualified for the French Youth Championship after a record regional campaign. The club’s site shows that this work goes beyond tournaments. In fact, it includes school chess, training stages, online learning, and structured coaching. Olivier Delabarre remains a key public figure in that project as founder, trainer, and sporting director. The club also presents itself as active in broader social and educational work, including projects with underserved groups. That mix of teaching, youth progression, and tournament practice gives Echiquier Dieppois a strong community profile. It is also recognized for its competitive side.
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