Players from Tuscany and neighboring provinces travel to the 1st Casciana Terme City Chess Tournament “Dalle Colline al Mare” from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 February 2026 in Casciana Terme, Italy. Circolo Scacchistico Valdera, together with several coastal and inland clubs, stages this new FIDE-rated festival in the Salone delle Terme on Piazza Garibaldi, right in the heart of the spa town. You play in a classical five-round open that the organizers link to the CIA 2026 round of 16 and to the provincial championships for Livorno and Pisa, so every result counts both locally and nationally.

You choose between the main Open and an Under 1700 collateral tournament, both with the same 90+30 time control and both valid for Elo FIDE variations. A total prize fund of €3,000 covers deep prize lists in each section, with extra awards for the best female player, the best under-18, and the best performer in the 0–1800 rating band. Pre-registration through Vesus, bank-transfer payment, and an optional tournament-and-hotel package help you plan the entire weekend in this Tuscan spa setting with chess, prizes, and thermal relaxation.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

The Casciana Terme “Dalle Colline al Mare” congress offers a total prize fund of €3,000 across the Open and the Under 1700 tournaments. Organizers reward the top five finishers in each section and add special prizes for the best female player, the best under-18, and, in the Open, the best player under 1800 Elo. All prizes are individual, non-divisible, and non-cumulative; each player receives at most one prize, and the amounts refer to gross values before tax.

Open tournament – main prizes:

Open tournament – special prizes:

Under 1700 collateral tournament – main prizes:

Under 1700 collateral tournament – special prizes:

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

• The organizers run both tournaments as five-round FIDE-Swiss events.

• Every game in both sections uses the same classical time control: 90 minutes for the entire game plus 30 seconds increment per move starting from move 1.

• The arbiter applies a tolerance time of 60 minutes; players who arrive more than one hour late for a round normally forfeit the game.

• The organizers send both tournaments for FIDE Elo rating changes and apply current FSI regulations for Italian players.

• The tiebreak order follows direct encounter, Buchholz Cut, total Buchholz, and ARO.

• Players must keep cell phones and all electronic devices switched off and away from the body in the playing area; the chief arbiter may carry out anti-cheating checks, including the use of metal detectors, with the consent of the players.

📂 Sections / Groups

Both sections share the same venue, time control, and schedule, and they draw from the common €3,000 prize fund.

📅 Schedule

Tournament staff close registrations on Friday 6 February in the playing hall at 12:00 noon.

📝 Registration

You complete a two-step registration process. First, you pre-register online on Vesus at https://vesus.org/ by selecting the Casciana Terme “Dalle Colline al Mare” event and entering your details. Second, you pay the participation fee by bank transfer using the ASD Valdera Scacchi IBAN IT21S0623071130000057466060, stating your name, surname, and the chosen tournament in the payment description.

The participation contribution is €55 for the Open and €45 for the Under 1700 collateral tournament. Grandmasters and International Masters play free of charge, while FIDE Masters pay a reduced contribution of €30. You must complete payment by 30 January 2026 to keep these rates; after that date, all entry fees increase by €10. On the first day, you can still finalize your registration in the playing hall until 12:00 noon, provided places remain available. By entering, you also consent to the publication of your name, games, photos, and results on the organizers’ websites and social channels.

👥 Organizer

Circolo Scacchistico Valdera coordinates the 1st “Dalle Colline al Mare” Casciana Terme Open together with Livorno Scacchi, Circolo Scacchi G. Greco Cecina, Circolo Scacchistico La Torre di Pisa, and Scacco Rosso San Miniato under the patronage of the Comune di Casciana Terme–Lari. The team aims to create a FIDE-rated weekend that mixes strong competition, fair play, and the relaxing atmosphere of a Tuscan spa town.

• Lead organizer: Circolo Scacchistico Valdera

• Collaboration: Livorno Scacchi; Circolo Scacchi G. Greco Cecina; Circolo Scacchistico La Torre di Pisa; Scacco Rosso San Miniato

• Phone (Fabrizio): +39 328 2173099

• Phone (Andrea): +39 346 0272615

• Phone (Lorenzo): +39 340 2892512

• Phone (Alessio): +39 392 0773405

• Email: carloppileonardo@gmail.com

🏨 Venue

You play in the Salone delle Terme, Piazza Garibaldi, Casciana Terme, Italy, a central hall within the town’s spa complex. The venue offers a dedicated playing area in a historic thermal setting, so you step out of the tournament hall directly into the piazza and the surrounding cafés, hotels, and wellness facilities that define Casciana Terme.

🛎️ Accommodation

The organizers promote a three-day, two-night package in Casciana Terme that combines chess, hotel stay, and spa access. You book this package through Marco and secure both your tournament entry and your lodging in a single arrangement.

You can also request lunches at the Cafè delle Terme at a discounted price. For full details about the package and bookings, you contact Marco at +39 342 3987229.

🚗 How to Get There

You travel to Casciana Terme in Tuscany and then head to Piazza Garibaldi, where the Salone delle Terme hosts the tournament. Once you reach the town center, you follow local directions to the spa complex and walk straight into the hall for registration and play. Drivers can park near the thermal area and move on foot between the venue, nearby hotels, and cafés during the weekend.

You can turn this new Tuscan event into a three-day blend of FIDE-rated classical chess, generous prizes, and spa-town relaxation at the 1st Casciana Terme City Chess Tournament “Dalle Colline al Mare” 2026.