Chess enthusiasts meet in Cologne, Germany for the 28th Müngersdorfer Bürgerturnier 2026, a five-round open weekend tournament that uses a solid classical time control and a rich mix of main, rating, and special prizes. You play from January 9-11, 2026 in the Catholic parish hall of St. Vitalis in the Müngersdorf district, a familiar home of Schachfreunde Köln-Müngersdorf.

With DWZ evaluation, fair-play rules based on FIDE regulations, and a cozy neighborhood venue that limits entries to 50 players, this Cologne citizen tournament creates an intimate, competitive start to your 2026 chess calendar.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

Main prizes (overall)

Rating prizes (per DWZ group)

Special prizes (per category)

Organizers require at least three players in a given special-prize category and guarantee the prize structure from 35 participants upward. They do not allow double prizes, so each player receives only one prize even if they qualify for several categories. In case of ties, the Buchholz tiebreak decides the prize order.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

• You play every game with 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 15 additional minutes for the rest of the game, and a 30-second increment from move one.

• The tournament uses a five-round Swiss system, and organizers create pairings with standard Swiss pairing software.

• The event follows FIDE rules and uses a 30-minute default time; if you arrive more than 30 minutes late to a round, you lose the game by forfeit.

• The organizers submit results for DWZ evaluation, so every game you play influences your German national rating.

• If players tie on points, the Buchholz system decides final standings and prize distribution.

• The tournament committee issues final decisions on disputes, and players accept those decisions as binding when they enter.

📂 Sections / Groups

📅 Schedule

Players must check in with the tournament management by 5:30 p.m. on Friday; organizers accept on-the-day entries until that time if vacant seats still exist.

📝 Registration

You register by emailing your full details and transferring the entry fee to the club’s bank account.

Required registration data:

• First name and last name

• Club

• DWZ rating

• Country of birth

• Place of birth

• Date of birth

Registration contacts:

• Franz Meier – Email: franz.meier55@gmail.com

• Peter Heemann – Email: p.heemann@gmx.de

Entry fee:

• €30 standard

• €20 for members of SF Köln-Müngersdorf and citizens of Müngersdorf

Payment details (bank transfer):

• Account holder: SF Köln-Müngersdorf 1935

• IBAN: DE92 3705 0198 1936 6277 18

• BIC: COLSDE33XXX

Organizers treat your entry as valid only after they receive payment. They do not refund the entry fee after January 2, 2026, so you should confirm your plans before that date.

👥 Organizer

Schachfreunde Köln-Müngersdorf 1935 organizes the 28. Müngersdorfer Bürgerturnier 2026 as its traditional citizen tournament in the west of Cologne. The club combines a friendly neighborhood atmosphere with serious, DWZ-rated competition and manages pairings, prize distribution, and local logistics around St. Vitalis parish hall.

• Club: Schachfreunde Köln-Müngersdorf 1935

• Website: https://www.schachfreunde-muengersdorf.de/

• Email (club): sfkoeln.muengersdorf@gmx.de

🏨 Venue

You play all rounds in the Katholisches Pfarrheim St. Vitalis, Alter Militärring 41, 50933 Köln-Müngersdorf, Cologne, Germany. The parish hall sits next to the St. Vitalis church and offers a cozy, barrier-free playing area that regularly hosts the club’s meetings and tournaments, with enough space and lighting for a focused five-round Swiss weekend.

🚗 How to Get There

You reach the parish hall easily by public transport or car.

• By tram: Take line 1 to the stop “Alter Militärring,” then walk roughly 300 meters to the parish hall.

• By bus: Use lines 141, 143, or 144 to the stop “Wendelinstraße,” which lies directly in front of the parish hall entrance.

• By car: Follow signs to Köln-Müngersdorf and Alter Militärring; you find St. Vitalis and its parish hall on the corner near local residential streets, with on-street parking options in the surrounding area.

You can enjoy a weekend of classical chess in a traditional Cologne neighborhood venue, sharpen your form early in the year, and compete for main, rating, and special prizes in the 28. Müngersdorfer Bürgerturnier 2026.

🧾 Other

• Organizers award special prizes only when at least three eligible players appear in the category, and they guarantee the overall prize structure once the event reaches 35 participants.

• They do not allow double prizes; if you qualify for more than one category, you receive the single highest-value prize.

• Buchholz tiebreak decides ranking when players finish with the same score.

• The tournament direction issues final decisions on all disputes, and entry implies full acceptance of the regulations and fair-play rules.