Step into a classic long-game weekend at the 35th Seebach-Open 2026, set for June 4-7, 2026 in Großenseebach, Germany. This established open tournament near Erlangen delivers seven accelerated Swiss rounds with German DWZ rating, a generous €4,000 cash prize fund, and a schedule built for serious competitive chess. You can chase overall prizes, target rating categories down to DWZ under 1400, and compete for junior, women’s, and senior awards when the field meets the published participation conditions. The organizer hosts the event in the modern municipal multi-purpose hall and keeps the playing rhythm consistent with two rounds per day from Thursday through Saturday.

Seebach-Open emphasizes fair competition and clean pairings, including an early-round policy that avoids same-club pairings in rounds 1–3 whenever possible. The event uses a classical time control with increment, applies a 60-minute default time, and ranks ties with Buchholz and additional criteria before splitting prize money when required. The organizer caps the field at 170 players, so early payment matters if you want a confirmed seat. If you want a DWZ-rated open with a strong prize structure and a proven long-weekend format, Großenseebach offers a focused chess trip in the heart of Franconia.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

The organizer publishes a €4,000 cash prize fund and does not allow double prizes. The event awards the Sparkasse special prize and the team prize in addition to other prizes as stated. Place prizes take priority over category prizes, and the organizer awards special prizes in the listed order. Players without a DWZ cannot win rating prizes. The organizer requires at least 5 participants for the best woman and best senior categories.

Overall prizes

Rating prizes (no rating prizes without DWZ)

Age and category prizes

Team prize

Sparkasse special prize

At equal scores, the tournament applies Buchholz with one cut, then number of wins, then head-to-head, and then splits prize money when required.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The tournament runs seven rounds in an accelerated Swiss System and evaluates results for German DWZ rating. Each game uses 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 15 minutes to finish, with a 30-second increment per move from move 1. The organizer enforces a 60-minute default time, so late arrival can cost the game.

The pairing rules aim to avoid same-club pairings in rounds 1–3 whenever possible. The tournament breaks ties with Buchholz including one cut, then number of wins, then direct encounter, and then splits prize money if players remain tied after the published tie-break order.

📂 Sections / Groups

The organizer runs one open tournament field with overall prizes and multiple rating and category prizes.

📅 Schedule

📝 Registration

You register by paying the entry fee via bank transfer to Schachabteilung FSV Großenseebach and including your name, first name, and club with the payment details. Pay €50 as an adult or €40 as a U18 player (born 2008 or later) when the organizer receives your payment by May 30, 2026. After May 30, 2026, the organizer increases the entry fee by €10. The organizer does not offer special entry conditions for titled players and limits the tournament to 170 participants.

Use the following payment details: IBAN DE69 7635 0000 0430 0234 24, BIC BYLADEM1ERH. If you cancel by June 3, 2026, the organizer can refund your entry fee minus a €10 processing fee. The organizer runs an attendance check on June 4, 2026 and requires you to meet the published 10:00 AM deadline.

👥 Organizer

Schachabteilung FSV Großenseebach organizes the Seebach-Open and runs the event with an experienced tournament team and a long-standing local support network. Alexander Schimmer leads the tournament direction, Dr. Ulrich Hiemer and Oliver Puschak serve as arbiters, and the event receives sponsorship support from the Stadt- und Kreissparkasse Erlangen Höchstadt Herzogenaurach and Dr. Firouz Ziaifanni.

• Email: dieter.seyb@t-online.de

• Phone: +49 9135 735740

• Website: https://www.seebach-open.de/

🏨 Venue

Moderne Mehrzweckhalle der Gemeinde Großenseebach, Gartenstraße 39, 91091 Großenseebach, Germany
The tournament plays in the modern municipal multi-purpose hall of Großenseebach. The venue hosts all rounds and the award ceremony on the published timetable, and it provides a straightforward on-site flow for attendance check and round starts.

🚗 How to Get There

Drive toward Großenseebach and navigate to Gartenstraße 39, 91091 Großenseebach, Germany. The venue sits about 3 km west of the A3 exit Erlangen West, and you can reach it by following the route toward Weisendorf from the exit.

Bring your best long-game focus to Großenseebach and use seven rounds to climb the standings and compete for a deep prize list.