Querétaro hosts the LXXI Campeonato Nacional e Internacional Abierto Mexicano de Ajedrez “Querétaro 2026” on March 31-April 5, 2026 in Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico. FENAMAC and the local chess association run a multi-section championship that welcomes international guests and Mexican players across a wide span of rating bands and age groups. The event combines a flagship open with dedicated rating-limited sections and structured youth groups, all staged in a full-service city hotel setting.

This championship delivers a classic Swiss experience with 9-round and 8-round adult sections plus a 7-round youth program, all played at a steady classical pace. The organizers publish pairings with Swiss-Manager, apply clear tie-break criteria, and enforce strict playing-hall rules on electronics and conduct. Cash prizes reach MXN $1,412,000, and the program also includes youth awards in trophies and material prizes.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

The organizers award prizes based on final standings and apply tie-breaks to resolve ties. The organizers do not split prizes. Winners must attend the awards ceremony to receive prizes.

International (Open) – Cash Prizes

Expertos – Cash Prizes

Avanzados – Cash Prizes

Aficionados – Cash Prizes

Femenil – Cash Prizes

International Additional Cash Prizes (Mexican Flag Only)

The organizers award these prizes only to players with a Mexican flag in the International section, and a player may collect them in addition to placement prizes.

The organizers award youth section prizes as trophies and material prizes rather than cash.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The organizers run a Swiss by rating and publish pairings with Swiss Manager. They seed players using the higher value between Elo and Mexican national rating, and they apply March 2026 rating lists for early registrations.

The organizers use a 90+30 time control for all sections and enforce a 30-minute default time. Players may request up to three half-point byes in the first three rounds of the International section and up to two half-point byes in the first two rounds of all other sections. The International section also applies a no-early-draw rule and allows draw agreements only after both players complete 25 moves.

The organizers rank tied scores with these tie-breaks, in order: head-to-head, Buchholz, Sonneborn-Berger, Buchholz Cut 1, Median Buchholz, most wins, then younger age.

📂 Sections / Groups

📅 Schedule

Accreditation and Ceremony

International (Open) – 9 Rounds

Expertos / Avanzados / Aficionados / Femenil – 8 Rounds

Infantil / Juvenil – 7 Rounds

📝 Registration

Players register online and complete payment to confirm entry.

Registration steps:

1. Complete the entry form: https://forms.gle/Pa6HK5B5oNDN74fu8

2. Attach payment proof inside the form.

3. Request byes in the form or email them before the event.

The organizers close each section’s registration two hours before Round 1 to publish pairings. They accept electronic deposits until March 26, 2026 at 16:00, and they accept late entries onsite on March 31, April 1, and April 2 at the venue.

Entry fees (MXN) depend on when you pay:

• International / Expertos / Avanzados / Aficionados / Femenil: MXN $1,500–$3,100

• Infantil / Juvenil: MXN $1,200–$1,900

Payment details:

• Bank: Santander

• CLABE: 014180655056753811

• Account: 65505675381

Mexican players (or players with a Mexican FIDE flag) must hold FENAMAC 2026 affiliation or a 2026 annual participation credential by March 23, 2026. Players without it must purchase an event-only participation credential for MXN $1,000.

Byes: Players may request byes up to March 27, 2026 at 18:00 by email.

👥 Organizer

FENAMAC leads this national and international championship in coordination with the Asociación Queretana de Ajedrez, with support from local and national sports institutions. The organizers deliver a structured, multi-section event with clear rating bands, age groups, and a consistent classical format across the full week.

• Email: nacionalabierto@fenamac.info

• Email: gerencia@fenamac.info

• Phone: +52 449 999 5511 (WhatsApp)

• Website: https://fenamac.info/evento/lxxi-campeonato-nacional-e-internacional-abierto-mexicano-de-ajedrez-queretaro2026/

• Website: https://fenamac.info/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fenamacOf/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fenamacoficial/

🏨 Venue

Hotel Real de Minas Tradicional
Avenida Constituyentes No. 124 Poniente, El Jacal, 76180, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico

The organizers stage the event inside a full-service city hotel on one of Querétaro’s main avenues, with straightforward access to the historic center and the broader Bajío region. The venue supports multi-room tournament operations and provides onsite services that fit a week-long championship schedule.

🛎️ Accommodation

Hotel Real de Minas Tradicional also serves as an onsite accommodation option for players who want to stay in the same building as the playing halls. The hotel offers standard guest services and quick access to Querétaro’s historic center and main city corridors.

https://www.realdeminas.com.mx/

🚗 How to Get There

Fly into Querétaro Intercontinental Airport (QRO) and take a taxi or ride-share into Santiago de Querétaro. You can also arrive by long-distance bus to Querétaro’s main bus terminal and continue by local taxi to the venue. Drivers can reach Querétaro easily via the main highways that connect Mexico City and the Bajío corridor with the city.

Make Querétaro your chess destination for a full week of serious classical games, national prestige, and high-stakes sections under one roof.

🧾 Other

The organizers require accreditation to enter the playing hall for your section, and they enforce a strict ban on smoking and on carrying phones or electronic devices inside the playing hall. Players who violate the electronics rule lose the game.

Players must report any result discrepancy to the section chief arbiter before the next round begins. The organizers deny prizes if an unreported discrepancy affects later pairings and prize outcomes.

The organizers form an appeals committee during the technical meeting for the International section. Players submit appeals in writing before the next round begins and deposit MXN $2,500; the organizers refund the deposit when the appeal succeeds.