Set above the Bristol Channel in North Somerset, the 8th Somerset New Year Chess Congress launches the new chess year with a friendly but competitive weekend in Clevedon, England, United Kingdom. You play a five-round Swiss event from Saturday, January 10 to Sunday, January 11, 2026, enjoy a classical time control with increments, and compete in rating-based sections that welcome club players from across the region.

You spend the weekend at the Walton Park Hotel, a seaside Best Western property that overlooks the water and provides comfortable congress conditions. Organizers run three ECF-rated standard-play sections, offer identical prize structures in each group, and apply clear rules about ratings, mobile phones, and byes so you can focus on your games and finish your holiday season with serious classical chess.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

Main prizes (per section)

Rating prize (per section)

Additional prize rules:

• Unrated players do not qualify for grading prizes and can receive only 50% of any prize money they win.

• No competitor may win more than one prize.

• Organizers base the full prize fund on at least 70 entries and may adjust it if the number of players falls below that level.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

• You play every game with 75 minutes for the entire game plus a 30-second increment per move from move one.

• The congress uses Swiss-system pairings in all three sections and runs the events with Swiss-Manager pairing software.

• Pairings and results appear on Chess-Results so you can follow standings online.

• The December 2025 ECF standard-play rating list determines entry and eligibility; the January 2026 list governs pairings. Organizers may use other rating lists at their discretion and may transfer players between sections when they need to balance fields.

• FIDE Rules of Chess apply throughout the congress.

• The default (forfeit) time equals 30 minutes after the published start time of each round. Missing players lose by default after that point.

📂 Sections / Groups

Organizers reserve the right to move players between sections to place them in an appropriate group for their playing strength.

📅 Schedule

Organizers allow one half-point bye in rounds 1–4; you must request any bye according to the congress entry procedures. Players who fail to appear receive a default after 30 minutes from the official start time.

📝 Registration

You enter the 8th Somerset New Year Chess Congress through the Congress Org UK online system or by postal entry.

Key registration points:

• Online entry: use the congress entry form on the Congress Org UK page for the 8th Somerset New Year Chess Congress.

• Payment methods: online entry supports payment by bank transfer; details appear on the entry form.

• Last date for online entry: Wednesday, January 7, 2026.

• Entry fee for all sections: £38 for players who hold ECF Gold membership or above or similar membership from another national federation.

• Bronze or non-ECF members must add £16 to cover ECF rating fees.

Postal entries:

• Make cheques payable to: Chess 4U.

• Postal address: Rebecca Gardiner, 18 May Gardens, Lanner, Cornwall, TR16 6AR, England.

When you register, you choose the appropriate section based on your ECF rating and accept that organizers may move you to a different section if your declared or known strength suggests a better fit.

👥 Organizer

Chess 4U organizes the 8th Somerset New Year Chess Congress, coordinates entries and payments, and works with the hotel to provide a smooth weekend congress experience. The team focuses on clear communication, accurate pairings, and a welcoming atmosphere for players from Somerset and neighboring counties.

• Contact name: Rebecca Gardiner

• Email: chess4u23@gmail.com

• Phone: 01209 217210 (before 9:00 p.m.)

🏨 Venue

The congress takes place at the Walton Park Hotel, a seaside Best Western hotel on the cliffs above Clevedon. The property overlooks the Bristol Channel, offers traditional hotel facilities, and provides a comfortable playing environment for a weekend of classical chess.

Venue details:

• Venue: Walton Park Hotel

• Address: Wellington Terrace, Clevedon, North Somerset BS21 7BL, England, United Kingdom

• Phone: 01275 874253

Smoking does not take place anywhere on the premises.

🛎️ Accommodation

You book accommodation directly with the Walton Park Hotel and reference “chess” when you reserve your room.

Indicative bed & breakfast rates:

Important booking conditions:

• You secure bookings with a payment card.

• You can cancel only up to 48 hours before your arrival date.

• You cannot book this congress rate online or through third-party websites.

• The hotel does not offer refunds when you cancel later than 48 hours before arrival.

Early booking helps you secure a room at the congress rate, and organizers strongly recommend that you hold travel insurance to cover any potential cancellation.

🚗 How to Get There

Clevedon sits on the North Somerset coast near Bristol, and many players travel by car or public transport and then follow local directions to the Walton Park Hotel.

• By car: you drive to Clevedon in North Somerset and follow signs toward the seafront and Wellington Terrace, where Walton Park Hotel stands above the Bristol Channel.

• By public transport: you travel by train or coach to the Bristol area or to nearby local stations, then continue by bus or taxi to Clevedon and on to Walton Park Hotel.

You should plan to arrive in good time for the opening ceremony and Round 1 on Saturday morning.

🧾 Other

• Mobile phones must remain switched off in the playing area; organizers may apply penalties if they detect active phones during play.

• FIDE Rules of Chess apply throughout the congress, and arbiters’ decisions remain final.

• All games receive ECF standard-play rating, and organizers publish ratings and results on the ECF website after the event.

• Unless you inform the organizers otherwise, they may use photographs taken during the congress for publicity and reporting purposes.

• Any Covid-19 restrictions in force at the time of the congress apply fully inside the venue; you should not attend if you show symptoms of Covid-19.

Spend the first full weekend of the new year by the Bristol Channel, test yourself in a focused five-round Swiss, and let the 8th Somerset New Year Chess Congress in Clevedon set the tone for a successful chess season.