The 24. Offene Bremer Einzelmeisterschaft 2026 (OBEM 2026) takes place on March 28-31, 2026 in Stuhr (near Bremen), Germany and continues a long-standing championship tradition with an open, competitive field. The Landesschachbund Bremen stages this 7-round classical Swiss to welcome both local contenders and traveling tournament players who want serious games, clean organization, and a clear path to prizes.

OBEM 2026 delivers DWZ and FIDE Elo rating across four compact playing days and uses the 90+30 “Grenke” time control to keep every round decisive. The event caps the field at 100 players, offers structured double-round days, and lists up to €2,000 in cash prizes across main prizes, category prizes, youth prizes, and rating prizes under defined participation conditions.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

Main prizes

Category prizes (the organizers award these prizes only when the minimum number of eligible participants compete)

Youth prizes (born 2005 or later, minimum 5 participants)

Rating prizes (the organizers award these prizes only when the minimum number of eligible participants compete)

The organizers do not award double prizes, and DWZ-unrated players cannot win rating prizes. The Landesschachbund Bremen may adjust prizes when fewer than 80 players enter.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The tournament runs a 7-round Swiss system and rates games for DWZ and FIDE Elo. Players use 90 minutes for the entire game with a 30-second increment from move 1.

The tournament director applies a 30-minute default time, and a player forfeits the game after that limit. The event uses Buchholz with one cut as the primary tie-break.

📂 Sections / Groups

The tournament runs a single open section with no participation restrictions.

📅 Schedule

📝 Registration

You should pre-register by email with your first name, last name, DWZ, Elo (if any), FIDE ID, date of birth, and club, and you should use the subject line OBEM 2026. The organizers recommend pre-registration because the tournament caps the field at 100 players, and they publish the current entry list on Chess-Results.

You pay the entry fee by bank transfer to secure the regular fee by March 20, 2026. Add “OBEM 2026”, your name, and your club to the payment reference.

Payment details
Account holder: Landesschachbund Bremen e.V.
IBAN: DE32 2919 0330 1105 0276 01
BIC: GENODEF1HB2

The tournament director requires every player to check in personally on the day of Round 1, and the director stops check-in at 9:30 AM. The organizers allow same-day entry only with a valid FIDE ID.

👥 Organizer

Landesschachbund Bremen e.V. runs OBEM 2026 and delivers the official championship framework, while the chess section of TuS Varrel hosts the playing venue and supports on-site operations.

• Email: geschaeftsstelle@tus-varrel.de

• Phone: +49 152 33678039 | +49 157 31928797

• Website: https://www.landesschachbundbremen.de/

• Website: https://www.tus-varrel.de/sportangebot/schach/

🏨 Venue

Gutshaus Varrel provides the playing hall and on-site catering for the tournament days, and it keeps players close to local options for longer breaks between double rounds.

Gutshaus Varrel, An d. Graft 3, 28816 Stuhr, Germany

🚗 How to Get There

You can connect to the Bremen public transport network even after the late rounds on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Drivers should use the signed parking area at Varreler Feld and avoid following signs to “Gut Varrel”, because the venue area does not provide tournament parking.

Play four focused days of classical chess near Bremen and turn seven rounds into a result that you can carry into your next season goal.

🧾 Other

The organizers enforce fair-play rules for electronic devices and require players to keep devices fully switched off inside a closed bag that they do not access during play. The tournament hall applies a strict no smoking and no alcohol rule, and the organizers may record photos or video for public relations purposes.

The organizers award prizes only at the prizegiving, and winners who miss the ceremony forfeit their prizes. The organizers pay cash prizes by bank transfer, and winners must send their IBAN details to the tournament director by April 7, 2026.