The 41st Lohmar Chess Open 2027 takes place on seven Friday evenings from January 8 to February 26, 2027, in Lohmar, Germany. Organized by Schachfreunde Lohmar 1974 e.V., the event welcomes local club players and visitors to the ground-floor playing rooms of Villa Friedlinde. Each of the seven classical Swiss rounds begins at 7:30 PM, allowing participants to compete across several weeks instead of a single tournament weekend.

Players receive 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 additional minutes, plus a 30-second increment from move one. Results count toward Germany’s national DWZ rating. The official 2027 regulations do not advertise international FIDE Elo evaluation. The tournament allows one half-point bye in Rounds 2–5 and uses Buchholz, followed by Sonneborn–Berger, to break ties in the final standings.

The main cash awards are €200 for first, €150 for second and €100 for third, with additional DWZ-rating, senior, junior and women’s prizes under the organizer’s conditions. The field is limited to 50 players. Participants can use the official 2027 online registration form and complete the entry payment; the registration deadline is January 8 at 7:15 PM. Prizegiving takes place on Saturday, February 27, at 2:00 PM, followed by an open blitz championship.

📌 Event Details

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The 41st Lohmar Chess Open uses a seven-round Swiss system with computer-generated pairings. There is one classical competition, with participants paired according to their tournament scores and applicable Swiss criteria. Each round starts at 7:30 PM on its designated Friday.

Every player has 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, then receives 30 more minutes for the remainder of the game. A 30-second increment applies from the first move. This classical format gives entrants time to develop plans, calculate carefully and play endgames across a two-month schedule.

The regulations permit one half-point bye during Rounds 2, 3, 4 or 5. The player must ask for it before that round’s pairings are made, at the latest after the previous round ends. No such bye is announced for Round 1, Round 6 or Round 7.

Players who do not appear for a round without notifying the organizers will not be paired in the following round. A participant arriving more than 30 minutes late loses the game by default. Follow the organizing team’s instructions for absences and any necessary changes.

🏆 Prize Fund

The published main awards total €450 (approximately US$504): €200 for first place, €150 for second and €100 for third. Additional prizes are offered in DWZ rating categories and for seniors, junior players and women. Therefore, the overall prize fund may be larger than the combined value of the three main awards.

Additional Rating and Special Prizes

The organizer announces category awards for DWZ up to 1700, DWZ 1701–1850, DWZ 1851–2000, seniors born in 1966 or earlier, juniors born in 2006 or later, and women. Each award category requires at least three eligible entrants. Without an official DWZ rating, a participant cannot claim a rating-category prize.

Double prizes are not permitted: a player eligible for more than one award receives the highest-value prize. When awards are equal, the priority is the overall prize, then the rating prize, then a special-category prize. Organizers guarantee the published prize structure at 30 or more participants and reserve the right to adjust it for a smaller field.

Cash awards require proper completion of the event. The regulations also specify that prizewinners must attend the February 27, 2027 award ceremony at 2:00 PM to retain the right to receive their prize money. All amounts are denominated in euros; dollar values use an illustrative conversion of €1 ≈ US$1.12.

♟️ Sections / Groups

The Lohmar Open is one unified classical tournament, not separate Open A and B competitions. Its seven Swiss rounds determine the overall standings. Additional DWZ-rating, senior, junior and women’s categories are used for prize eligibility rather than for separate tournament pairings.

The categories make the event accessible to a broad range of playing strengths. Beginners and improving club members compete in the same tournament as stronger players, but they can pursue prizes reserved for participants with similar experience or eligible demographic categories.

Players should provide the details required on the entry form to allow the organizer to identify their rating and applicable age group. The published capacity is 50 players, so early registration is advisable.

📅 Schedule

The tournament consists of seven Friday evening sessions, with every round starting at 7:30 PM. Unlike a weekend congress, this event spans almost eight weeks, with no round scheduled on February 5. All times are local to Lohmar in winter, Central European Time (CET, UTC+1).

Attending all seven rounds provides a full classical tournament experience over January and February. Players who cannot attend one of Rounds 2–5 can request the single half-point bye permitted by the official regulations, provided they inform the organizer before the relevant pairings are published.

The prize ceremony takes place the day after the final classical round. Prizewinners must attend to receive their awards. An open blitz city championship follows the ceremony as a separate chess event.

📝 Registration

The official entry form is available directly on the Schachfreunde Lohmar website. The form requests the player’s name, club affiliation or birth date when unattached, DWZ, Elo and contact details. Registration can alternatively be arranged by email with the organizer.

REGISTER FOR THE LOHMAR OPEN 2027

The organizer accepts registration online or by email. The official PDF provides the club’s bank transfer instructions, and players should use those details directly rather than relying on a third-party reproduction of payment information. A complete application includes the necessary identifying and rating information.

The registration page makes clear that a place is secure only after the entry fee has been paid. The official announcement also provides links to the PDF rules and periodic entry-list updates.

🏛️ Organizer

Schachfreunde Lohmar 1974 e.V. is a German chess club established by ten enthusiasts in 1974. Based in Lohmar, in the Cologne–Bonn region, it supports competitive chess through public opens, club championships, regional league teams, junior training and shorter-time-control events.

The club plays at Villa Friedlinde and generally holds junior training on Friday from 5:30 PM, followed by its adult chess evening from 7:30 PM. It also runs a club cup, quickplay competitions and seasonal tournaments.

Sven-Holger Akstinat serves as club chairman and is the contact named in the 2027 Lohmar Open invitation. For additional details on the club’s history, training and competitive activities, see the dedicated Schachfreunde Lohmar organizer profile.

📍 Venue

Villa Friedlinde (ground floor) — Bachstraße 12, 53797 Lohmar, Germany.

Villa Friedlinde is a historic local community building in central Lohmar, surrounded by a small park. The city authorities describe it as a residence built around 1890, later acquired by the municipality and adapted as a public gathering venue. It underwent substantial renovation in 2002–2003.

The club’s official venue instructions identify the side entrance for its normal playing sessions. The 2027 Open PDF confirms that the competition uses the ground floor. Visitors should therefore navigate to the actual venue rather than a general city-center location.

The municipality’s Villa Friedlinde information page identifies nearby public transport connections, including the Steinhöfer Weg bus stop. The club’s playing venue directions provide further arrival details.

🏨 Accommodation

The Lohmar Open is held on Friday evenings across almost two months, so local players may prefer to travel to each round without booking accommodation. Visitors from farther away can consider hotels in Lohmar and its surrounding districts, then arrange transport to Villa Friedlinde for the 7:30 PM games.

These two hotels have addresses confirmed by the City of Lohmar’s official hotel directory and their own websites. The price examples from Hotel Franzhäuschen are publicly advertised rates, not special tournament offers or confirmed prices for individual 2027 Friday nights.

Hotel Restaurant Franzhäuschen

Hotel Restaurant Franzhäuschen is a smaller hotel with single and double rooms in the Lohmar-Heide area. Its official website describes beds of different sizes and room options for couples or individual visitors. Published examples include single rooms from €70–75 and double rooms from €80–90 per night, with breakfast available for an additional charge.

The hotel is in a different part of Lohmar from Villa Friedlinde, so a car, taxi or suitable local connection may be necessary before Friday games. Its official hotel page offers reservation inquiries, room descriptions and current booking conditions. Check the applicable dates before making a booking.

Schloss Auel Boutique Hotel & Golf Lodge

Schloss Auel is a historic boutique hotel in the Wahlscheid district of Lohmar. The property combines rooms and suites in a baroque castle with modern accommodation in a separate golf lodge. Its official website highlights the surrounding countryside, golf facilities and a range of room types.

This hotel is also outside central Lohmar, so players should plan the drive or transfer to Bachstraße 12 before their game begins. The Schloss Auel official website provides room information and direct accommodation inquiries.

Neither property is designated as an official tournament hotel. Lodging, transport and tournament entry are separate expenses. Since the event stretches over seven weeks, visiting players should decide whether a one-night stay, several return journeys or another travel arrangement is practical.

🚆 How to Get There

Villa Friedlinde is at Bachstraße 12 in Lohmar, in the Rhein-Sieg district of North Rhine-Westphalia. The area lies between Cologne and Bonn, and visitors can approach it using the regional road and public-transport network.

🚌 By Bus

The City of Lohmar identifies Steinhöfer Weg as a convenient stop near Villa Friedlinde and provides local directions from that stop. Check the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg network for operating times and connections; because every chess round begins at 7:30 PM, return services after a long classical game deserve particular attention.

🚗 By Car

Enter Villa Friedlinde, Bachstraße 12, 53797 Lohmar into a navigation system. The building is close to the town center and the villa park. Follow the venue’s side-entrance guidance and allow enough time to reach the ground-floor tournament hall before the 7:30 PM start.

🚆 By Rail

Visitors traveling from other German cities can use the Cologne–Bonn regional rail network and complete the journey to Lohmar by local bus or taxi. The best interchange depends on the departure point, so confirm the connection for the exact Friday date and consider the late finish of classical games.

✈️ From Cologne Bonn Airport

Players arriving by air can continue from Cologne Bonn Airport through regional roads or public transport toward Lohmar. Travel arrangements should leave enough time for Friday check-in, especially on the opening day when registration closes at 7:15 PM.

ℹ️ Other Information

The official title of the event is 41. Lohmarer Schach-Open. Its invitation specifies a Swiss-system, seven-round classical competition for German DWZ rating. Players should follow the regulations for tie-breaks, absence notification, late arrival and the single optional half-point bye.

The organizer advertises inexpensive drinks and filled bread rolls at the venue. Prizewinners must participate in the February 27 award ceremony at 2:00 PM to retain their entitlement to a cash prize. The separate open Lohmar blitz city championship follows that ceremony.

Use the official registration form to enter, the 2027 tournament PDF for the definitive rules, and the club’s original 2027 announcement for further notices.