Bournemouth hosts the 6th Bournemouth Grand Chess Congress from Friday, March 13 to Sunday, March 15, 2026 in Bournemouth, England, United Kingdom. Dorset County Chess Association organizes and funds this long-weekend congress at the Bournemouth West Cliff Hotel, and it offers four sections that suit a wide range of playing strengths. The event runs a 5-round standard-play format with a classical time control and a separate analysis area.

Competitors can target strong prize opportunities across every section, including a headline £1,000 first prize in the Open and a £1,000 prize fund in each of the three grading sections. The organizers also cap the field to keep playing conditions comfortable, and they apply clear tournament rules on byes, default time, and anti-cheating to support fair play throughout the weekend.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

The organizers award £1,000 for 1st place in the Open section. They also provide a £1,000 prize fund in each of the three grading sections: Major (U1950), Intermediate (U1750), and Minor (U1550).

The congress shares prizes when ties occur. The organizers also control prize eligibility for first prizes in the Major, Intermediate, and Minor sections and for rating prizes based on published ECF rating requirements.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The congress runs a 5-round Swiss format with 90 minutes for all moves plus a 30-second increment per move from move 1.

Key playing rules:

• The organizers apply a 30-minute default time for every round.

• The organizers allow one half-point bye in any one round except the final round, and players must request it at the time of entry.

• The organizers may re-pair players at the controller’s discretion, and they adjust clocks to reflect the remaining time in the round when re-pairing occurs.

📂 Sections / Groups

📅 Schedule

📝 Registration

Players enter online through the official event page.

Website: https://www.englishchess.org.uk/event/6th-bournemouth-grand-chess-congress/
Website: https://www.dorsetchess.co.uk/grand-chess-congress-2026/

Refund rule:

• The organizers provide a full refund for withdrawals made by March 1, 2026.

• The organizers may provide a partial refund for withdrawals after March 1, 2026 at their discretion.

👥 Organizer

Dorset County Chess Association organizes and funds the Bournemouth Grand Chess Congress series.

Email: dorset.congresses@yahoo.com
Website: https://www.dorsetchess.co.uk/

🏨 Venue

The congress takes place at the Bournemouth West Cliff Hotel, Durley Chine Road, Bournemouth BH2 5JS, England, United Kingdom. The venue provides dedicated playing space and a separate analysis area to keep post-game review away from active games.

🚗 How to Get There

You can travel to Bournemouth and continue to the West Cliff area to reach the Bournemouth West Cliff Hotel on Durley Chine Road. Players who drive can use on-street parking, and the hotel also offers parking that may involve charges and registration requirements at reception.

Make a weekend of serious standard-play chess in Bournemouth and compete for major prizes across four well-defined sections.

🧾 Other

• Anti-cheating rules require players to switch off phones and similar devices and place them on the table in plain sight before the first move; the controller may forfeit games when a device remains on or a player carries it after play begins.

• The organizers may scan players before, during, and after games, and they may exclude players who refuse checks or breach fair play rules.

• The hotel does not allow outside food or drink for consumption; the venue provides free water, and players can purchase other refreshments on site.

• Parents and guardians remain responsible for juniors throughout the event.

• The hotel may charge for parking, and drivers must register their number plate at reception within 10 minutes of parking to avoid penalties.

• The organizers may take photographs during the event and publish photos and results as part of event reporting and promotion.