The 3rd Warwick Congress 2026 takes place on Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22, 2026, at the Westwood Teaching Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, England. The two-day congress features five rounds of Standard chess with a time control of 60 minutes plus a 30-second increment from move one. Players can enter either the Open or U1750 section.

Both advertised sections are FIDE and ECF rated. In addition, the tournament offers a published cash prize fund of £1,200 (approx. $1,610). The congress begins at 10:00 on Saturday and is scheduled to conclude by 17:00 on Sunday. Early-bird pricing is available for players who register by November 7, 2026.

The Westwood Teaching Centre sits on the University of Warwick’s Westwood campus in Coventry. Therefore, players have access to university transport links, nearby weekend parking and on-campus accommodation. Coventry Railway Station provides the main rail connection, while Birmingham Airport is the nearest major airport.

♟️ Event Details

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The 3rd Warwick Congress 2026 uses a Standard time control of 60 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move from move one. Therefore, the increment applies throughout the entire game rather than only after a particular move.

The congress consists of five Swiss-system rounds over two days. Both advertised sections are FIDE Standard rated and ECF rated.

🏆 Prize Fund

The published cash prize fund is £1,200, which is approximately $1,610 at the current exchange rate used for this page.

The current public event information confirms the overall prize fund but does not publish a complete category-by-category prize breakdown. Therefore, only the verified total is stated here.

🧩 Sections / Groups

Players compete in one of two advertised sections.

The U1750 section is intended for players who satisfy the tournament’s rating eligibility requirements. Players should therefore use the current official entry information when confirming section eligibility.

🗓️ Schedule

The five rounds are played across Saturday and Sunday.

Players should check the official event page before travelling in case the organizer publishes detailed round times or later schedule adjustments.

📝 Registration

Players should use the official event information to enter the tournament.

Official event page:
https://www.englishchess.org.uk/event/3rd-warwick-congress/

Early-bird pricing deadline: November 7, 2026.

Because the tournament uses an external official entry process, registration should be completed through the organizer’s current entry route rather than through MyChess.Events.

📍 Venue

Westwood Teaching Centre, University of Warwick – Kirby Corner Road, Coventry CV4 8EJ, England, United Kingdom

The Westwood Teaching Centre is located on the University of Warwick’s Westwood campus. Moreover, the building has an accessible toilet on the ground floor.

For drivers, nearby Westwood parking includes the Athletics Track / Car Park 12 area. Its satnav postcode is CV4 8UW. The university currently publishes a £2.50 Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday public tariff for this car park. Accessible parking spaces are also available.

Parking is managed through APCOA Connect. Therefore, drivers should check the current university parking instructions and register or pay promptly after arrival where required.

🏨 Accommodation

Warwick Conferences provides accommodation on the University of Warwick campus. This can be particularly convenient for players who want to stay close to the tournament area.

Warwick Conferences currently advertises general bed-and-breakfast stays from £75 per night. However, this is a current public starting rate rather than a guaranteed tournament-weekend rate, so prices and availability can change.

Fully accessible bedrooms are available on request. In addition, Warwick Conferences states that its accommodation includes breakfast options and on-site facilities.

Official accommodation information:
https://warwick.ac.uk/services/conferences/bed-and-breakfast/

🚆 How to Get There

By train: Coventry Railway Station is the main railway station for the university area. The University of Warwick is approximately four miles from central Coventry. National Express route 12X connects Coventry Railway Station with the university, while route 11 serves the Westwood area.

By bus: Route 11 runs between Coventry and the university via Westwood. Meanwhile, route 12X connects Coventry Railway Station and Coventry city centre with the main university campus. Players should check the current timetable before travel.

By air: Birmingham Airport is the nearest major airport. Birmingham International railway station is directly connected with the airport, and trains run from Birmingham International to Coventry. From Coventry, players can continue by bus or taxi to the university.

By car: Use Kirby Corner Road, Coventry CV4 8EJ for the Westwood Teaching Centre. For the nearby Westwood Car Park 12 area, the university publishes CV4 8UW as the satnav postcode.

ℹ️ Other Information

The Westwood Teaching Centre provides ground-floor accessible toilet facilities. Moreover, accessible parking spaces are available in the nearby Westwood parking area.

The congress welcomes players across its Open and U1750 sections and forms part of the ECF’s FIDE-rated Standard tournament programme. Because the tournament is played at 60+30, players should expect games to be recorded and rated under the applicable FIDE and ECF Standard rating systems.

Players should use the current official event page for any late amendments to entry arrangements, section eligibility, parking guidance or round timings before travelling.