The XXVIII Rhein-Main-Open 2026 welcomes ambitious tournament players to June 3–7, 2026 in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany for a traditional holiday-week chess festival with a strong competitive field and a €5,400 cash prize fund. The organizers run the event in a spa-town setting close to the Kurpark and the pedestrian zone, and they pair players in two clearly defined groups that suit both open-class competitors and experienced club players.

The congress delivers 7 rounds of classical Swiss-system chess with FIDE Elo and DWZ rating and a demanding time control that rewards accurate technique. Group A stays open to all players, while Group B targets players up to a defined tournament rating threshold, which keeps pairings balanced and prizes meaningful. A strict default time, clear tie-break rules, and an on-site restaurant create a practical, player-friendly environment across five days.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

Group A main prizes

Group B main prizes

Rating prizes (each group, per rating class)

Senior and youth prizes (each group)

Team prizes (across both groups, 4-player club teams)

The organizers set rating classes after the entry deadline and pay rating prizes in two classes per group (three classes per group when the field reaches at least 120 players). The organizers award senior and youth prizes only when at least 6 eligible players compete in the relevant group, and they award team prizes only when at least 6 clubs qualify. The organizers guarantee cash prizes from 160 paying entrants, and they apply the Hort system for ties on main cash prizes without increasing the number of prizes.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The tournament runs 7 rounds of Swiss-system chess in both groups and rates games for FIDE Elo and DWZ. Players use 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game, plus a 30-second increment from move 1, and the organizers use digital clocks on all boards.

The organizers rank tied scores by Buchholz with one cut, then Buchholz sum, then tournament-rating performance. The organizers enforce a 60-minute default time, and they score a forfeit loss when a player fails to appear within that limit.

📂 Sections / Groups

📅 Schedule

📝 Registration

You secure a binding entry by bank transfer no later than May 27, 2026, and you include your name, club, requested group, and date of birth with the payment. The organizers accept entries up to a 220-player cap and assign places by the order of payment arrival; they place later payments on a waiting list and process the waiting list chronologically when withdrawals open places. Players who fail to move off the waiting list receive a full refund after the event starts.

The organizers also welcome online registration, and online registration only becomes valid when the organizer receives the entry fee on time. The organizers waive the requirement to register on-site for players who appear as confirmed in the published entry lists.

Entry fees (by bank transfer received by May 27, 2026)

The organizers add €10 to the applicable entry fee after May 27, 2026 or for entry on the playing day. The organizers grant free entry to GMs and IMs, and they do not apply additional discounts.

Payment details
Account holder: Schachklub Bad Homburg 1927 e.V.
IBAN: DE49512500000001118927
Bank: Taunussparkasse

Withdrawal fees (organizers retain the fee from the paid entry)

Online registration page: https://rhein-main-open.de/index26/?content=anmeldung

👥 Organizer

Schachklub Bad Homburg 1927 e.V. organizes the Rhein-Main-Open and continues its long-running holiday-week format with two groups, classical time controls, a structured waiting-list process, and a broad cash prize program that includes rating, youth, senior, and team awards.

• Email: info@rhein-main-open.de

• Phone: +49 6171 698695

• Website: https://rhein-main-open.de/

• Website: https://www.schachklub-bad-homburg.de/

🏨 Venue

Bürgerhaus Kirdorf anchors the event in a quiet Bad Homburg district close to the Naturpark Hochtaunus, and it keeps you within an easy walk of the Kurpark and Bad Homburg’s pedestrian zone. The venue includes an on-site restaurant that serves food and drinks, and the house rules prohibit outside food and beverages inside the building. Bürgerhaus Kirdorf, Stedter Weg 40, 61350 Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany

🛎️ Accommodation

Bad Homburg offers a wide range of hotels and guest options, and the organizers recommend these official resources for planning your stay:

https://www.bad-homburg.de/de/erleben/informieren/tourist-info
https://www.bad-homburg.de/de/erleben/geniessen/uebernachten
https://www.jugendherberge.de/jugendherbergen/bad-homburg-470/portraet/

🚗 How to Get There

You can reach Bad Homburg station by S-Bahn S5, and you can continue to Bürgerhaus Kirdorf by bus lines 2, 7, 12, or 22, which typically run about every 15 minutes and take about 12–16 minutes. The organizers note that construction affects U2 travel and can require rail replacement service from Ober-Eschbach.

Drivers can approach via the Bad Homburger Kreuz (A5/A661), take A661 toward Bad Homburg, exit 1 toward Usingen onto B456, then follow the posted signs to Kirdorf and Bürgerhaus Kirdorf after turning toward Saalburgstraße and continuing through the local connector roads. The area around the venue provides ample parking.

Compete for seven classical rounds in Bad Homburg and turn the holiday week into a strong result against a well-structured field.

🧾 Other

The organizers require every participant to hold a FIDE ID; the organizer requests a new ID for German Chess Federation members and requires foreign players to already hold an ID. The organizers award prizes only to players who attend the award ceremony unless the tournament leadership approves an exception in advance. The tournament leadership makes final decisions.

The tournament applies the FIDE electronic-device rule in a strict format: players may store a fully switched-off communication device inside a closed bag placed aside in the playing hall, and any further use or any sound during play results in a loss. The arbiter makes the final decision, and the organizer may report serious misuse to relevant organizations.