Players can join the Chessence Open – Weekend Tournament in Willingen from February 20-22, 2026 in Willingen (Upland), Germany. The event takes place at the Sauerland Stern Hotel and features five classical rounds across four rating-based tournaments: Chessence Premium Open Groups A, B, C, and the Chessence Masters. Organizers limit the field to 80 players and guarantee prize money in every group, which makes this a focused and competitive weekend event in the Sauerland region.

Participants play in a modern conference hotel with on-site full-board options and convenient registration on the evening before and the morning of the first round. The tournament uses a classical 90+30 time control with increment, rates games for DWZ in all groups and for FIDE Elo in Groups A, B, and Masters, and offers a midnight blitz side event on Saturday. Chessence members with specific premium subscriptions even enjoy free entry, which further encourages club participation and community spirit.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

Organizers guarantee prize money in all four groups when at least six players enter a group. They may increase the prize fund depending on total participation.

Per group (Masters, A, B, C):

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

All four main tournaments use a 5-round Swiss system. Each player receives 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game with a 30-second increment from move one. The tournament follows current FIDE rules.

Players must arrive at the board no later than 30 minutes after the round start; otherwise, they lose the game by forfeit. The organizers rank players using points first, then Sonneborn–Berger, and apply additional tie-break methods if needed.

📂 Sections / Groups

Organizers place players into groups according to their ratings on the entry form. If no DWZ or Elo exists, the tournament director assigns a group. The director may reassign players between groups to avoid odd numbers or combine groups if one group has too few players, while still awarding rating-group prizes.

📅 Schedule

📝 Registration

Players can register online until Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 19:00. After that time, they can still enter by phone until Friday, February 20, 2026 at 08:00. Organizers require every participant to confirm presence in person or by phone during the registration periods; otherwise, they cannot guarantee a pairing in Round 1.

The standard entry fee is €49 per player for all groups. Chessence “Premium” and “Werde FM” members do not pay an entry fee. Organizers refund the entry fee only if a player cancels up to and including February 6, 2026.

Every participant must belong to a chess club before the tournament starts. Players who do not yet belong to a club can join SC Chessence 64 e.V. online in advance or on-site at the latest on the tournament day.

Players may request one half-point bye in Round 1. They must submit this request by Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 20:00 and then confirm participation again by phone shortly before the event.

👥 Organizer

SC Chessence 64 e.V. organizes the Chessence Open weekend tournaments and coordinates all aspects of the Masters and Premium Open groups. The club manages entries, group allocation, and pairings, and it ensures compliance with FIDE rules and German rating regulations.

Website: https://chessence.de
Tournament info and registration: https://kurse.chessence.de/turnier-anmeldung-1/

🏨 Venue

The event takes place at the Sauerland Stern Hotel, Kneippweg 1, 34508 Willingen (Upland), Germany. The hotel serves as both the playing venue and accommodation partner, with large playing halls, buffet dining, and leisure facilities in the surrounding Sauerland mountains.

🛎️ Accommodation

Organizers have arranged special full-board hotel rates for tournament participants, valid until 14 days before the start or until the contingent of 50 rooms is booked.

Full board includes overnight stay with breakfast, a lunch buffet with soft drinks for 1.5 hours, and an evening buffet with soft drinks, beer, and wine for 1.5 hours. The buffet includes soup, main course, bread buffet, salad buffet, and dessert buffet.

🚗 How to Get There

Willingen (Upland) lies in the Sauerland region of central Germany and connects well by road. Drivers can reach Willingen via regional highways and follow local signs toward Sauerland Stern Hotel on Kneippweg. Train travelers can use regional services to Willingen station and then walk or take a short taxi ride to the hotel.

Players who join the Chessence Open in Willingen can enjoy a compact classical weekend tournament with clear group structures, guaranteed prizes, and convenient full-board accommodation in a popular mountain resort.

🧾 Other

• Organizers rate all main tournaments for DWZ and rate Groups A, B, and Masters for FIDE Elo.
• The midnight blitz tournament uses a 3+2 time control, up to 11 rounds, and requires a FIDE ID for Elo rating.
• Organizers announce a phone number for Jürgen Kehr before the first registration period to handle late entries and confirmations.