25th Rochefort Chess Festival 2027 is a major nine-round French winter festival at the Palais des Congrès in Rochefort from February 13–19. It combines the Masters, B and C sections under one festival page, with youth/espoirs competition also forming part of the wider event program.
The main sections use 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes to finish, with 30 seconds increment from move one. The Masters appears on the FFE norm-tournament list and the organizer states that IM or GM norm opportunities are possible. Published section thresholds include Masters above 2050, B/Accession in the intermediate range and C/Promotion below 1750.
The festival advertises €11,000 in prizes if 300 players participate, with €2,000 for first place in Masters and additional section, rating and women’s prizes. The Palais des Congrès is wheelchair accessible and centrally located; the City of Rochefort lists urban bus access and nearby paid parking at Parking de la Galissonière.
📌 Event Details
25th Rochefort Chess Festival 2027 is scheduled for February 13–19, 2027 in Rochefort, France. The essential playing format, venue, rating status and organizer information are consolidated here.
| Event Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| 🏆 Tournament | 25th Rochefort Chess Festival 2027 |
| 📅 Dates | February 13–19, 2027 |
| 🎮 Playing Days | Saturday–Friday |
| 📍 Location | Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, France |
| 🏨 Venue | Palais des Congrès – 73 Rue Toufaire, 17300 Rochefort, France |
| 🏛️ Organizer | Échiquier Rochefortais |
| ♟️ Format | Masters + B/Accession + C/Promotion; wider youth festival program |
| 🔢 Rounds | 9 |
| ⏱️ Time Control | 90/40 + 30 minutes + 30-second increment |
| ⭐ Rating | FIDE Standard; Masters listed as a norm event |
| 💰 Prize Fund | €11,000 if 300 players (approx. $12,520) |
| ♿ Accessibility | Wheelchair accessible venue |
| 📈 Rating List | March 2027 FIDE list |
⏱️ Time Control & Pairings
The competition uses the published 90/40 + 30 min +30 sec increment control across its main section structure, with the pairing format shown below.
| Stage / Section | Time Control & Pairings |
|---|---|
| Masters / B / C | 9 rounds; 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes +30 seconds per move |
| Youth / Espoirs | Separate youth competition within the wider festival program; check organizer material for final youth cadence |
🏆 Prize Fund
The organizer publishes the following prize structure. The headline amount used for the import is $12,520, while the original euro figures remain visible below.
| Prize Category | Award / Condition |
|---|---|
| Festival Total | €11,000 if 300 players |
| Masters 1st | €2,000 |
| Additional Awards | Section prizes plus rating and women’s categories |
🧩 Sections / Groups
25th Rochefort Chess Festival 2027 is organized into the following playing group or groups, preserving the official rating and eligibility distinctions.
| Section / Group | Eligibility / Details |
|---|---|
| Masters | Published threshold above 2050; norm opportunity |
| B / Accession | Intermediate section around the 1700–2100 range |
| C / Promotion | Below 1750 |
| Espoirs / Youth | Separate youth component of the festival |
📅 Schedule
The event runs from February 13–19, 2027. The verified timetable and check-in information available from the organizer are summarized here.
| Day / Stage | Time / Details |
|---|---|
| February 13–19 | Nine classical rounds across the seven-day festival; use the organizer page for the final daily timetable |
📝 Registration
Rochefort publishes one festival-wide registration policy for Masters, Accession and Promotion. The detailed 2027 announcement is more specific than the generic fee cells shown at the top of individual FFE section pages, so the explicit festival conditions are used here.
| Registration Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Adult Standard Fee | €65. |
| Adult Discount | €60 when registration/payment is completed after September 1 and before February 6, 2027. |
| Junior Standard Fee | €35. |
| Junior Discount | €30 in the published early-payment window. |
| FIDE Masters | Half-price. |
| GM / IM | Free entry. |
| On-site Registration | Not accepted. |
| Contact | echiquier.rochefortais@gmail.com; Philippe Giambiasi +33 6 79 66 85 12; Eric Dautheville +33 6 08 60 77 24. |
👥 Organizer
Échiquier Rochefortais is the published organizer for this tournament, with the following arbiter and contact information available from the official sources.
| Organizer Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| 🏛️ Organizer | Échiquier Rochefortais |
| 🧑⚖️ Arbiter | Dominique Dervieux |
| 👤 Contact | Philippe Giambiasi / Eric Dautheville |
| ✉️ Email | echiquier.rochefortais@gmail.com |
| 📞 Phone | +33 6 79 66 85 12 / +33 6 08 60 77 24 |
📍 Venue
The tournament is played at Palais des Congrès de Rochefort. The exact address and mapped coordinates are included for reliable MyChess.Events geolocation.
| Venue Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| 🏨 Venue | Palais des Congrès de Rochefort |
| 📍 Full Address | 73 Rue Toufaire, 17300 Rochefort, France |
| 🧭 Latitude / Longitude | 45.934872, -0.958782 |
🚆 How to Get There
The following transport information focuses on practical access to the tournament venue rather than generic city tourism.
| Transport Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Rail | Rochefort railway station provides regional connections toward La Rochelle, Saintes and Bordeaux. |
| Bus | The City of Rochefort lists urban bus Line D at Palais des Congrès. |
| Parking | Parking de la Galissonière is the city-listed nearby paid parking option. |
| Air | La Rochelle–Île de Ré Airport is the nearest commercial airport for many visitors. |
ℹ️ Other Information
These additional tournament-specific points affect participation, facilities or player planning and are worth checking before travel.
- The Masters section is included on the FFE list of norm tournaments.
- The Palais des Congrès provides Wi-Fi, conference facilities and several playing/meeting rooms.
- The festival’s multiple sections are combined into one MyChess.Events record.
♟️ Detailed Tournament Conditions
Rochefort’s 25th festival is substantially richer than a simple three-section open. The official 2027 notice defines Masters, Accession, Promotion and an Espoirs youth competition, allows limited byes, publishes titled-player discounts and explicitly creates conditions for IM/GM norms in the Masters environment.
| Playing / Rating Item | Verified Detail |
|---|---|
| Masters | Above 2050; no rating exemption under the published January/February 2027 rating rule. |
| Accession | 1700–2100 range; no rating exemption under the published rule. |
| Promotion | Below 1750. |
| Espoirs | Below 1550 for youth categories from Minime to Petit Poussin; 50+10. |
| Main Time Control | 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes to finish, with 30-second increment from move one. |
| Rating / Norms | FIDE Standard; Masters appears on the FFE norm-tournament list. |
| Byes | Two byes permitted except during the last three rounds. |
✅ Entry & Participation Checklist
The items below are the practical conditions a player should verify before submitting an entry or travelling to the event.
| Entry Item | Verified Detail |
|---|---|
| Adult Standard Fee | €65. |
| Adult Discount Window | €60 when registration/payment is completed after September 1 and before February 6, 2027. |
| Junior Standard Fee | €35. |
| Junior Discount Window | €30 in the published early-payment window. |
| FIDE Masters | Half-price. |
| GM / IM | Free. |
| On-site Registration | Not available. |
| Contact | echiquier.rochefortais@gmail.com; Philippe Giambiasi +33 6 79 66 85 12; Eric Dautheville +33 6 08 60 77 24. |
🏟️ On-Site Tournament Planning
The venue-specific information below is included because it can materially affect check-in, meals, equipment, accessibility or the daily tournament routine.
| On-Site Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Venue | Palais des Congrès – Salles Colbert et Pierre Loti, 73 Rue Toufaire, Rochefort. |
| Accessibility | The FFE event notice explicitly marks the venue as accessible for disabled players. |
| Festival Prize Fund | €11,000 if 300 players participate. |
| Masters 1st | €2,000. |
| Accession 1st | €500. |
| Promotion 1st | €300. |
| Late Promotion Entry | The notice allows joining Promotion at Round 5 on Tuesday at 09:30 with 0 points for €13, provided the arbiter is informed beforehand. |
🧭 Travel & Stay Planning
These points turn the address into a usable travel plan and distinguish the playing venue from the city name used in the tournament title.
| Planning Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Rail | Rochefort station connects the city with La Rochelle, Saintes and the wider regional network. |
| City Bus | Rochefort city information lists urban bus access near the Palais des Congrès. |
| Parking | Parking de la Galissonière is a nearby city-listed paid parking option. |
| Air | La Rochelle–Île de Ré Airport is the nearest commercial airport for many international visitors. |
📋 Additional Verified Notes
- The generic €30/€15 fields shown in individual FFE section headers conflict with the detailed festival announcement; the rebuilt Registration section follows the explicit festival-wide 2027 fee schedule.
- The €11,000 prize fund is conditional on 300 participants.
- The Masters, Accession, Promotion and Espoirs competitions are kept together under the festival rule.
🔗 Official Resources
Use these federation and organizer sources to recheck registration status, last-minute schedule changes and final tournament conditions before travelling.
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| 🇫🇷 FFE Tournament Page | https://mailserver.echecs.asso.fr/FicheTournoi.aspx?Ref=73065 |
| 🔗 FFE – Festival B | https://www.echecs.asso.fr/FicheTournoi.aspx?Ref=73066 |
| 🔗 FFE – Festival C | https://echecs.asso.fr/FicheTournoi.aspx?Ref=73067 |
| 🔗 Organizer website | https://echiquierrochefortais.com/ |
| 🔗 Venue – City of Rochefort | https://www.ville-rochefort.fr/node/32961/latest |
Additional Details
Prize Fund (approx.) - $12,520
Organizer
♟️ About Échiquier Rochefortais
Échiquier Rochefortais is an established chess club based in Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, France. The association is affiliated with the Fédération Française des Échecs (FFE) and provides competitive chess, instruction, junior development, team competition, recreational play, and major international tournament organization.
The club operates from the Pôle Associatif Europe, at 170 Boulevard Pouzet in Rochefort. Its program includes separate training sessions for beginner juniors, more experienced young players, and adults, together with open playing sessions for members. The FFE currently records more than 60 licensed players with the club.
Philippe Giambiasi serves as President and has led the organization for many years. He is also a qualified FFE Open Arbiter and is closely involved in the club’s major tournament activities. Eric Dautheville, another qualified arbiter, plays an important role in junior instruction, tournament organization, and club activities.
🏆 Rochefort Chess Festival
Échiquier Rochefortais is best known internationally for organizing the Rochefort Chess Festival, a long-running winter tournament held annually at the Palais des Congrès de Rochefort.
The festival’s first edition was held in 2002. Since then, it has developed into a substantial international event attracting titled players, ambitious juniors, club competitors, and participants from numerous national federations. The festival has also produced International Master and Grandmaster norms.
The event has grown considerably over the years. Recent editions have attracted close to or above 300 participants across the different tournament sections, confirming Rochefort’s position as an important destination in the French winter chess calendar.
The club organizes the festival with the support of a large volunteer team, arbiters, local partners, and the City of Rochefort.
🌍 25th Rochefort Chess Festival 2027
The 25th Rochefort Chess Festival 2027 takes place from February 13–19, 2027 at the Palais des Congrès in Rochefort. It represents a major milestone in the history of the event.
The festival consists of several competitive groups. The Masters is reserved for players rated 2050 and above, while Accession covers the intermediate rating range and Promotion is intended for players below 1750. A separate Espoirs competition provides additional opportunities for younger players.
The classical sections are played over nine rounds and are FIDE-rated. The Masters is structured to provide opportunities for IM and GM norms, continuing an important tradition of the Rochefort festival.
For 2027, the organizer advertises a prize fund of €11,000 if participation reaches 300 players, with €2,000 awarded to the Masters winner and additional prizes across the other sections and categories.
🌱 Junior Chess & Training
Youth development is an established part of Échiquier Rochefortais. The club provides weekly instruction for young beginners and more experienced junior players.
Current FFE information lists training for confirmed young players on Tuesday evenings, beginner sessions on Wednesday afternoons, and combined sessions on Fridays. Adult members also meet on Friday evenings for training, analysis, and competitive or recreational play.
Club juniors participate in departmental and regional youth championships, with members progressing toward French national youth competitions. The organization has documented youth participation at regional championship level over many seasons.
The Rochefort Festival also incorporates a dedicated Espoirs tournament, giving younger developing players the opportunity to participate within the atmosphere of a large international chess festival.
♟️ Team Chess & Club Activities
Échiquier Rochefortais participates in the French interclub system and maintains both adult and youth team activity. The FFE currently lists the senior club within the national league structure and its juniors in regional interclub competition.
Beyond league competition, club members regularly participate in opens, rapid tournaments, team cups, and regional chess events across Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
The association also participates in public community events in Rochefort. Its presence at local association forums and public chess activities helps introduce new players to the game and supports recruitment of both children and adults.
📚 History & Development
Échiquier Rochefortais has built its modern identity around two complementary activities: maintaining an active local chess club and developing an internationally recognized annual festival.
The Rochefort Chess Festival has been staged since 2002 and has expanded from its early editions into a multi-section event capable of accommodating several hundred participants. Over the years, Grandmasters and International Masters from France and abroad have competed alongside club players and juniors.
The club’s continuing investment in junior coaching, arbitration, tournament organization, and community chess allows it to maintain year-round activity while preparing its major international event each February.
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