LCC Weekday Tournament 2026 – London Chess Classic
The LCC Weekday Tournament 2026 – London Chess Classic takes place from November 30 to December 4, 2026 at Novotel London West in Hammersmith, London. The five-round classical tournament forms part of the 2026 XTX Markets London Chess Classic, organized by Chess in Schools and Communities.
Players compete in one game each weekday afternoon. Every round starts at 4:00 PM and uses a time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment from move one. The tournament is divided into Open, U1800 and U1400 sections.
The published prize schedule provides £1,950 in total awards across the three sections, approximately $2,600. Players can also watch the London Chess Classic Masters and Challengers or attend live grandmaster commentary after finishing their own games at no additional charge.
♟️ Event Details
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| 🏷️ Event | LCC Weekday Tournament 2026 – London Chess Classic |
| 📅 Dates | November 30 – December 4, 2026 |
| 🌍 Country | United Kingdom |
| 📍 City | London |
| 🏛️ Venue | Novotel London West – 1 Shortlands, Hammersmith, London W6 8DR, United Kingdom |
| 👥 Organizer | Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC) |
| ♟️ Format | 5-round Swiss |
| 🧩 Sections | Open, U1800, U1400 |
| ⏱️ Time Control | 90 minutes + 30 seconds per move |
| ⭐ Rating | FIDE and ECF rated |
| 🏆 Prize Fund | £1,950 (approx. $2,600) |
| 🌐 Official Website | https://www.londonchessclassic.com/lcc2026-lcc-weekday-tournament |
⏱️ Time Control & Pairings
The tournament consists of five rounds under the Swiss system.
Each player receives 90 minutes for the game plus a 30-second increment from move one.
All games are submitted for both FIDE and ECF Standard rating.
The default time is one hour after the scheduled start of the round.
Pairings are scheduled to be published by 10:30 PM on the evening before each round.
Players may request one half-point bye, except in the final round. Advance bye requests can be submitted before the tournament, while requests during the event must normally be made before 10:00 PM on the evening preceding the relevant round.
If a player wins by default, the arbiters may try to arrange an additional FIDE- and ECF-rated game. However, such an extra game does not count toward the tournament standings.
🏆 Prize Fund
The published prize schedule amounts to £1,950 (approx. $2,600) across the three sections.
Each section offers:
| Place / Category | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | £300 (approx. $400) |
| 2nd | £200 (approx. $270) |
| 3rd | £100 (approx. $140) |
| Women’s Prize | £50 (approx. $70) |
Therefore, each section offers £650 in published awards.
Prize money is shared equally when players finish tied on points. No tiebreak system is used to divide monetary prizes.
🧩 Sections / Groups
Players are divided into three sections:
| Section | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Open | Open section |
| U1800 | Players rated below 1800 |
| U1400 | Players rated below 1400 |
Section placement is based primarily on the player’s ECF Standard rating published on November 1, 2026.
Where an ECF Standard rating is unavailable, the organizer may use other available rating information and assign an appropriate estimated rating.
🗓️ Schedule
All rounds begin at 4:00 PM.
| Date | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, November 30 | Round 1 | 4:00 PM |
| Tuesday, December 1 | Round 2 | 4:00 PM |
| Wednesday, December 2 | Round 3 | 4:00 PM |
| Thursday, December 3 | Round 4 | 4:00 PM |
| Friday, December 4 | Round 5 | 4:00 PM |
The weekday format is designed for players who prefer one classical game per day while attending the wider London Chess Classic festival.
📝 Registration
Registration is available through the official London Chess Classic website.
Standard Entry: £50 (approx. $70)
Reduced Entry: £25 (approx. $40) for female players and British residents aged under 25 on November 27, 2026.
Free Entry: GM, IM, WGM and WIM title holders, as well as active Chess in Schools and Communities tutors.
Entry fees increase by 50% on November 20, 2026.
All players, regardless of their FIDE federation, must either hold ECF Gold membership or pay the published £20 Pay-to-Play surcharge.
Players must have a FIDE Identification Number when entering unless they are eligible and wish to receive an ENG FIDE ID through the organizer’s published procedure.
Registration:
https://www.londonchessclassic.com/store/p/lcc2026-lcc-weekday
👤 Organizer
Organizer Name: Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC)
Email: festival@londonchessclassic.com
📍 Venue
Novotel London West – 1 Shortlands, Hammersmith, London W6 8DR, United Kingdom
Novotel London West is the main festival venue for the LCC Weekday Tournament and several other public events during the 2026 London Chess Classic.
The hotel is approximately five minutes on foot from Hammersmith Underground station. The venue also has restaurants, a bar, fitness facilities and complimentary Wi-Fi.
On-site private parking is available for an additional charge.
🚆 How to Get There
By Underground: Hammersmith is served by the Piccadilly, District and Hammersmith & City lines. The hotel is approximately a five-minute walk from Hammersmith station.
From Heathrow Airport: The Piccadilly line provides a direct Underground connection between Heathrow and Hammersmith. Players can then walk from Hammersmith station to the hotel.
By bus: Hammersmith Bus Station is approximately 500 metres from the venue.
By rail: Kensington Olympia railway station is approximately 1 km from the hotel.
By car: Novotel London West has private on-site parking. Current hotel information lists approximately 240 parking spaces. Parking is chargeable.
ℹ️ Other Information
The tournament forms part of the British Championships Qualifying Grand Prix.
Players in the Weekday Tournament may watch the London Chess Classic Masters and Challengers after their own games or attend the live grandmaster commentary at no additional charge.
Players under 16 remain the responsibility of their parent or guardian during the event.
Appeals against an arbiter’s decision must be submitted in writing within 30 minutes. The published appeal fee is £50, refundable if the appeal succeeds.
Prize winners are contacted by the organizer after the tournament so that prize money can be paid by bank transfer.
For bye requests and tournament-specific questions, players should use:
festival@londonchessclassic.com
Official event page:
https://www.londonchessclassic.com/lcc2026-lcc-weekday-tournament
Additional Details
Prize Fund (approx.) - $2,600
Organizer
♟️ About the Organizer
Chess In Schools is an educational chess program and tournament organizer based in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The organization also operates under the name Creating Higher Educational Success in Schools, commonly shortened to C.H.E.S.S. US Chess lists the group as an active affiliate in Port Orange under affiliate number H6018704. Its activities include US Chess-rated tournaments, scholastic competitions, community events, and support for local chess programs.
Stephen F. Lampkin leads the organization as executive director and tournament director. He manages event planning, registrations, pairings, equipment, rating submissions, and communication with players. Moreover, he has worked in chess education and tournament administration for many years. US Chess also lists him as a Safe Play-certified member and tournament director.
Chess In Schools serves children, adults, beginners, and experienced competitors. In addition, it works with schools, chess clubs, hotels, universities, and community partners. The organization has held events in DeLand, Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Jacksonville, and other Florida locations. Therefore, its work connects school chess with regular rated competition.
🏆 Tournaments and Chess Events
The Monthly Chess Challenge is the organization’s principal current tournament series. Chess In Schools runs these one-day events in DeLand throughout the year. Earlier editions took place at Stetson University. Meanwhile, the 2026 series uses the Courtyard by Marriott DeLand Historic Downtown as its main venue.
Each Monthly Chess Challenge offers separate adult and scholastic sections. Players complete five Swiss-system rounds at G/25 with a five-second delay. The adult section awards cash prizes, while the scholastic section offers trophies. In addition, rating-category prizes give developing players further competitive goals.
The August Chess Challenge 2026 continues this established format. It takes place on August 22 at the Courtyard by Marriott in downtown DeLand. The adult section advertises a $625 prize fund based on 30 paid entries, with $313 guaranteed. Moreover, first-time scholastic participants can receive a free one-year US Chess membership.
Chess In Schools also has experience with larger championship events. In 2017, C.H.E.S.S. organized the Arnold Denker Florida State Championship in Jacksonville. The festival offered six classical sections and an advertised prize fund of $11,000. It also included quick, blitz, and scholastic championships. As a result, players of many ages and ratings could compete during the same weekend.
The organizing team handles regulations, entries, schedules, pairings, awards, and US Chess rating reports. Furthermore, it supplies boards and pieces at its monthly tournaments. Players normally bring their own clocks.
🌱 Scholastic Chess and Community Development
Chess education forms the central purpose of Chess In Schools. The organization promotes chess as a practical tool for concentration, planning, decision-making, and problem-solving. It also works to make tournament chess more accessible to children who may have limited previous experience.
The scholastic section at each Monthly Chess Challenge gives young players a clear entry point. Beginners can learn tournament procedures in a structured environment. Meanwhile, experienced juniors can compete for trophies and improve their US Chess ratings. Separate awards for unrated and lower-rated players also encourage wider participation.
In addition, the organization helps new players obtain US Chess membership. The free membership offer for eligible first-time scholastic participants reduces an important entry barrier. Therefore, children can begin rated competition without paying the normal membership cost.
Stephen Lampkin also supports tournaments organized by other chess groups. For example, he has provided tournament direction, equipment, and technical assistance for events connected with the Volusia County and Jacksonville chess communities. These partnerships strengthen the regional tournament program and help local clubs deliver properly rated events.
Through monthly tournaments, school outreach, and regional cooperation, Chess In Schools creates regular opportunities for both children and adults. Its program connects chess education with practical competition. Consequently, players can move from introductory school activity to established US Chess-rated events.
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