The Wells Autumn Rapidplay 2026 will take place on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Wells Town Hall in the historic Somerset city of Wells. Wells Chess Club organizes the event as the third edition of its Autumn Rapidplay, following the successful 2024 and 2025 tournaments.

Players compete over six Swiss-system rounds at a time control of 20 minutes plus a 5-second increment from move one. The tournament offers three playing sections: Open, Major U1800, and Minor U1500. Moreover, all three sections count for both FIDE Rapid and ECF Rapid rating.

The currently published prize table contains up to £862.50 (approximately $1,160) in itemized cash prizes, subject to section entry numbers. In addition, the official event flyer advertises grading prizes where entries permit. Adult entry costs £25, while juniors pay £20.

♟️ Event Details

The Wells Autumn Rapidplay combines international rapid rating with a compact one-day schedule in the center of Wells.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

Every section uses the same six-round rapid format. Each player starts with 20 minutes and receives a 5-second increment after every move from move one.

The organizers will publish pairings through Chess-Results. However, a verified 2026 Chess-Results URL has not yet been published, so players should follow the official congress information for the eventual link.

Byes

Players may request one half-point bye in any of Rounds 1–5.

They can request the bye when entering or later, provided they do so before the relevant pairings appear. Once pairings become available, the request can no longer apply to that round.

Round 6 does not offer a half-point bye.

Defaults and No-Shows

The default time is 10 minutes.

The organizers will not repair players after the default period. Moreover, a player who misses a round without informing the arbiting team can be removed from all remaining rounds.

The Organizer or Chief Arbiter may reinstate an excluded player at their discretion.

🏆 Prize Fund

The current detailed prize schedule lists £862.50 in named first-, second-, third-place and junior prizes across the three sections.

However, these prizes depend on participation. Therefore, the £862.50 total should not be treated as an unconditional guaranteed payout.

Open

The full published Open schedule totals £380.

Major U1800

The full published Major schedule totals £287.50.

Minor U1500

The full published Minor schedule totals £195.

Section-Size Rule

Prize payments depend on the number of players in each section.

If a section contains fewer than 20 players, the organizer will pay:

• the full advertised first prize;
• 50% of the advertised second prize;
• no third prize;
• no junior prize.

Therefore, section size directly affects the eventual total cash payout.

Rating Prizes

The official 2026 flyer also advertises grading prizes where entries permit.

However, the organizer has not yet published their values. Consequently, those possible awards are not included in the calculated £862.50 figure above.

In the Major and Minor sections, only players with a current published ECF and/or FIDE rating can qualify for rating prizes.

Unrated players in restricted sections cannot normally win more than £50.

Multiple Prizes and Ties

No player may receive more than one cash prize. Instead, the organizer pays the highest-value prize for which that player qualifies.

If players remain tied for a prize after the direct-game criterion, the relevant prize money will be shared equally.

The organizers aim to forward all cash prizes within 21 days of the event.

🧩 Sections / Groups

The 2026 tournament contains three FIDE-rated sections.

The September 2026 ECF Rapid rating list determines section eligibility.

However, the organizers will use the October 2026 published ECF Rapid rating list for pairings.

Unrated Players

Players without an official rating may still apply.

However, they must provide evidence of their playing strength, such as recent tournament results, match results, or a previous rating.

The Organizer and Chief Arbiter may move an unrated player to another section when the available evidence suggests that a different group would be more appropriate. They may also decline or withdraw an entry when necessary.

🗓️ Schedule

The event packs all six rounds into one Saturday. Players should aim to arrive between 10:00 and 10:15 so that Round 1 can begin promptly.

There is a longer gap between Rounds 3 and 4. Therefore, players have time to obtain lunch before the afternoon session.

📝 Registration

The standard adult entry fee is £25 (approximately $40). Juniors receive a £5 discount and pay £20 (approximately $30).

For this event, a junior means a player who is under 18 on October 23, 2026.

Standard Fees

The last published day for online entry is October 23, 2026.

Entries become accepted only after the organizer receives payment.

ECF Membership

Players do not need to hold ECF membership before entering. However, anyone who does not hold ECF Gold or Platinum membership must pay the applicable Pay-to-Play supplement.

The extra charge is therefore £16 for adults and £7 for juniors.

Players who hold Gold or Platinum when registering but lose that status before tournament day must either upgrade again or pay the applicable supplement.

Refunds

Players who withdraw by October 10, 2026 can receive their entry fee back minus a £2 administration charge.

After October 10, the organizers do not offer refunds.

Official Registration

Tournament information and online entry:

https://congress.org.uk/congress/824/home

Wells Chess Club:

https://wellschess.co.uk/

👥 Organizer

Wells Chess Club organizes the Wells Autumn Rapidplay.

FIDE lists Matthew W Goatcher as Chief Organizer and Chris M Strong as Chief Arbiter for all three 2026 sections.

📍 Venue

The tournament takes place at Wells Town Hall – Market Place, Wells, Somerset BA5 2RB, United Kingdom.

The Town Hall stands directly in the historic center of Wells, close to Wells Cathedral, the Bishop’s Palace, cafés, restaurants, shops, and the Saturday market.

Accessibility

The tournament regulations state that each playing room is accessible by lifts and ramps.

Doors and corridors are also wide enough for standard wheelchairs. Moreover, players with specific accessibility requirements can contact the organizer in advance so the tournament team can make suitable arrangements where possible.

Refreshments

The organizers provide tea, coffee, and biscuits at the venue.

In addition, Wells Market operates directly outside the Town Hall and provides several lunch options during the longer midday break.

🏨 Accommodation

Wells Chess Club publishes several accommodation suggestions for visiting players. The following three options provide practical access to the city center and tournament venue.

The Swan and White Hart stand in central Wells close to the Market Place. Premier Inn also provides a practical city base and offers on-site parking.

These are indicative recent public rates rather than guaranteed tournament-weekend prices. Therefore, players should check the exact October 23–24 price and cancellation terms before booking.

🚆 How to Get There

Wells does not have its own railway station. However, the city has useful bus and road links from Bristol and the surrounding Somerset area.

From Bristol Temple Meads

Wells Chess Club recommends the First Bus 376 from Bristol.

The service normally operates approximately every 30 minutes, while the journey from Bristol Temple Meads to Wells takes around 1 hour 15 minutes.

Players should check the current Saturday timetable shortly before traveling.

By Train via Castle Cary

Castle Cary is the nearest railway station.

However, the organizer notes that there is no direct public transport connection from Castle Cary to Wells. A taxi journey takes approximately 30 minutes.

The club’s published travel guidance estimates a taxi at around £30 (approximately $50) on Friday or Saturday.

By Car

Wells is accessible from:

• the M5 via Bridgwater from the west;
• the M4/M32 via Bristol and Bath from the north;
• the A303 via Warminster and Frome from the south.

Because the venue sits in the historic center, players should plan parking before arrival.

Parking

Wells Chess Club recommends several Saturday parking options.

Most central Wells parking lies within roughly a 10-minute walk of the Town Hall.

Parking prices and conditions can change. Therefore, drivers should check the current signs or parking app on arrival.

ℹ️ Other Information

FIDE Registration

FIDE has registered all three sections independently:

All three registrations show October 24, 2026, Wells as the host city, and the 20+5 rapid time control.

FIDE also lists Chris M Strong as Chief Arbiter and Matthew W Goatcher as Chief Organizer.

Tournament History

The 2026 event is the third Wells Autumn Rapidplay.

The inaugural tournament took place in October 2024. At that time, Wells ran two sections and used a 25-minute time control without increment.

The tournament expanded in 2025 to three sections — Open, Major U1800, and Minor U1500 — and adopted the 20+5 format.

The 2026 edition keeps those three sections and the 20+5 time control. Therefore, the event now has a stable structure while continuing to develop as an annual rapid tournament in Somerset.

2025 Edition

The 2025 Wells Autumn Rapidplay again took place at Wells Town Hall and attracted players across all three sections.

For example, the 2025 Minor had 16 players, with Gigi Ionescu taking first place on 5.5/6. The Major attracted 26 players.

Consequently, the 2026 prize conditions regarding section size remain particularly relevant because the final number of entries can differ significantly between groups.

Photography and Data

Photographs may be taken during the tournament.

By entering, players also agree that their tournament details and results can appear on the congress website, Chess-Results, ECF rating system, and FIDE rating system.

Important

Players should check their ECF membership level, correct section, payment status, rating eligibility, requested bye, and FIDE information before tournament day.

Unrated players should provide evidence of playing strength early because the organizers may need to review their section before finalizing pairings.