The 2nd Medway Chess Congress 2027 takes place from September 24–26, 2027, at Chatham Masonic Hall in Chatham, Kent. The weekend congress offers five rounds of classical chess across three sections: Open, U1850, and U1550.

Organized by David Lettington / Invicta Chess, the 2027 edition introduces a stronger rating structure than the previous event. All three sections are registered for both FIDE Standard and ECF Standard rating, including the lowest U1550 section.

Players will compete at a classical 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move time control. The tournament has a published £1,500 / approximately $1,990 total prize fund and is limited to 96 players.

♟️ Event Details

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The congress consists of five classical rounds played under the Swiss system.

Time Control: 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move from move 1

Each player starts with 90 minutes and receives an additional 30 seconds after every move.

The Open, U1850, and U1550 tournaments are already listed separately through the tournament-management system as five-round classical events.

All three sections are scheduled for international and national rating calculation.

Default Time

The final 2027 default-time rule has not yet been separately published in an updated accessible regulation.

The previous Medway congress used a 30-minute default time, after which the organizer could re-pair players whose opponents had not arrived. Players should check the final 2027 rules before the event rather than assume that the same provision automatically applies.

🏆 Prize Fund

The 2nd Medway Chess Congress has a published total prize fund of:

£1,500 / approximately $1,990

The organizer has confirmed that the prize fund has been increased to £1,500 for the 2027 edition.

A verified section-by-section prize allocation for 2027 has not yet been published in the currently accessible tournament information.

For that reason, individual first-, second-, third-place or rating prizes should not be copied from the 2026 congress.

The organizer’s final 2027 regulations should be checked for:

• prize distribution by section;
• rules for tied places;
• rating-category prizes, if any;
• maximum prizes for unrated players;
• payment method.

🧩 Sections / Groups

There are three sections.

A major change for the 2027 edition is that all three sections are FIDE rated.

This differs from the 2026 congress, where the lowest section was ECF rated only.

Open

The Open has no published upper rating limit and is intended for the strongest participants and players who wish to compete without a section ceiling.

U1850

The U1850 provides a FIDE- and ECF-rated competition for players meeting the tournament’s under-1850 eligibility requirement.

U1550

The U1550 is also registered for both FIDE and ECF Standard rating in 2027.

Therefore, lower-rated players can obtain internationally rated classical games without having to enter one of the higher sections.

Rating Eligibility

The organizer has not yet published an accessible final 2027 regulation specifying exactly:

• which monthly rating list determines section eligibility;
• whether FIDE or ECF rating takes precedence;
• how players without a published FIDE rating are allocated;
• how rating changes immediately before the congress are handled.

Players near a section boundary should therefore confirm their section with the organizer before the tournament.

📅 Schedule

The tournament runs from Friday, September 24 through Sunday, September 26, 2027.

The organizer has specifically confirmed that the Saturday and Sunday rounds will start at 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

This change was made to create a clearer gap between the morning and afternoon sessions and reduce the risk of long morning games delaying the next round.

The ECF calendar currently shows the overall event window ending at approximately 7:00 PM on Sunday.

The exact Friday Round 1 start time should be confirmed from the final organizer regulations before travel arrangements are finalized.

📝 Registration

Entries are handled through the official Invicta Chess Medway page:

https://www.invictachess.co.uk/medway

The 2027 tournament is limited to:

96 players

Players are therefore encouraged to enter early once the final registration system is open.

Entry Fee

The final 2027 entry fee has not yet been reliably published in the accessible current tournament information.

The older fee information still visible on the Invicta Chess website relates to the 2026 congress and should not automatically be applied to the 2027 event.

ECF Membership

Because all three sections are ECF and FIDE rated, players should ensure that their rating and federation details are correct when registering.

The final organizer regulations should also be checked for the applicable ECF membership or Pay-to-Play requirements.

Free Places for Female Players

The ECF announcement confirms that some free places are available for female players.

Players interested in one of these places should contact the organizer directly for availability and eligibility.

Registration Contact

Email: snodlandchessclub@hotmail.co.uk

Because the total capacity is only 96 players, anyone seeking a free place or requiring clarification about section eligibility should contact the organizer before registering.

👤 Organizer

David Lettington organizes chess events across Kent, Medway, and South East England, including classical congresses and Rapid tournaments.

He also served as Chief Arbiter of the previous Medway FIDE Congress.

📍 Venue

Chatham Masonic Hall – 5 Manor Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 6AU, United Kingdom.

The tournament returns to the same Chatham venue used for the previous Medway FIDE Congress.

The hall is particularly convenient for players traveling by train because it is only a short walk from Chatham railway station.

The venue is also listed by the ECF as disability friendly.

🚗 Parking

There is no dedicated tournament parking at the venue.

A convenient public parking option is:

St John’s Upper Car Park – Waterfront Way, Chatham ME4 4JL

The organizer’s previous venue instructions place this car park less than 100 metres from the playing venue.

Drivers should check the current Medway parking charges and operating restrictions before the tournament weekend.

🚆 Chatham Station

Chatham railway station is approximately a five-minute walk from Chatham Masonic Hall.

From the station:

1. Leave the station and turn right onto Railway Street.
2. Continue north.
3. Turn left into New Cut.
4. Continue toward New Road Avenue.
5. Cross New Road Avenue at the pedestrian crossing.
6. Continue toward Manor Road.

The hall is at 5 Manor Road.

♿ Accessibility

The venue is advertised as disability friendly.

Players who require particular access arrangements or assistance should contact the organizer in advance so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

☕ Food & Drink

At the previous Medway Congress, Chatham Masonic Hall provided hot and cold food and drinks through the venue bar, and card payments were accepted.

Because catering arrangements can change between editions, players should check the final 2027 organizer notice for confirmation of the food service.

🏨 Accommodation

There is currently no official tournament hotel or congress room block advertised for the 2nd Medway Chess Congress.

However, several hotels are conveniently located in Chatham and nearby Gillingham.

St George Hotel

7–8 New Road Avenue, Chatham ME4 6BB

The St George is one of the most conveniently located options for this tournament.

It is situated close to both Chatham railway station and Manor Road, making it practical for players who want to reach the venue on foot and avoid driving each day.

The Charles Hotel

15 New Road, Chatham ME4 4QJ

The Charles Hotel is another central Chatham option in a historic listed building.

Its location provides convenient access to Chatham town centre, local restaurants, the railway station, and the tournament venue.

The hotel also has an on-site Indian restaurant.

Premier Inn Chatham/Gillingham – Victory Pier

Blake Avenue, Gillingham ME7 1GB

This Premier Inn offers a modern hotel alternative near the River Medway.

Facilities include:

• restaurant;
• breakfast;
• free Wi-Fi;
• air-conditioned rooms;
• accessible rooms;
• chargeable on-site parking.

The hotel currently offers a reduced guest parking rate, although charges may change before September 2027.

Accommodation prices above are approximate planning ranges only and are not tournament rates. September 2027 prices will depend on booking date, room type, availability, and cancellation conditions.

🚆 How to Get There

Chatham is located in Kent, south-east of London, and has strong rail connections with central London and other towns across Kent.

For most players arriving without a car, rail is the simplest option because Chatham station is only a few minutes from the playing venue.

🚆 By Train

Chatham station has regular services toward destinations including:

• London Victoria
• London St Pancras International
• London Blackfriars
• Rochester
• Gillingham
• Dover
• Ramsgate

Direct Southeastern services operate between Chatham and central London.

Players traveling from London should check the final weekend timetable before departure, particularly for planned engineering works.

✈️ From London Airports

International visitors can normally reach Chatham most conveniently through one of London’s airports and continue by rail.

London Gatwick Airport can be convenient for south-east England, while London Heathrow Airport offers the widest range of international services.

From either airport, travelers should plan onward rail travel through London or use a pre-booked road transfer.

🚗 By Car

Chatham can be approached through the M2/A2 corridor.

For navigation, use:

Chatham Masonic Hall
5 Manor Road
Chatham
Kent ME4 6AU
United Kingdom

Drivers should plan to use public parking rather than expecting parking immediately at the venue.

🅿️ Station Parking

Chatham station itself has a substantial car park with more than 270 spaces, including accessible spaces.

Tournament players should compare station parking with nearby town-centre car parks according to the duration of their stay.

ℹ️ Other Information

🌐 All Three Sections FIDE Rated

One of the most significant improvements for the 2027 congress is that:

• Open
• U1850
• U1550

are all registered for FIDE Standard rating as well as ECF Standard rating.

This gives players across all three rating groups access to internationally rated classical competition.

👥 Capacity

The event is limited to:

96 players

The relatively modest capacity means early registration is advisable.

👩 Free Female Entries

A limited number of free places for female players are available.

These places are not automatically granted through normal registration and should be discussed directly with the organizer.

Contact:

snodlandchessclub@hotmail.co.uk

⏰ Improved Weekend Schedule

Following the previous Medway Congress, the organizer announced that the Saturday and Sunday round times would be adjusted.

The 2027 schedule therefore uses:

10:00 AM and 3:00 PM

for the two rounds on both Saturday and Sunday.

This gives additional time for morning games to finish before the afternoon session begins.

♟️ Previous Medway Congress

The September 2026 event was also a five-round classical congress at Chatham Masonic Hall.

For 2027, the organizer has:

• increased the prize fund to £1,500;
• increased capacity to 96 players;
• changed the rating sections to Open, U1850, U1550;
• made all three sections FIDE rated;
• adjusted the Saturday and Sunday playing times.

📱 Electronic Devices

The final 2027 fair-play regulations should be checked before the event.

At the previous Medway Congress, mobile phones, smart watches, and other electronic devices had to be completely switched off inside the playing hall.

Players should therefore expect strict electronic-device controls at this FIDE-rated event.

👨‍👩‍👧 Junior Players

Parents and guardians should note that tournament organizers and arbiters do not normally act in loco parentis.

A responsible adult should therefore make suitable supervision arrangements for junior players throughout the congress.

📸 Photography

Tournament photography may be used for event publicity.

Players or parents who have concerns regarding photography should contact the organizer in advance.

🔎 Before the Tournament

The organizer’s current Medway web page still contains substantial information from the 2026 edition.

Players should therefore check it again nearer September 2027 for the final updated:

• entry fee;
• registration deadline;
• Round 1 time;
• detailed prize distribution;
• rating-list rules;
• bye policy;efund conditions;
• fair-play regulations;
• final participant list.

Official organizer page:

https://www.invictachess.co.uk/medway

ECF listing:

https://www.englishchess.org.uk/event/2nd-medway-chess-congress/