Join the 2026 Sydney International Open, April 8-12, 2026, in Rooty Hill, Australia, and test yourself in a major multi-division chess festival at Novotel West HQ. Rooty Hill Chess Club welcomes international visitors and Australian players across three classical Swiss divisions plus an open blitz. The event combines strict eligibility standards in the Championships with broad access in the lower divisions, so strong titled players and ambitious improvers can compete in the right field. A large cash prize pool and dedicated student awards add extra competitive edge across the full weekend schedule.

FIDE and the Australian Chess Federation rate the classical divisions, and the tournament uses a consistent 90+30 time control that supports high-quality games and long endgames. The schedule starts with an opening ceremony and two rounds on Wednesday, then continues with morning and afternoon rounds through Saturday, before it finishes with a Sunday morning finale and an 11-round blitz that afternoon. The organizers apply established Swiss pairing methods per division and publish results after each round. You can lock in early bird pricing, use eligible title-holder discounts, and plan easy logistics with on-site accommodation options and extensive free parking.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

The event awards $18,575 in cash prizes across the three classical divisions and the Sunday blitz. Players split prize money equally in a tie, and players can win only one prize except female prizes. The organizer may deduct entry fees from prizes for players who receive free entry.

Championships

Challengers

Contenders

Blitz

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The tournament uses 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move for all three classical divisions, and it runs each classical division as a 9-round Swiss. FIDE rates the classical divisions as Standard and ACF rates them as Normal. The blitz uses 3 minutes plus a 2-second increment per move and runs as an 11-round Swiss, with FIDE Blitz and ACF Quick ratings.

The organizer pairs Championships and Contenders using the FIDE Dutch Swiss System. The organizer pairs Challengers and Blitz using the FIDE-approved Baku Acceleration Method, and it sorts those sections primarily by ACF rating (then FIDE if ACF equals zero). The organizer sorts the Championships by FIDE rating only.

The Championships allow only one half-point bye, and the organizer allows no half-point byes in rounds 8 or 9. Challengers and Contenders allow up to two half-point byes, and the organizer allows no half-point byes in rounds 8 or 9. The organizer accepts no half-point byes in blitz. Players must request byes through the official bye request form before the start of the previous round.

The organizer applies a 30-minute default time in the classical divisions and enforces forfeits after that point unless players contact the arbiters in time. The organizer withdraws forfeited players by default and charges a re-entry fee of $50 in the classical divisions and $20 in blitz when players return without a valid reason.

📂 Sections / Groups

📅 Schedule

Sydney International Open – Championships, Challengers, Contenders

Sydney International Open – Blitz

The organizer starts rounds at the stated times unless games from the previous round run past the next scheduled start, and it guarantees at least a 20-minute break between rounds.

📝 Registration

Register online at https://sio.rootyhillchessclub.org/registration/. The organizer applies early bird pricing for entries before January 15, 2026, standard pricing from January 16, 2026 through April 1, 2026, and late pricing after April 1, 2026. The organizer closes on-the-day blitz entries at 2:30 PM and charges $50 for those entries.

The organizer displays concession fees in brackets and offers concessions to pensioners, disability holders, and tertiary students under 25, with proof required before the tournament starts. Juniors cannot use concession entry, and the organizer does not stack discounts.

The organizer grants free entry into Championships and Blitz for GM, WGM, IM, and WIM title holders who enter before March 1, 2026. The organizer also offers a 20% Championships discount for FM and WFM title holders who enter before March 1, 2026.

The organizer requires a FIDE ID for players who do not live in Australia, and it asks those players to obtain the ID from their national federation when needed. The organizer issues full refunds (less processing and ticket fees) within two weeks of registration when players notify the organizer before February 1, then it issues 50% refunds before February 1 after the two-week window, and it issues no refunds after February 1.

👥 Organizer

Rooty Hill Chess Club organizes the Sydney International Open and delivers a structured multi-division program that combines top-level classical play with an open blitz finale. The tournament team manages eligibility, pairings, and on-site conditions through experienced arbiters and clear competition rules.

• Email: sio@rootyhillchessclub.org

• Phone: 0403 166 558

🏨 Venue

Novotel West HQ, Conference Rooms 5 & 6, 55 Sherbrooke St, Rooty Hill NSW 2766, Australia. The tournament plays inside the West HQ precinct, which places the playing hall next to restaurants and cafes and keeps everything in one convenient complex. West HQ provides over 2,000 free parking spaces, including extensive undercover parking directly in front of the hotel.

iivnce, and it gives players fast access to food and amenities between rounds.

🛎️ Accommodation

Novotel West HQ sits directly upstairs from the playing venue and offers the most convenient stay for competitors who want to minimize travel time. The organizer can provide limited complimentary twin-share accommodation and free entry for eligible grandmasters rated at least 2400 FIDE, and it applies a refundable bond for those arrangements; contact the organizer for availability and details.

🚗 How to Get There

Arrive by train via Rooty Hill Station or Mount Druitt Station and continue by local transport to West HQ. Use local buses that serve West HQ, including routes 723, 728, 738, and 756. Drive directly to West HQ and use the free on-site parking for easy access to Novotel West HQ and the conference rooms.

Play nine serious classical rounds and finish with a fast-paced Sunday blitz at West HQ while you chase prizes and rating gains in one of Australia’s standout tournament settings.

🧾 Other

The tournament enforces strict anti-cheating rules and awards an immediate loss to any player who carries a phone or digital device during a game, even when the device remains switched off. The organizer also prohibits headphones and watches during play, limits post-game analysis inside the playing hall, and restricts photography and video to the first 10 minutes of each round unless the organizers authorize media access. The Championships division also applies a no-draw rule under 30 moves unless threefold repetition occurs, and the event applies an appeals process with a $100 bond for classical disputes while it allows no appeals after the chief arbiter’s decision in blitz.