Chess players from across Chile and beyond gather in the historic city center for the 1st Chess Open Santiago 2026 in Santiago, Chile. From Monday, January 26 to Sunday, February 1, 2026, you play a nine-round classical open at Club de Ajedrez de Chile, just steps from the Universidad de Chile metro station, and compete in an absolute open category that welcomes all rating levels.

The organizers back this inaugural edition with a USD 10,000 prize fund, a rich network of rating and age-category prizes, and bonuses such as entries to the Mar del Plata Open 2026 and grandmaster training sessions. You play a 90+30 FIDE-rated Swiss with accelerated pairings in the early rounds, enjoy live streaming and DGT boards on the top tables, and experience a big-event atmosphere in Chile’s capital.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

Total prize fund: USD 10,000. Prizes are not cumulative; each player receives the single prize with the highest value they qualify for.

Overall standings – main prizes

Best Club de Ajedrez de Chile members

Rating prizes (FIDE Standard list, January 2026)

Youth and junior prizes

All youth categories also include grandmaster training sessions as indicated.

Senior, women’s, foreign, and regional prizes

Prize eligibility for rating groups uses the FIDE Standard January 2026 list. Age-group eligibility uses year of birth cutoffs (for example, Under 20 for players born 2006 or later). All prizes follow the official regulations, and the organizers always award the higher-value prize when a player qualifies for more than one category.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

• You play 9 rounds using the Swiss system in a single open group.

• The event uses a 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move time control from move one for every game.

• The organizers apply accelerated pairings (Baku method) up to Round 5 to sharpen early-round pairings in a large field.

• Tiebreak order:

  1. Direct encounter

  2. Buchholz Cut 1 (lowest opponent removed)

  3. Full Buchholz

  4. Sonneborn–Berger

  5. Rating performance

  6. Number of wins

• The default (forfeit) time is 30 minutes after the scheduled start; if you arrive later, you lose the game.

• The event follows the FIDE Laws of Chess and counts for both FIDE International Elo and Chilean ENF rating.

• The arbiters manage the event with Swiss-Manager and publish pairings and standings according to FIDE standards.

📂 Sections / Groups

📅 Schedule

The blitz “Memoriam Centenario” on Sunday runs as a separate side event with its own regulations.

📝 Registration

You must register through the official Google Form and complete payment by bank transfer or international PayPal. The organizers handle registrations in three price cuts.

Step-1 – Online entry

• Fill in the official Google Form:
  https://forms.gle/iP9H9kowUfUtUZuh6

Step-2 – Payment methods

• National bank transfer (Chile):

  • Bank: Banco Estado

  • Account type: Current account No. 5576768

  • Name: CLUB DE AJEDREZ DE CHILE

  • RUT: 70.494.100-5

  • Email for payment confirmation: clubdeajedrezdechile@gmail.com

• International PayPal payment:

  • https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/XU7D75H3CQYJN

Step-3 – Fee levels by deadline (cuts)

Cut-1 – until Sunday, November 30, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.

Cut-2 – until Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

Cut-3 – until Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

All players must also have the Canon Ajefech paid. For foreign players not resident in Chile, the USD 110 entry includes the Canon.

The organizers order the starting list by FIDE Standard January 2026 rating and consider a registration complete only after they receive both the online form and payment.

👥 Organizer

Founded in 1924, Club de Ajedrez de Chile stands as a centenary chess institution dedicated to promoting chess at every level, from beginners to professionals. The club hosts the I° Chess Open Santiago 2026 in its historic downtown venue, manages all tournament logistics, and coordinates streaming, DGT boards, and media coverage through its dedicated communications team.

• Email (tournament and media): clubdeajedrezdechile@gmail.com

• Phone (landline): +56 2 2664 1216

• WhatsApp: +56 9 9579 9253; +56 9 6553 3048

🏨 Venue

You play in the Salón Centenario of Club de Ajedrez de Chile, Serrano 14, Office 102, Santiago Centro, with the top 20 boards in the main club hall and additional boards in a nearby second hall in Santiago Centro. The location lies in the heart of Santiago, very close to the Universidad de Chile metro station, and offers a traditional club atmosphere combined with modern tournament equipment and security controls.

🛎️ Accommodation

The organizers offer a limited number of free municipal accommodation spots for players.

If you want to use municipal lodging, you must contact the organization in advance to check availability and secure your spot. Players who prefer hotels or private rentals can book independently in Santiago Centro, staying within easy reach of Serrano 14 and the Universidad de Chile metro station.

🚗 How to Get There

Club de Ajedrez de Chile sits in Santiago Centro, near one of the main transport hubs of the capital.

• By metro: Take Line 1 to Universidad de Chile station, exit toward the city center, and walk a short distance along Serrano Street to number 14.

• By bus: Use city buses that stop near the Alameda and downtown Santiago, then walk to Serrano 14 in Santiago Centro.

• By car: Drive toward central Santiago and follow signs for Santiago Centro; plan for downtown traffic and paid parking in nearby streets or parking garages.

You should arrive early on Monday, January 26, to complete any final formalities, attend the 3:30 p.m. opening, and sit down for Round 1 at 6:00 p.m. in a relaxed state.

You can launch your chess year in the Chilean capital, fight for a deep USD 10,000 prize fund with strong international opposition, and enjoy a full week of serious games, live coverage, and big-tournament atmosphere at the I° Chess Open Santiago 2026.

🧾 Other

• Age categories use year-of-birth cutoffs: Under 20 (born 2006 or later), Under 16 (2010 or later), Under 14 (2012 or later), and Under 12 (2014 or later).

• Senior prizes apply to players born in 1976 or earlier.

• Foreign-player prizes consider any FIDE flag different from Chile.

• Northern Chile prizes apply to players from federated clubs between the Arica y Parinacota and Coquimbo regions; southern Chile prizes apply to clubs between Biobío and Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena.

• The organizers form an appeals, ethics, and disciplinary commission (chief arbiter, event directors, and two player delegates). Appeals must be written, submitted within 20 minutes after the round, and accompanied by a CLP 50,000 deposit that the commission refunds if it upholds the appeal.

• Strict fair-play measures apply: security gates at hall entrances, metal-detector checks for restroom access, random inspections, and a total ban on electronic devices and bags in the playing area (with controlled custody available).

• The official media department publishes all information, photos, videos, and streaming exclusively through http://chessopensantiago.com and the club’s official social media channels.