Players from across England and beyond can turn a February weekend into a serious chess highlight at the 49th Blackpool Chess Conference from Friday, February 13 to Sunday, February 15, 2026 in Blackpool, England, United Kingdom. You play five long-play rounds over three days at the historic Imperial Hotel on the North Promenade, with one round on Friday evening and double rounds on both Saturday and Sunday. The congress combines classic seaside atmosphere, a single convenient venue, and generous prizes across clearly defined rating sections.

The 49th Blackpool Chess Conference offers five sections ranging from the open Lancashire Open to the Standard section for club and improving players, all with a unified modern time control. You compete for a prize fund of over £7,000, enjoy FIDE-rated chess in the top two sections, and benefit from on-site accommodation offers at the Imperial Hotel. With a 400-player limit, experienced arbiters, and well-structured regulations, the event delivers a professional yet welcoming congress experience on the English coast.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

The congress offers a strong prize structure in each section, with main prizes, multiple rating prizes, and a separate veteran prize in every group. All prizes are paid by bank transfer after the event, and you must claim them within six months of the congress ending.

Lancashire Open (FIDE & ECF rated)

Imperial Major (FIDE & ECF rated – players FIDE & ECF rated below 2050)

Intermediate (ECF under 1850)

Minor (ECF under 1700)

Standard (ECF under 1550)

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

• Every section uses one unified time control: you receive 110 minutes for the entire game plus a 10-second increment per move from move 1.

• The event runs as a 5-round Swiss: one round on Friday evening, two rounds on Saturday, and two rounds on Sunday.

• The February 2026 ECF rating list determines eligibility for each section and rating-prize ranges; where needed, FIDE ratings and rating history also guide section placement.

• In the Lancashire Open and Imperial Major, English players must hold ECF Gold membership and all non-English players must have a valid FIDE ID.

• Adult players with no rating history may only enter the Lancashire Open; unrated juniors may play in lower sections if they provide a clear indication of strength and accept any prize limits.

• Arbiters use Swiss Manager to pair all rounds. Thirty minutes after the scheduled start of each round, they may re-pair players whose opponents have not arrived; players who still have not arrived 30 minutes after the start time lose by default.

• The congress submits all games for ECF rating and FIDE rating where applicable, and by entering you agree to the publication and rating of your games and results.

📂 Sections / Groups

The Congress Director reserves the right to promote players to higher sections if rating information or playing history shows that another section offers a fairer competitive balance.

📅 Schedule

The same timetable applies across all five sections.

Thirty minutes after each round begins, arbiters may create new pairings for players whose opponents have not arrived, so you should always reach your board before the start time.

📝 Registration

You enter the 49th Blackpool Chess Conference online through the official website:

https://www.blackpoolchess.org.uk/

You select your section, fill in the entry form, and pay the appropriate entry fee electronically; the organizers do not accept telephone entries or entries on the day. The congress sets a final entry deadline of Wednesday, February 11, 2026, and applies a small late-entry surcharge to entries received after the specified late-entry date. You should check the published entry list on the website to confirm that the organizers have received and processed your entry.

If you need to withdraw and request a refund, you must contact the organizer in writing before the refund deadline given in the regulations. Approved refunds usually return the entry fee minus a small administration fee; withdrawals after the deadline do not qualify for a refund.

In the FIDE-rated sections, English players must hold current ECF Gold membership, and all players must supply their FIDE ID where applicable. Adult players without any rating history may only enter the Open, while unrated juniors must describe their approximate strength so arbiters can place them correctly.

Players who book at least two nights at the Imperial Hotel under the congress arrangement can claim a £10 discount on one Blackpool entry fee. The discount applies per room (not per person) and only to bookings made directly with the hotel using the Blackpool Chess Conference booking reference, not via third-party websites.

👥 Organizer

Blackpool Chess Conference runs the 49th Blackpool Chess Congress as one of the flagship weekend events in the English chess calendar. The organizing team combines experienced arbiters, administrators, and local supporters to deliver a fair, friendly, and professionally managed tournament in a classic seaside setting.

• Organizer: Blackpool Chess Conference

• Congress Director: Bill O’Rourke

• Chief Arbiter: Alex McFarlane, IA, ECF Senior Arbiter

• Arbiters: Peter Purland, Fiona Green, Matt Carr, Ruairidh McKay, Hambel Willow

• Administration and support: David Clayton and team

• Website: https://www.blackpoolchess.org.uk/

• Email: blackpoolchessconference@virginmedia.com

🏨 Venue

You play all rounds at the Imperial Hotel, North Promenade, Blackpool FY1 2HB, a landmark seafront hotel with large function rooms dedicated to the chess congress. The venue offers spacious playing halls, analysis space, and public areas where you can relax between rounds, while on-site catering and bar facilities make it easy to stay inside the hotel throughout the weekend. Its location on the North Promenade keeps you within walking distance of Blackpool’s town center and coastal attractions.

🛎️ Accommodation

The Imperial Hotel provides specially priced room packages for congress participants and accompanying guests, including bed-and-breakfast rates tailored to the tournament weekend.

You can add dinner to your stay for £25.00 per person per night, and you may book a packed lunch box at reception for £12.50. Car parking is complimentary for guests staying at the Imperial, while players who park at the hotel but stay elsewhere pay £10 per day.

To book a room at the Imperial Hotel on the congress rate, you call +44 1253 623971 and choose Option 1 to reach the Reservations Team. You must state that you attend the Blackpool Chess Conference to receive the special rates and obtain a booking reference, which you then enter on the tournament entry form or online entry. Booking lines usually operate during daytime and early evening hours, and you should book early because the number of rooms is limited.

To qualify for the £10 Blackpool entry discount, you must stay at the Imperial Hotel for two nights under the congress arrangement; the discount applies per room, and bookings made through external travel websites do not qualify.

🚗 How to Get There

You can travel to Blackpool by train and arrive at Blackpool North railway station, then take a short taxi or local bus ride along the seafront to the Imperial Hotel on the North Promenade. Local buses serve the promenade regularly, and the hotel lies only a few minutes’ drive from the station, so you can reach the venue quickly after your train journey.

If you drive, you follow major routes into Blackpool and then local signs for the seafront and North Promenade, where you turn into the Imperial Hotel car park and follow instructions for guest or day-visitor parking. You should allow extra time before each round to park, check in at the venue, and reach your board comfortably before the start time, especially on the Friday evening when local traffic can be busier.

Whether you chase top prizes in the Lancashire Open or fight for rating gains in the other sections, you can enjoy five long-play rounds, strong competition, and a classic English seaside setting at the 49th Blackpool Chess Conference 2026.

🧾 Other

• The Imperial Hotel operates a no outside food and drink policy in its public areas; instead, it offers reduced-price options and pre-ordered lunches for congress entrants.

• The organizer retains your contact details in a secure database for a limited period solely to send information about current and future Blackpool Chess Conferences and related chess activities, and then deletes paper entry forms within the stated timeframe.

• Donations from players help fund the veteran prizes; contributions received this year support veteran awards at the next Blackpool Chess Conference.

• The Congress Director reserves the right to refuse any entry, to move a player to a different section, to reduce the prize fund or cancel the event in the case of very low entries, and to redistribute in whole or in part any other prize won by a competitor who also wins or shares a main prize.