The 18th Northwick Park Chess Congress 2026 will take place on December 12 and 13, 2026, at the University of Westminster Marylebone Campus in central London. The event is organized by the London Junior Chess Club and welcomes both experienced tournament players and developing competitors.

The congress consists of three five-round sections: Super U2400, Major U1860, and Minor U1500. All three sections will be submitted for ECF Standard rating, while the Super and Major will also be FIDE rated. Players entering either FIDE-rated section must have a valid FIDE ID.

Three rounds will be played on Saturday and two on Sunday. The time control is 60 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move. The currently quantified guaranteed prize fund is at least £810 / approximately $1,080, while the Minor third prize remains dependent on the final number of entries.

📌 Event Details

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

All sections will be played over five Swiss-system rounds. Three rounds are scheduled for Saturday, followed by two rounds on Sunday.

Each player receives 60 minutes for the entire game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move from move one. Digital clocks will be used in every section.

The default time is 30 minutes. After that period, the arbiters may re-pair a player whose opponent has not arrived or a participant who would otherwise receive a full-point bye.

Players should check the published pairings before every round. Any error involving a name, federation, FIDE ID, ECF code or rating should be reported to the arbiters immediately.

🏆 Prize Fund

All currently listed cash prizes are guaranteed. The organizer may increase the awards depending on the final number of entries.

The presently quantified prize fund is at least £810 / approximately $1,080. The Minor third prize has not yet been fixed and will be added if there are sufficient entries.

Super U2400 Prizes

Major U1860 Prizes

Minor U1500 Prizes

An unrated player who wins the Minor section may receive no more than 60% of the advertised first prize. Any remaining amount will be allocated to other prize winners.

USD equivalents are approximate and have been rounded upward to the next $10.

📂 Sections / Groups

The congress is divided into three sections according to player rating.

Super U2400

The Super is the highest-rated section. It is open to players who remain below the published 2400 rating limit.

The section will be submitted for both FIDE and ECF Standard rating. Therefore, every participant must have a valid FIDE ID before entering.

Major U1860

The Major is open to players below 1860. It will also be submitted for both FIDE and ECF Standard rating.

Players entering the Major must have a valid FIDE ID. Anyone exceeding the applicable rating limit may be transferred to the Super by the Chief Arbiter.

Minor U1500

The Minor is open to players below 1500 and will be submitted for ECF Standard rating.

Players without an established ECF Standard rating must provide enough recent playing information for the Congress Manager to determine the appropriate section. A FIDE rating may be converted to an ECF equivalent when necessary.

Unrated players should include details of tournaments or other rated events played between May and December 2026. The Congress Manager may transfer a player if later information indicates that another section is more appropriate.

Rating Eligibility

The December 2026 rating list will determine section eligibility.

Players must remain below the relevant limit under the rating information applied by the organizer. When both FIDE and ECF ratings are available, players should ensure that neither places them above the limit of their selected section.

The Chief Arbiter may transfer an over-limit entrant to the appropriate higher section when the pairings are published.

🗓️ Schedule

Players should arrive early enough to locate the tournament hall, check their section and review the first-round pairings before play begins.

The timetable is the same for the Super, Major and Minor sections.

Players should not arrange an inflexible Sunday departure immediately after Round 5. The finishing time may vary according to the length of the final games, prize verification and awards ceremony.

📝 Registration

Entry must be completed through the official Congress.org.uk registration system. A user account is not required to submit an entry.

Players are encouraged to enter before the late-fee periods. The entry system currently indicates a £10 surcharge after December 8 and a £15 surcharge after December 10, with online entry available until December 11.

Each player should provide:

• Full name as shown in the rating databases
• FIDE ID when entering the Super or Major
• ECF membership or rating information
• Correct section
• Current rating information
• Contact email
• Payment details
• Recent playing history when entering the Minor without an established Standard rating

Players who do not yet have a FIDE ID must obtain one before participating in the Super or Major:

https://britchess.wufoo.com/forms/fide-id-request-form-2024

Anyone uncertain about the correct section should contact the organizer before completing payment.

👤 Organizer

The congress is organized by the London Junior Chess Club, which runs junior championships, qualifying events and adult chess congresses in London.

The organizer has adopted the English Chess Federation safeguarding policy. Event results are shared with the ECF for rating purposes and may be displayed on the LJCC website and Chess-Results.

Questions concerning section eligibility, FIDE IDs, unrated-player placement, late entry, accessibility or payment should be sent to the organizer.

📍 Venue

University of Westminster Marylebone Campus – 35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LS, United Kingdom.

The venue is in central London, directly opposite Baker Street Underground station and close to London Marylebone railway station. Its location provides convenient Underground, rail and bus connections from across London.

The organizer expects the canteen to open for breakfast from approximately 09:00 and to serve until 16:00 on both days. However, this remains subject to final venue arrangements. Vending machines are available.

Players with dietary requirements should consider bringing suitable food and drinks in case the final catering service is limited.

Accommodation Near the Venue

No official accommodation package has been announced. Several hotels are located around Marylebone and Baker Street, including:

London hotel rates can be high in December. Players should compare prices for December 11–14, 2026 and check breakfast times, cancellation conditions, luggage storage and walking distance before booking.

🚗 How to Get There

The venue is particularly convenient by public transport. Driving into central London is generally less practical because parking is limited and may be expensive.

Baker Street Underground Station

Baker Street is served by the:

• Bakerloo line
• Circle line
• Hammersmith & City line
• Jubilee line
• Metropolitan line

Players should check Transport for London for weekend engineering work before travelling:

https://tfl.gov.uk/

London Marylebone Railway Station

London Marylebone station is nearby and is served mainly by Chiltern Railways. National Rail information is available at:

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/london-marylebone/

By Car

The University states that metered parking is available on surrounding roads. The nearest pay-and-display facility is identified as London Marylebone Road.

Drivers should check current parking restrictions, road closures, congestion charges and emissions-zone requirements before travelling.

ℹ️ Other Information

Pairings and Re-pairing

Pairings will be generated with Swiss-Manager and published on Chess-Results once the tournament section pages are available.

After the 30-minute default period, the arbiters may re-pair players whose opponents have not arrived. Re-pairing may also be used for a participant who would otherwise receive a full-point bye.

FIDE IDs

A valid FIDE ID is mandatory for the Super U2400 and Major U1860 sections. Players without one should apply before entering.

A FIDE ID is not stated as mandatory for the ECF-rated Minor section.

Safeguarding

London Junior Chess Club has adopted the English Chess Federation safeguarding policy. Juniors and accompanying adults must follow the organizer’s safeguarding and venue requirements.

Personal Data

The organizer collects participant data for event administration and rating submission. Results may be published on the LJCC website, the ECF rating system and Chess-Results.

Photography

The organizer may take photographs during the event. The published event conditions state that photographs will not be released without prior permission.

Personal Property

The organizer and event helpers do not accept responsibility for theft, damage, accidents or loss involving competitors’ or visitors’ property. Players should keep valuables with them and avoid leaving bags unattended.

Updates

Section lists, ratings, pairings and any later prize changes may be published closer to the congress. Players should recheck the official page before travelling:

https://www.congress.org.uk/congress/786/home