The Check & Mate – 2nd Edition 2026 will take place from November 5–8, 2026, at CATTIA in Brașov, Romania. The four-day chess festival combines classical FIDE-rated competition with Blitz, a solving contest, family activities, creative workshops, and social events under one program.

The main classical competition is divided into Tournament A for stronger players and Tournament B for players below 2000 Elo. Tournament A uses a longer classical time control, while Tournament B provides an additional seventh round. A separate FIDE-rated Blitz tournament is scheduled for Friday evening, and the solving competition takes place on Saturday morning.

The festival publishes RON 19,550 in cash prizes plus RON 9,100 in vouchers, creating a total award value of RON 28,650 / approx. $6,250. Cash awards cover overall places and several special categories, while additional vouchers and trophies expand the prize structure for juniors, women, veterans, rating groups, and other eligible participants.

♟️ Event Details

Check & Mate brings together several chess formats at CATTIA, one of Brașov’s major modern event and innovation venues. The festival is designed for experienced tournament players, developing juniors, families, and visitors interested in chess-related activities.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The two classical tournaments use different structures. Tournament A provides longer individual games, while Tournament B includes seven rounds across the four-day schedule.

Tournament A and Tournament B are submitted for FIDE Standard rating, while the Blitz competition is submitted for FIDE Blitz rating.

Players in the classical events may request up to two half-point byes during the first four rounds, subject to the published tournament procedure.

The default time is 30 minutes after the scheduled beginning of a round.

Tie-Breaks

The classical competitions use a published sequence of tie-break criteria.

If two players finish with the maximum possible score under the conditions specified by the organizer, an Armageddon game may be used to determine the winner.

🏆 Prize Fund

The festival publishes RON 19,550 / approx. $4,270 in cash prizes and a further RON 9,100 / approx. $1,990 in vouchers.

The combined award value is therefore RON 28,650 / approx. $6,250.

Tournament A

Tournament A carries the largest individual cash prizes of the festival.

Additional Tournament A awards are available for eligible rating and special categories.

Tournament B

Tournament B also provides overall cash prizes together with additional category awards.

Additional prizes cover published rating groups and special categories.

Blitz

The Friday-evening Blitz event has its own separate cash awards.

Solving

The solving competition includes both Open and Under 12 categories.

Additional cash prizes, vouchers, and trophies are available for women, veterans, juniors, rating categories, and eligible players with disability certificates.

Prizes are non-cumulative unless the regulations specifically state otherwise. Cash prizes are paid by bank transfer within the period published by the organizer.

🧩 Sections / Groups

The festival combines two classical playing groups with separate Blitz and solving competitions.

The exact rating used for section eligibility follows the organizer’s published tournament regulations.

🗓️ Schedule

The official CATTIA program begins Thursday afternoon. Friday and Saturday combine tournament rounds with the festival’s side events, while the final classical games and award ceremonies take place Sunday.

Thursday, November 5

Friday, November 6

Saturday, November 7

Sunday, November 8

📝 Registration

Registration fees depend on the competition and the date of entry.

Tournament A

Tournament B

Blitz & Solving

GM players receive free entry.

IM and WGM players receive a 10% discount.

FM, WFM, CM, and WCM players receive a 50% discount under the published conditions.

Players already registered in another festival competition may receive a 50% discount on the Blitz or Solving entry fee.

Registration requests and payment details should be confirmed directly with the organizer.

👥 Organizer

📍 Venue

The tournament takes place at CATTIA – Centrul de Afaceri, Transfer Tehnologic și Incubator de Afaceri, a large modern event and innovation centre in Brașov.

CATTIA – Strada Institutului 35, 500484 Brașov, Romania

The venue provides conference and event spaces and hosts exhibitions, workshops, business events, community programs, and large public activities.

🚆 How to Get There

CATTIA is located in Brașov and can be reached by car, taxi, rideshare, or local public transport.

Players arriving from Bucharest can travel to Brașov by train or road and continue to CATTIA by local transport.

ℹ️ Other Information

Check & Mate is designed as more than a conventional chess tournament. The official CATTIA festival program includes creative workshops, arts and crafts activities, relaxation areas, specialty coffee, snacks, and spaces for players, families, and visitors to socialize between rounds.

A stand-up comedy performance by Călin Gheorghiu is scheduled for Saturday evening from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

The classical tournaments, Blitz competition, and solving contest are registered separately in the Romanian Chess Federation / Chess-Results system. Tournament A, Tournament B, and the Blitz event also appear in the international FIDE tournament calendar.

Romanian players must meet the applicable 2026 Romanian Chess Federation registration and validation requirements.

The published arbiter team includes IA Dinu-Ioan Nicula, assisted by FA Liana-Nicoleta Szabo.

Players should verify any final changes to pairings, eligibility, deadlines, and technical regulations before traveling to Brașov.