The 31st Space Coast Open Chess Festival runs April 24-26, 2026 (or April 25-26, 2026) in Melbourne, Florida, USA, bringing a long-running spring tradition back with a fully guaranteed $20,000 prize fund and five well-defined rating sections. The festival offers both a 3-day and a 2-day schedule, so you can fit a serious five-round weekend into your travel plan without giving up classical time controls and structured rounds.

The organizers stage the event at the Hilton Melbourne at Rialto Place, about one mile from Melbourne International Airport and a short drive from the beach, with a spacious playing facility and on-site services nearby. Master/Expert and Under 2000 sections run as FIDE-rated tournaments, while the full festival supports a wide range of competitive players, including unrated entrants outside the top section. The program also adds a Saturday-night blitz side event and special cash awards for brilliancies and section seniors.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

Master/Expert

Under 2000

Under 1800

Under 1500

Under 1200

Wojtkiewicz Brilliancy Prizes

The tournament also awards non-cash special prizes (including upset and book prizes) and trophies in sections where listed.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The festival runs a 5-round Swiss. All sections except Under 1200 use G/90 + 30 seconds increment. The Under 1200 section uses G/90 with a 5-second delay. For the 2-day schedule, Rounds 1–2 use G/60 with a 5-second delay for all sections, and the 2-day schedule merges into the 3-day schedule after Round 2 (after Round 3 for Under 1200).

Master/Expert and Under 2000 sections run as FIDE-rated tournaments. The event uses US Chess ratings for pairings and prizes. Players may request up to two 1/2-point byes in any rounds when they request them in advance and before Round 2.

📂 Sections / Groups

📅 Schedule

All sections except Under 1200 (3-day schedule)

All sections except Under 1200 (2-day schedule; merges after Round 2)

Under 1200 (3-day schedule)

Under 1200 (2-day schedule; merges after Round 3)

📝 Registration

Register online and pay by credit card through the official registration system. Entry fees are $124 by March 22, 2026, $144 by April 17, 2026, $154 later, and $160 on-site. The organizers offer a $20 discount for unrated players or players under age 18 using the discount code UNR-UND18. Brevard County K–12 students can use the special student entry fee with the discount code BREVARD, and they must provide the required school and grade information as specified.

GM/IM free entry is available until March 31, 2026; afterward, the organizers apply a $144 charge from the prize. Past Master Section winners can claim free entry. Re-entries cost $70 by Round 3, with 1/2-point byes for earlier rounds.

Online registration (Main Event): https://www.chessregister.com/register?event_key=OT8W-VeP791_qYIyqY26ic1V04Ucuw73-2nkGVypuPY%3D
Online registration (Saturday Night Blitz): https://www.chessregister.com/register?event_key=yCy0vw5rZNPaicNOUYDeJ81V04Ucuw73-2nkGVypuPY%3D

The organizers charge a $10 service fee for refunds. On-site registration ends 1/2 hour before Round 1 (6:30pm Friday or 10:00am Saturday), and later entries can take a 1/2-point bye.

👥 Organizer

Space Coast Chess Foundation organizes the Space Coast Open Chess Festival as a player-focused annual weekend event with guaranteed prizes, multiple rating sections, and flexible schedules that merge cleanly into the same five-round format. The organizer team manages entries online, coordinates titled-player and champion entries by email, and runs the tournament under published event rules and playing-hall policies.

• Email: spacecoastchessfoundation@hotmail.com

• Phone: 561-302-4377

• Email: jon@bocachess.com

• Website: https://www.spacecoastchessfoundation.org/event/spacecoastopen

🏨 Venue

Hilton Melbourne at Rialto Place, 200 Rialto Place, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
The tournament takes place in a first-class hotel playing facility close to Melbourne International Airport. The venue sits within a short drive of local dining and the Space Coast beaches, supporting a full weekend schedule with multiple daily rounds.

🛎️ Accommodation

Hilton Melbourne at Rialto Place offers a group rate for the festival, with free parking and no resort fees. Room rates list $164 for a King or 2 Queen beds and $194 for a Junior Suite (King or 2 Queen beds). Reserve early because the group rate availability ends when rooms sell out or at the published cutoff.

Hotel group link: https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/mlbmhhf-902-4f2f0008-7d83-4c0f-a70f-29c6f207945b/
By phone: 800-445-8667 (reference “Space Coast Open Chess Festival” or group code 902)

A limited number of discounted overflow rooms are also available at nearby hotels, including Hyatt Place Melbourne Airport and Suburban Studios, with booking details listed on the event page.

🚗 How to Get There

Fly into Melbourne International Airport (MLB) and drive about one mile to the Hilton Melbourne at Rialto Place at 200 Rialto Place. If you arrive by car, use the hotel’s free parking and plan to arrive early enough to complete registration and settle before your scheduled Round 1 start time.

Make the most of a guaranteed-prize weekend by choosing the schedule that fits your travel and playing five serious rounds in one of Florida’s signature spring tournaments.

🧾 Other

The playing hall prohibits smoking, computers, and electronic devices during play, and the venue supports wheelchair access. The organizers do not allow outside food or beverages in the playing hall or other meeting rooms used for tournament activities. Players must bring their own boards, sets, and clocks because the organizers do not provide them, and a chess vendor will be on site. Players in Master/Expert and Under 2000 must turn in white copies of completed scoresheets at the end of each round.