12th FIDE Open of St Antonin Noble Val (+1600) runs from August 18-23, 2026. This is a chess tournament in Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, France, in 2026. It brings classical summer chess to one of the most attractive small towns in Tarn-et-Garonne, with play in the historic Salle des Thermes.

This event is the stronger section of the St Antonin Noble Val FIDE festival. It uses a 9-round Swiss system with a 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move time control and is submitted for the September 2026 FIDE rating list. In addition, the organizer runs a parallel under-1800 section during the same week.

The format is compact and practical. Players check in on Tuesday afternoon, then complete nine rounds over six days, including three double-round days. Moreover, the town setting adds extra appeal, with the Sunday market and the Aveyron Gorges area close to the playing hall.

📌 Event Details

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The tournament uses a Swiss system over 9 rounds. Each player receives 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move, which gives the event a serious classical structure for a short summer week.

Players may take up to two byes in the first seven rounds. In addition, the organizer states that players rated above 1600 Elo will be entered in Open A automatically unless they request otherwise in writing when registering. Therefore, this section is clearly aimed at the stronger side of the festival field.

🏆 Prize Fund

The published cash prize schedule for Open A reaches €650, which is approximately $749. However, the organizer links that prize structure to a field of 100 paying players across the +1600 and -1800 opens combined.

Main prizes

Special prizes

The event also keeps a distinctive local tradition: the winner of Open A has a connection to the engraved stone trophy mentioned in the official tournament text.

👥 Sections / Groups

This page covers the Open A (+1600) section only. At the same time, the wider St Antonin Noble Val festival also includes a separate Open B (-1800) held on the same dates and under the same classical cadence.

🗓️ Schedule

The schedule is easy to follow. First comes the Tuesday check-in and opening round. Then the event moves through three double-round days before the final Sunday afternoon game.

📝 Registration

The registration process is simple. Players complete payment in advance by transfer or cheque, and then they must appear for the mandatory Tuesday check-in before Round 1.

🏢 Organizer

Echiquier des Gorges de l’Aveyron organizes the tournament and continues to stage chess events in Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val with a strong local identity and a practical player-friendly format. The official tournament contact is Philippe Pages.

Phone: +33 6 13 89 07 10
Email: philippealain.pages@free.fr

📍 Venue

Salle des Thermes, 15 Boulevard des Thermes, 82140 Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, France

The playing hall sits in one of the town’s best-known historic buildings and gives the tournament a distinctive village-center setting. In addition, the venue works well for a compact classical event because everything stays in one clear and recognizable location.

🚆 How to Get There

The most practical rail arrival point is Caussade station, which the organizer places about 20 minutes by car from Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val. In addition, the official text notes that Caussade is reachable in about 6 hours from Paris Austerlitz by train. Players arriving by road can then continue directly into the village center and the Salle des Thermes.

This St Antonin Noble Val open combines serious classical chess with one of the most charming tournament settings in southern France.