The 2026 Gosford Open Weekender will take place on November 7–8, 2026, at the Central Coast Leagues Club in Gosford, New South Wales, Australia. Organized by Gosford Chess Club, the tournament features six rounds of classical chess across two full playing days.
Games use 60 minutes plus a 10-second increment from move one and are rated for the Australian Chess Federation Classical rating system. All players compete in one main field, while separate rating-band prizes give players from U1800 through U1000 additional award opportunities.
The published prize pool is AUD 1,760 / approx. $1,260, guaranteed when the tournament attracts more than 40 entrants. The event forms the classical leg of Gosford Chess Club’s 2026 Big 3 tournament program, alongside the club’s Summer Blitz and Winter Rapid events.
♟️ Event Details
The Gosford Open is a traditional two-day weekender with three rounds on Saturday and three on Sunday. It combines an accessible one-section format with multiple rating-based prize categories.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| 🏷️ Title | 2026 Gosford Open Weekender |
| 📅 Dates | November 7–8, 2026 |
| 🌎 Country | Australia |
| 📍 City | Gosford, New South Wales |
| 🏛️ Venue | Central Coast Leagues Club – Parkview Room |
| 👥 Organizer | Gosford Chess Club |
| ♟️ Format | Swiss System |
| 🔢 Rounds | 6 |
| 🧩 Playing Sections | 1 Open field |
| ⏱️ Time Control | G/60 +10 |
| ⭐ Rating | ACF Classical rated |
| 💰 Prize Pool | AUD 1,760 / approx. $1,260 if more than 40 entrants |
| 🌐 Event Type | Over-the-board |
⏱️ Time Control & Pairings
All six rounds use the same classical time control. Each player receives 60 minutes for the game plus a 10-second increment after every move.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| ♟️ Pairing System | Swiss System |
| 🔢 Rounds | 6 |
| ⏱️ Time Control | 60 minutes + 10 seconds per move |
| ⭐ Rating | ACF Classical |
| 💤 Maximum Half-Point Byes | 2 |
| 🚫 Half-Point Byes in Rounds 5–6 | Not available |
Half-point byes are granted only with adequate advance notice.
🏆 Prize Fund
The organizer publishes an AUD 1,760 / approx. $1,260 prize pool when more than 40 players enter. The headline first prize of AUD 500 is also specifically conditional on the field exceeding 40 entries.
Open Prizes
The strongest overall finishers receive the two main tournament prizes.
| Prize | Amount |
|---|---|
| 🥇 1st Place | AUD 500 / approx. $360 |
| 🥈 2nd Place | AUD 240 / approx. $180 |
The AUD 500 first prize is conditional on more than 40 entries and may be shared.
Rating Division Prizes
Five rating divisions each offer first- and second-place prizes.
| Division | Awards |
|---|---|
| Under 1800 | 1st AUD 120 / approx. $90; 2nd AUD 60 / approx. $50 |
| Under 1600 | 1st AUD 120 / approx. $90; 2nd AUD 60 / approx. $50 |
| Under 1400 | 1st AUD 120 / approx. $90; 2nd AUD 60 / approx. $50 |
| Under 1200 | 1st AUD 120 / approx. $90; 2nd AUD 60 / approx. $50 |
| Under 1000 | 1st AUD 120 / approx. $90; 2nd AUD 60 / approx. $50 |
The organizer may change or collapse rating divisions depending on the final ratings and composition of the field.
Special Prizes
Additional awards recognize junior and unrated participants.
| Prize | Amount |
|---|---|
| 🧒 Best Junior | AUD 70 / approx. $50 |
| ♟️ Best Unrated | AUD 50 / approx. $40 |
There are no tiebreaks for prize allocation. Tied prizes are shared in the usual way.
A player may receive only one prize, with the exception of the Best Junior award.
Unrated players are not eligible for rating-division prizes. However, they remain eligible for the Open prizes, Best Junior prize when under 18, and Best Unrated award.
🧩 Sections / Groups
The Gosford Open is played as one combined Open tournament. The U1800, U1600, U1400, U1200, and U1000 categories are prize divisions rather than separate pairing sections.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Open | All tournament players compete together |
| U1800 | Rating prize category |
| U1600 | Rating prize category |
| U1400 | Rating prize category |
| U1200 | Rating prize category |
| U1000 | Rating prize category |
| Junior | Special prize category |
| Unrated | Special prize category |
The organizer may adjust or combine rating divisions after reviewing the final entry list.
🗓️ Schedule
Three rounds are played each day. Saturday begins with player check-in at 9:30 AM, while the presentation ceremony follows the final game on Sunday.
Saturday, November 7
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| 📝 Player Registration / Check-In | 9:30 AM |
| ♟️ Round 1 | 10:00 AM |
| ♟️ Round 2 | 12:30 PM |
| ♟️ Round 3 | 3:00 PM |
Sunday, November 8
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| ♟️ Round 4 | 10:00 AM |
| ♟️ Round 5 | 12:30 PM |
| ♟️ Round 6 | 3:00 PM |
| 🏆 Presentation | 5:30 PM |
📝 Registration
All entries must be completed online through TryBooking. The organizer does not accept new tournament entries on the day.
| Registration Category | Entry Fee |
|---|---|
| Adults | AUD 50 / approx. $40 |
| Concession | AUD 40 / approx. $30 |
| Juniors | AUD 35 / approx. $30 |
| Gosford Chess Club Members | AUD 10 / approx. $10 discount |
GMs, WGMs, IMs, and WIMs receive free entry if tournament capacity has not already been reached.
Eligible titled players should contact the organizer before 9:00 PM on Friday, November 6.
The general entry deadline is Friday, November 6 at 11:59 PM.
All players must provide their date of birth when entering through TryBooking.
Adult players from New South Wales must meet the organizer’s published NSWCA membership requirement, or join as required on the day.
Official registration:
https://www.trybooking.com/DNUTD
👥 Organizer
Gosford Chess Club organizes the tournament as the classical component of its annual Big 3 series.
| Contact | |
|---|---|
| 👥 Organizer Name | Gosford Chess Club |
| 👤 Contact Person | Colin Rowlison |
| ✉️ Email | gsparra@gmail.com |
📍 Venue
The tournament is held in the Parkview Room at Central Coast Leagues Club, a major licensed club venue in central Gosford.
Central Coast Leagues Club – Parkview Room – 1 Dane Drive, Gosford NSW 2250, Australia
The venue contains dining outlets, bars, event spaces, lifts, accessible facilities, and on-site parking.
🚆 How to Get There
Central Coast Leagues Club is particularly convenient for players traveling by rail from Sydney, Newcastle, and other parts of New South Wales.
| Transport | Details |
|---|---|
| 🚆 Gosford Railway Station | Approximately 10 minutes on foot |
| 🚌 Local Bus | Stops available around Donnison Street and Dane Drive |
| 🚕 Taxi | Taxi rank available at the club |
| 🚗 By Car | Approximately 12 minutes from the M1 Pacific Motorway |
| 🅿️ Parking | Venue parking available; car park entrance via Baker Street |
The club advertises free parking for members and their guests. Players driving to the venue should follow the club’s current parking and validation instructions on arrival.
ℹ️ Other Information
Central Coast Leagues Club is a licensed venue, so players should carry appropriate identification when required for entry.
Players under 18 may not leave the playing venue unless accompanied by a responsible adult, and children must remain appropriately supervised.
Outside food and drink should not be brought into or consumed inside the club.
The organizer expects a tea, coffee, water, and biscuit station to be available on both tournament days.
The Gosford Open is the classical component of Gosford Chess Club’s 2026 Big 3 tournament series. The club also hosts a Summer Blitz Open and Winter Rapid Open, giving Central Coast players opportunities to compete locally at blitz, rapid, and classical time controls.
Official tournament page:
https://www.gosfordchess.club/gosford-open
Official registration:
https://www.trybooking.com/DNUTD
Gosford Chess Club:
https://www.gosfordchess.club/
Additional Details
Prize Fund (approx.) - $1,260
Organizer
♟️ About Gosford Chess Club
Gosford Chess Club is a community chess organization based in Gosford on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. The club has operated since 1984 and is permanently hosted at Central Coast Leagues Club. It meets almost every Tuesday evening and provides both social and competitive chess for adults and juniors. Within the New South Wales chess structure, the club is also listed as Central Coast Leagues, reflecting its long-term home venue.
The club organizes ACF- and FIDE-rated tournaments, Classical chess, Rapid, Blitz, Chess960, coaching, social nights, club championships, and inter-club matches. Its annual external tournament program is built around the “Big 3”: the Gosford Summer Blitz Open, Gosford Winter Rapid Open, and Gosford Open Weekender. In addition, members compete in regular Tuesday-night tournaments across several time controls and can take part in coaching and club challenges.
NA Colin Rowlison serves as President of Gosford Chess Club and is its principal tournament organizer. He leads a volunteer committee that includes arbiters and tournament officials. During 2026, the club successfully completed its Summer Blitz and Winter Rapid Opens and is preparing the 2026 Gosford Open Weekender, scheduled for November 7–8. The club also continues to expand competitive opportunities for chess players throughout the NSW Central Coast.
📜 Club Development and Community Chess
Gosford Chess Club has been active since 1984, giving it more than four decades of continuous presence in Central Coast chess.
Its weekly home is the Central Coast Leagues Club in Gosford. Regular Tuesday sessions normally begin at 7:30 PM and combine rated tournaments with social chess.
The club welcomes players across a broad range of strengths. Juniors can also participate when accompanied by an adult, while visitors are welcome to attend and play casual games before joining.
Gosford Chess Club finished 2025 with 80 members, including 15 juniors. The club continues to emphasize an accessible community environment alongside serious rated competition.
🎓 Coaching and Player Development
Player improvement is an important part of the club’s current program.
The club provides coaching opportunities to members and organizes tournaments across different time controls. Therefore, players can gain experience in Classical, Rapid, and Blitz chess without leaving the Central Coast.
Gosford Chess Club also uses variants such as Chess960 and organizes social evenings to add variety to its regular schedule.
Its Tuesday competitions create frequent opportunities for members to gain ACF rating experience. Meanwhile, selected club championships receive both ACF and FIDE rating.
⚡ The Gosford “Big 3”
The club’s principal external tournament program is known as the Big 3.
The series combines three different formats during the year: the Summer Blitz Open, the Winter Rapid Open, and the Gosford Open Weekender in Classical chess.
The 2026 Gosford Summer Blitz Open took place on February 28. It attracted 48 players, with Avinav Sivaraj winning the tournament on 8.5/11.
The 2026 Gosford Winter Rapid Open followed on June 27. Sixty players competed over seven rounds, and Tri Kien Le won the event with 6.5/7.
Both tournaments offered players from across New South Wales the opportunity to compete locally on the Central Coast in nationally and internationally rated fast chess.
🏆 Gosford Open Weekender
The Gosford Open is the club’s flagship Classical event.
In 2025, the tournament also served as the NSW Country Championship. A field of 56 players competed across six rounds. WCM Bayasgalan Khishigbaatar and CM Tri Kien Le shared first place with 5/6.
Ben Gordon of Newcastle scored 4.5/6 and became the 2025 NSW Country Champion.
The event has also built a substantial historical record. Recent editions regularly attract players from different parts of New South Wales, while Gosford members compete alongside titled and higher-rated visitors.
🌟 2026 Gosford Open Weekender
The 2026 Gosford Open Weekender is scheduled for November 7–8, 2026 at Central Coast Leagues Club in Gosford.
The tournament will use a six-round Swiss system with a time control of 60 minutes plus 10 seconds per move. It will be ACF Classical rated.
Three rounds will be played on Saturday and three on Sunday. The club provides separate entry rates for adults, concession players, juniors, and Gosford Chess Club members.
Colin Rowlison is the tournament organizer. The event continues the club’s Big 3 program and completes its major 2026 weekend tournament calendar.
🏛️ Organization and Leadership
Colin Rowlison serves as President of Gosford Chess Club and is a National Arbiter.
The 2026 committee also includes a Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and several additional committee members. Several members hold National Arbiter or FIDE Arbiter credentials.
Braiden Cox serves as Secretary and Director of Play. Meanwhile, the wider committee assists with arbiting, tournament setup, equipment, photography, finance, and event administration.
The club also maintains relationships with other NSW organizations. Its 2026 program includes club challenges against Ettalong Chess Club and Norths Chess Club.
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