24th International Chess Festival in Nancy (France)
The 24th International Chess Festival in Nancy (France) takes place March 7-8, 2026 in Nancy, France, offering a compact weekend program built around two FIDE-rated events: a Saturday night team blitz and a Sunday individual rapid tournament. The festival targets competitive club players, families, mixed teams, juniors, and seniors who want fast, serious chess in a central venue with strong organization and clear prize categories.
You can compete as a four-player team in the blitz or play the full nine-round rapid on Sunday, with both events using Swiss pairings and increment time controls. The festival publishes a broad prize structure with non-cumulative awards across overall standings and multiple categories, creating real motivation for both top contenders and rating-group specialists in a single weekend in Nancy.
🗓️ Event Details
| 📅 Dates | March 7-8, 2026 |
| 📍 Location | Nancy, France |
| ♟️ Format | Swiss System |
| ⭐ Rating | FIDE Blitz and FIDE Rapid |
| 📂 Sections | Team Blitz (4 players), Individual Rapid |
| ⏱️ Time control | Team Blitz: 4 minutes + 2 seconds increment; Individual Rapid: 15 minutes + 3 seconds increment |
| 💳 Entry fee | Team Blitz: €30 per team (January 2026) or €40 per team (February 2026). Individual Rapid: €20 per person (January 2026) or €25 per person (February 2026). Individual Rapid discounts: half price for U20, FM, WFM; free for IM, WIM, GM, WGM |
| 💰 Prize fund | €7,290 (approximately $8,597 USD) |
| 👤 Eligibility | Open participation. Team Blitz teams must have 4 players with no substitute and no empty board |
| 🧩 Organizer notes | Team Blitz awards are non-cumulative. Individual Rapid awards are non-cumulative |
🏆 Prize Fund
The festival offers a total cash prize fund of €7,290 across both events. Prizes are non-cumulative in each event, and the organizer may adjust the prize list based on the number of participants.
Team Blitz (Saturday) — Total prizes: €2,160 (non-cumulative)
| Prize / Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| 1st team (overall) | €600 |
| 2nd team (overall) | €400 |
| 3rd team (overall) | €200 |
| 1st 100% women’s team | €100 |
| 2nd 100% women’s team | €80 |
| 3rd 100% women’s team | €60 |
| 1st mixed team (2 men, 2 women) | €100 |
| 2nd mixed team (2 men, 2 women) | €80 |
| 3rd mixed team (2 men, 2 women) | €60 |
| 1st youth team (4 players born 2006 or later) | €100 |
| 2nd youth team (4 players born 2006 or later) | €80 |
| 3rd youth team (4 players born 2006 or later) | €60 |
| 1st seniors/veterans team | €100 |
| 2nd seniors/veterans team | €80 |
| 3rd seniors/veterans team | €60 |
Individual Rapid (Sunday) — Total prizes: €5,130 (non-cumulative)
Overall prizes
| Place | Amount |
|---|---|
| 1st | €1,000 |
| 2nd | €750 |
| 3rd | €500 |
| 4th | €400 |
| 5th | €300 |
| 6th | €200 |
| 7th | €150 |
| 8th | €100 |
| 9th | €60 |
| 10th | €40 |
Women’s prizes
| Place | Amount |
|---|---|
| 1st woman | €310 |
| 2nd woman | €210 |
| 3rd woman | €110 |
Michel-Dinet special rating prizes
| Rating category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Best under 2300 | €100 |
| Best under 2200 | €100 |
| Best under 2100 | €100 |
| Best under 2000 | €100 |
| Best under 1900 | €100 |
| Best under 1800 | €100 |
| Best under 1700 | €100 |
| Best under 1600 | €100 |
| Best under 1500 | €100 |
| Best under 1400 | €100 |
⏱️ Time Control & Pairings
Team Blitz runs as a Swiss System tournament with 11 rounds at 4 minutes + 2 seconds increment per player. Each team fields four players with no substitute and no empty board, and a team may include players from different clubs or countries.
Individual Rapid runs as a Swiss System tournament with 9 rounds at 15 minutes + 3 seconds increment per player. Both events use FIDE-rated formats for their respective rating categories.
📂 Sections / Groups
| Section | Rating / target group | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Team Blitz | Teams of 4 | No substitute, no empty board |
| Individual Rapid | Individual | Open participation |
📅 Schedule
| Date | Weekday | Time | Round / Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 7, 2026 | Saturday | 12:00–14:00 | On-site check-in (Team Blitz) |
| March 7, 2026 | Saturday | 19:00 (approx.) | Prize giving (Team Blitz) |
| March 7, 2026 | Saturday | 20:00 | Special evening at L’Echiquier (9 rue de la Commanderie, Nancy) |
| March 8, 2026 | Sunday | 08:30–09:30 | On-site check-in (Individual Rapid) |
| March 8, 2026 | Sunday | 18:00 (approx.) | Prize giving (Individual Rapid) |
📝 Registration
Register online:
https://www.helloasso.com/associations/echecs-54/evenements/24e-festival-international-d-echecs-de-meurthe-et-moselle-a-nancy
Entry fees
| Event | January 2026 | February 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Team Blitz (per team) | €30 | €40 |
| Individual Rapid (per person) | €20 | €25 |
Individual Rapid discounts
Half price: players under 20, FM, WFM
Free: IM, WIM, GM, WGM
👥 Organizer
The festival team in Meurthe-et-Moselle organizes a two-day program that combines a four-board team blitz with a full nine-round individual rapid, both played under FIDE-rated formats and supported by a broad, non-cumulative cash prize structure. The organizer publishes updates, practical details, and partner information through the official event website and handles inquiries by email.
Email: festivalnancy54@gmail.com
Website: https://festivalnancy.echecs54.org
🏨 Venue
Hôtel du Département, Conseil départemental de Meurthe-et-Moselle, 48 esplanade Jacques-Baudot, 54000 Nancy, France
The festival plays at the departmental venue in central Nancy, providing an accessible location for both local players and visitors. The site sits about a 20-minute walk from Nancy’s train station and also supports arrival by bus.
🛎️ Accommodation
The organizer lists partner accommodation options through the official website:
https://festivalnancy.echecs54.org
🚗 How to Get There
Arrive via Nancy’s main rail connections and plan a short transfer to the venue. The venue sits about a 20-minute walk from the train station, and you can also use local buses to reach the site. The organizer indicates free large parking options on site.
Show your speed and coordination on Saturday, then convert that momentum into a full nine-round rapid run on Sunday in the heart of Nancy.
Additional Details
Prize Fund - €7,290
Regulations -