Torneo de Reyes de la FADA/AXF 2027 takes place January 2–4, 2027, in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. Organized by Federación Alavesa de Ajedrez, the event is a six-round FIDE Standard-rated U2400 Classical Open at the Frontones Beti Jai de Mendizorroza gymnasium, with a 68-player capacity and 60+30 time control.

The organizer offers €700 in cash prizes, including €150 for first place, €100 for second and €75 for third, plus trophies for the leading players. Standard entry costs €20, reduced to €15 for Álava federation members; eligible FM, WFM, IM, WIM, GM and WGM players enter free. Registration and payment close December 29, 2026.

Round 1 begins on January 2 at 5:30 PM, followed by three rounds on January 3 and two on January 4. Players may request two half-point byes within the first four rounds, subject to the regulations. The Mendizorroza complex has accessible facilities, and its location near central Vitoria-Gasteiz makes hotel and transport planning relatively straightforward.

📌 Event Details

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

Players receive 60 minutes plus 30 seconds per move in the six-round Swiss-system tournament. Pairings use VEGA and/or Swiss Manager. The federation submits results for FIDE Standard Elo; Spanish-flagged participants must hold a 2027 federation license, while other players need a FIDE identification number.

Competitors with Elo below 2400 may enter. Furthermore, the rules permit up to two half-point byes in rounds 1–4, provided the player requests them before Round 1 ends. Later ordinary bye requests receive zero points for the affected round; additional byes remain at the organizer’s exceptional discretion.

The default time is 30 minutes. One unjustified absence leads to withdrawal; two absences result in removal even when justified. For ties, the published sequence is direct encounter (where applicable between two players), Buchholz Cut 1, full Buchholz, number of wins, then games played with Black. The arbiter treats unplayed games as virtual-opponent games for tiebreak calculation.

The Basque-language regulations name IA Eduardo López Rodríguez as chief arbiter, while the Spanish-language version leaves that field blank. Accordingly, players should confirm the final appointment through FADA-AXF.

🏆 Prize Fund

The organizer publishes €700 in cash awards, including prizes for the top eight overall and additional female and rating-group categories. The first three overall finishers also receive trophies. Prizes are indivisible and cannot be combined, and recipients must attend the ceremony unless they have a justified absence.

All amounts follow the official 2027 regulation table. Cash prizes are shown only in euros in this description. For final eligibility and any practical award questions, consult the official prize rules.

📅 Schedule

The first game starts on Saturday evening. Meanwhile, Sunday includes three rounds, and Monday concludes with two morning games and the prize ceremony immediately after Round 6.

These times are stated in the official 2027 prospectus. The federation can amend them for justified reasons, so check its last pre-event notice before travel.

📝 Registration

Complete the official online registration form. The federation considers an entry confirmed only after payment; the published payment deadline is December 29, 2026, or earlier if the 68-player field fills.

The rules specify payment by bank transfer to the federation and request identification of the player in the transfer. For safety, confirm the account details directly in the official PDF or on the organizer’s form before payment. Ordinarily, the organizer does not accept cancellations after payment, except for the narrow rating-related case described in the regulations.

For an eligible half-point bye, state the request before the end of the first round. Questions may be sent to falajedrez@gmail.com. The separate MyChess.Events registration-interest form remains unchanged.

🏛️ Organizer

Federación Alavesa de Ajedrez (FADA-AXF), known in Basque as Arabako Xake Federazioa, is the territorial chess federation of Álava in northern Spain. Based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, it coordinates federation chess activities, provincial competitions, rating events and chess development across the territory.

Its official calendar includes individual Álava championships, team competitions, women’s and youth events, school chess and Open tournaments. Furthermore, the federation maintains player rankings, competition documentation and an archive of previous events. Its January Torneo de Reyes has run for multiple seasons; the official website records former winners and links to editions dating back to 2023.

For the 2027 event, the federation manages registration, payment checks, pairings and prize distribution. It limits the tournament to 68 players and requires valid federation or FIDE identification. The official announcement names the Mendizorroza Beti Jai gymnasium as the playing site. The Basque PDF names IA Eduardo López Rodríguez as chief arbiter; however, the Spanish-language version omits his name, so the federation should confirm the final appointment.

For official notices and club information, see the FADA-AXF website or contact falajedrez@gmail.com. Its MyChess.Events organizer profile offers additional background without duplicating the registration process.

📍 Venue

The Frontones Beti Jai de Mendizorroza complex hosts the tournament in its gymnasium at Plaza Amadeo García de Salazar 2, 01007 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava, Spain. The complex forms part of the city’s established Mendizorroza sports area, which also includes pelota courts and several other sporting facilities.

The Basque Government’s official sports register identifies the venue at 42.8370519°N, 2.6862467°W. It also records adapted toilets, accessible circulation, changing facilities and parking within the complex. Nevertheless, participants who require individual assistance should check with the chess organizer which gymnasium entrance and tournament room will be used.

The municipality lists on-site pelota frontons, squash facilities, a gym, chess room and defibrillator. Consequently, players should not assume that the event takes place at the general public chess room: the 2027 tournament notice specifically says gimnasio. The organizer may change the playing room after notifying participants.

The surroundings are on the southwestern side of Vitoria-Gasteiz, within reach of city hotels and public transport. Before the 5:30 PM Saturday opening round, leave enough time to locate the correct entrance, confirm your seat and meet the organizers.

🏨 Accommodation

For the January 2–4 tournament, consider January 1–5, 2027 as an initial hotel search window, adjusting the dates to your arrival and departure. Vitoria-Gasteiz offers apartment-style stays near Mendizorroza and full-service hotels around the center. None of the following properties has a verified tournament rate or live availability for those dates.

All links lead to the hotels’ own information pages. Prices, availability and affiliate booking links have not been confirmed; therefore, verify cancellation terms and the journey to the venue before paying.

🍽️ Nearby Restaurants & Cafés

The tournament has a demanding schedule on January 3, with rounds at 9 AM, noon and 5:30 PM. For that day, choose a quick lunch and avoid a distant restaurant reservation. The wider Vitoria-Gasteiz center also offers Basque pintxos bars and sit-down restaurants for dinner after play.

Opening hours can change around New Year. In addition, the sports complex has catering facilities recorded in the public venue register, but their service during the chess event is not guaranteed. Confirm meals and travel time between rounds.

🚆 How to Get There

Final destination: Frontones Beti Jai de Mendizorroza gymnasium, Plaza Amadeo García de Salazar 2, 01007 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. The sports complex lies southwest of the historic center. In particular, the TUVISA BEI bus service has a Mendizorrotza stop, while lines 4 and 6 and the Castilla-area stops provide additional local options.

Official transport links: TUVISA BEI routes and timetables, bus-station connections, Vitoria Airport buses and Renfe railway planning. January 2027 schedules should be checked shortly before travel, especially for Sunday service.

ℹ️ Other Information

The 2027 Three Kings Open is one six-round Classical tournament. Although FADA-AXF runs other Rapid and Blitz competitions during the season, those events are not part of this U2400 Open. The rules below follow the published Spanish/Basque 2027 regulations.

The organizer can amend the regulations for technical or force-majeure reasons. The definitive Spanish-language rules posted at the venue govern the competition, so verify any last-minute changes with the federation before the first game.