Württembergisches Schachfestival WEM 2026 takes place from August 17 to 23, 2026, at the Landessportschule Ruit in Ostfildern, Germany. This is a chess tournament in Ostfildern, Germany, in 2026. The festival combines five separate championship and open competitions in one venue.

The program includes Masters, Candidates, Women, Inclusion, and Open tournaments, so it serves elite regional players, ambitious club competitors, women, players with disabilities, and weekend entrants. Moreover, several sections offer nine serious rounds.

Up to €7,600 in prizes, full-board accommodation at the sports school, free garage parking, and organized meals create a complete residential festival. Therefore, WEM is substantially broader than a standard one-section open.

📌 Event Details

The festival brings together five competitions with different entry routes and field sizes. The Masters is a ten-player round robin, while the Candidates uses a nine-round Swiss format with a maximum of 34 players.

The organizers provide lunch and drinks during the event. Free garage parking is available at the sports school, which reduces daily logistics for residential and commuting participants.

Each of the five tournaments has a distinct sporting purpose. The Masters emphasizes round-robin performance, the Candidates provides a high-level Swiss route, the Women and Inclusion events serve defined championship groups, and the Open offers a shorter festival option.

🏆 Prize Fund

The combined published prize allocation reaches €7,600 / approx. $8,707. The total is distributed across the five WEM competitions.

Some section totals depend on participation and the final published conditions. Prize eligibility, sharing, and category definitions follow the festival regulations for the relevant tournament.

⏰ Time Control & Pairings

All five tournaments use 75 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game. A 30-second increment applies from move one.

The default time is 30 minutes. Players must follow the scorekeeping and electronic-device rules applicable to rated classical competition.

The Masters uses a complete ten-player round robin. The Candidates, Women, Inclusion, and Open competitions use Swiss pairings with the round counts published for each section.

The shared 75/40 +30 and 30-second increment control creates consistent playing conditions across the festival. However, section schedules differ, so players must follow the timetable attached to their own competition rather than another WEM group.

📂 Sections / Groups

Entry qualifications differ substantially between the five competitions. Players should register only for a section that matches the published championship, rating, gender, disability, or open-entry requirements.

🗓️ Schedule

Each tournament has its own round-by-round schedule. Participants must use the timetable for their selected section, because the five-round Open does not follow the same daily rhythm as the nine-round championships.

📝 Registration

Online forms and section-specific eligibility information are available through the WEM website. Entrants should confirm both tournament qualification and accommodation choice before submitting payment.

Players seeking the published accommodation subsidy should verify the eligibility and documentation requirements before making a non-refundable booking.

Accommodation, organization fees, and tournament entry are separate cost elements. Participants should calculate the full package before registration and should verify whether the €100 subsidy applies to their circumstances.

The main registration deadline is July 15. The early organization fee ends on June 15. Later registration increases that fee by €30. A further late supplement can apply. Open entry uses its own price. Lodging and tournament charges must be calculated separately.

👤 Organizer

The Schachverband Württemberg e.V. presents WEM as a combined state championship and chess festival. The federation coordinates section directors, accommodation, meals, pairings, and rating submissions.

• Email: wem@svw.info
• Phone: +49 711 50454920
• Website: https://wem.svw.info/

📍 Venue

Landessportschule Ruit – Kirchheimer Straße 125, 73760 Ostfildern, Germany.

The sports-school campus provides playing rooms, accommodation, dining, and free garage parking in one location. Players should follow the festival desk instructions at arrival because different sections may use different rooms.

The sports-school model reduces movement between sleeping, dining, and playing areas. It also requires participants to observe campus meal times and room procedures, which may be less flexible than a standard commercial hotel.

🏨 Accommodation

Full-board accommodation is offered at €58 per person per day in a double room. A single-room supplement of €30 applies under the published conditions.

Eligible participants may receive an accommodation subsidy of €100. Because room supply and subsidy rules are limited, players should confirm availability and qualification before relying on either option.

Residential participation can simplify the dense nine-round schedules and provides meals on site. Commuting players should still account for the opening and closing times of the sports-school campus.

🚗 How to Get There

Players arriving for residential accommodation should coordinate check-in with the festival schedule. A late arrival can affect both room access and first-round registration.

WEM 2026 offers a rare five-tournament structure with serious championships, an inclusive program, and full residential support.