15e Open des Vendanges de Libourne 2026 takes place on November 1, 2026, at Salle des Charruauds in Libourne, France. L’Échiquier Libournais organizes the 15th edition as a one-day open rapid tournament approved for French and FIDE rapid rating.
Players compete over nine Swiss-system rounds with a 12-minute base time and a 3-second increment from move one. The organizer limits the field to 140 players, while the published timetable keeps the full tournament, lunch break and prize ceremony within one day.
The event poster announces a €900 / approx. $1,060 prize package when at least 80 players participate. Because that amount depends on attendance, the dedicated WordPress prize-fund field remains empty. The organizer also advertises medals, cups and bottles of wine among the awards.
📌 Event Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| 🏷️ Tournament | 15e Open des Vendanges de Libourne 2026 |
| 📅 Date | Sunday, November 1, 2026 |
| 🌍 Country | France |
| 📍 Location | Libourne, Gironde |
| 🏛️ Venue | Salle des Charruauds – 54 Rue Max Linder, 33500 Libourne, France |
| ♟️ Organizer | L’Échiquier Libournais |
| 👤 Tournament Director | Fabienne Tracol |
| ⚖️ Chief Arbiter | Pierre Lapeyre – Arbitre Fédéral Elite 2 |
| 🧑⚖️ Deputy Arbiter | Fabienne Tracol – Arbitre Fédéral Club |
| 🔁 Format | Swiss system |
| 🔢 Rounds | 9 |
| ⏱️ Time Control | 12 minutes + 3 seconds per move |
| ⭐ Rating | FFE Rapid and FIDE Rapid |
| 👥 Capacity | 140 players |
| 🏆 Conditional Prize Package | €900 / approx. $1,060 when at least 80 players participate |
| 🌐 FFE Tournament Page | https://www.echecs.asso.fr/FicheTournoi.aspx?Ref=71038 |
| 📝 Registration | https://chessevent.echecs-bretagne.fr/public/inscrForm1.php?event=NAQ_33_15RL26 |
| 💳 Payment | https://www.helloasso.com/associations/echiquier-libournais-33/evenements/15e-open-des-vendanges |
⏱️ Time Control & Pairings
Each player receives 12 minutes plus a 3-second increment per move. The competition follows the FIDE rapid rules stated in Annex A, with Article A5 applying throughout the tournament.
Pairings follow the FIDE Swiss-system rules. Only players whose licence or federation status has been checked are included in the first-round pairing.
| Technical Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Scoring | Win 1 point; draw ½ point; loss 0 points |
| Default Time | 10 minutes |
| Pairing System | Swiss system under FIDE C.04 |
| Results Application | Sharly Chess |
| Tie-Break 1 | Buchholz Cut – two lowest adjusted opponent scores removed |
| Tie-Break 2 | Cumulative score |
| Tie-Break 3 | Performance |
A result-entry error from round R must be reported promptly. Once pairings for round R+2 have been published, a later correction can affect the player’s rating record but not the final tournament standings.
🏆 Prize Fund
The event poster advertises €900 / approx. $1,060 in prizes when the field reaches at least 80 participants. Therefore, the amount is conditional rather than an unconditional guaranteed cash fund.
| Prize Item | Published Information |
|---|---|
| Published Prize Package | €900 / approx. $1,060 subject to at least 80 participants |
| Other Published Awards | Medals, cups and bottles of wine |
| Youth Recognition | The payment page also advertises medals for all young participants |
♟️ Sections / Groups
The tournament is one open rapid section. It is open to eligible FFE licence holders and foreign players with the required FIDE identification.
📅 Schedule
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 08:30–09:30 | Reception, licence check and attendance confirmation |
| 10:00 | Round 1 |
| 10:40 | Round 2* |
| 11:20 | Round 3* |
| 13:30 | Round 4 |
| 14:10 | Round 5* |
| 14:50 | Round 6* |
| 15:30 | Round 7* |
| 16:10 | Round 8* |
| 16:50 | Round 9* |
| 17:30 | Prize ceremony |
*Rounds marked with an asterisk may begin ten minutes after the final game of the preceding round finishes.
📝 Registration
| Registration Item | Amount / Condition |
|---|---|
| Adults | €20 / approx. $30 |
| Youth | €12 / approx. $20 |
| GM / IM | Free |
| Optional Meal | €8 / approx. $10 – drink + sandwich + dessert |
Players complete both parts of the entry process: tournament registration through ChessEvent and payment through HelloAsso. The event is capped at 140 participants, so advance entry is advisable.
Registration: https://chessevent.echecs-bretagne.fr/public/inscrForm1.php?event=NAQ_33_15RL26
Payment: https://www.helloasso.com/associations/echiquier-libournais-33/evenements/15e-open-des-vendanges
🏛️ Organizer
| Contact Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Organizer Name | L’Échiquier Libournais |
| Contact Person | Fabienne Tracol |
| fab.tracol@free.fr | |
| Phone Number | +33 6 14 02 06 33 |
📍 Venue
Salle des Charruauds – 54 Rue Max Linder, 33500 Libourne, France.
The same venue address appears on the federation tournament page, the organizer poster and the official HelloAsso payment page.
🚆 How to Get There
The venue is in the Les Charruauds district of Libourne. The City of Libourne identifies the hall at 54 Rue Max Linder and lists a public-transport stop named Les Charruauds in the same district.
| Option | Information |
|---|---|
| By Train | Travel to Libourne SNCF railway station. The city is served by regional TER rail services, including frequent connections toward Bordeaux and services toward Bergerac. |
| Local Bus | Libourne’s municipal transport information states that travel within the city is free on the Calibus network. |
| Closest Published Stop | Les Charruauds. City transport documents list this stop together with Libourne SNCF station on local transport routes. |
| Before Travel | Check the current Calibus timetable for Sunday service and the closest operating stop to 54 Rue Max Linder. |
Libourne transport information: https://www.libourne.fr/mon-quotidien/transports
ℹ️ Other Information
- Players must follow the published chess-player charter and the tournament regulations.
- Smoking and vaping are strictly prohibited inside the tournament hall.
- During a game, players may leave the competition area only with arbiter permission where the rules require it.
- Electronic devices may remain only when completely switched off in a bag. Carrying the bag during play requires arbiter permission.
- A proven electronic-device violation results in loss of the game under the published regulations.
- A player who misses a round without notifying the arbiter can be treated as having withdrawn from the tournament.
- An appeals jury is constituted before Round 1. A player must first comply with the arbiter’s decision, then follow the published appeal procedure.
Organizer
♟️ About Échiquier Libournais
Échiquier Libournais is an established chess club based in Libourne, Gironde, France. Founded on September 26, 1986, the organization promotes competitive, recreational, school, and youth chess throughout Libourne and the surrounding area. The club is affiliated with the Fédération Française des Échecs (FFE) under club code L33011.
The organization welcomes players with different ages and levels of experience. Members can take part in free play, internal tournaments, chess lessons, individual competitions, and team championships. Moreover, Échiquier Libournais maintains both adult and youth teams within the French competitive chess structure.
Chess education represents an important part of the club’s activities. The organization provides separate training opportunities for beginners, recreational players, and more experienced competitors. In recent seasons, FIDE Master Julien Favarel has led the club’s structured chess courses. Therefore, players can progress from learning the fundamentals to preparing for official tournament competition.
🏆 Open des Vendanges and Tournament Activities
The club’s flagship competition is the Open des Vendanges de Libourne, a long-running rapid tournament that Échiquier Libournais created in 2008.
The event has developed into a regular fixture on the Nouvelle-Aquitaine chess calendar. It attracts players from Libourne, Bordeaux, the wider Gironde department, and other parts of France. Moreover, the tournament combines serious FIDE-rated competition with prizes and recognition for players across different categories.
Échiquier Libournais organizes the 15e Open des Vendanges de Libourne 2026 on November 1, 2026. The event features nine rounds of FIDE-rated rapid chess at a time control of 12 minutes plus three seconds per move.
Fabienne Tracol serves as tournament director and assistant arbiter, while Federal Elite Arbiter Pierre Lapeyre acts as chief arbiter. In addition, the tournament provides medals for young participants, reflecting the club’s strong emphasis on junior chess.
Beyond the Open des Vendanges, the organization runs internal tournaments and participates in various individual and team competitions throughout the chess season.
🎓 Chess School and Youth Development
Youth chess forms a major part of Échiquier Libournais. The club provides regular instruction for both beginners and more experienced young competitors.
Its recent weekly program has included beginner and recreational classes followed by a separate session for confirmed players. In addition, the club offers free-play opportunities that allow members to gain practical over-the-board experience outside formal lessons.
The organization also maintains an extensive school-chess program. Jean-Yves Vervisch, the club’s school-chess coordinator and a former school principal, has provided chess instruction at École Saint-Jean and Collège Saint-Joseph in Libourne.
Through these school programs, the club licenses around 100 school students in a typical year. Young players then have opportunities to participate in individual and team school championships. Consequently, Échiquier Libournais connects introductory school chess with the wider French federation competition structure.
📜 History and Development
The origins of Échiquier Libournais date to 1986, when the City of Libourne sought local chess players interested in establishing an organized club. Serge Bérard helped bring together interested players following an announcement in the local newspaper Le Résistant.
On September 26, 1986, Francis Vaupré and Serge Bérard formally founded Échiquier Libournais as a non-profit association under French law. The organization also affiliated with the French Chess Federation.
Francis Vaupré served as president from 1986 until 2007. Patrick Valadier followed for the 2007–08 period, while Richard Grégory led the club from 2008 to 2018. During Grégory’s presidency, the organization created the annual Open des Vendanges in 2008.
Fabienne Tracol became president in 2018 and continues to lead the club. She is also an active chess arbiter and tournament organizer. In December 2025, Tracol was among two female Gironde arbiters who received an AFCAM trophy, recognizing their contribution to sports officiating.
The club has continued to broaden its activities in recent years. For example, in November 2025 it welcomed French Grandmaster and national-team coach Sébastien Mazé for a simultaneous exhibition and chess masterclass.
Nearly four decades after its foundation, Échiquier Libournais continues to combine tournament organization, federation competition, chess education, school programs, and recreational play in Libourne.
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