The 49th Nottingham Congress 2026 takes place April 18-19, 2026 in Nottingham, England, delivering a compact, high-quality weekend of FIDE- and ECF-rated standard-play chess in a well-established regional congress setting. The event runs five rounds and welcomes a wide playing spectrum through five clearly defined sections, from Open through an Improvers group. Players benefit from a consistent time control and a structured timetable that supports competitive preparation and recovery between rounds.

The congress offers £2,625 in total cash prizes across the sections, including rating prizes in every group, and it keeps the weekend focused with firm entry and playing-hall policies. The organizers stage the tournament at Nottingham High School, a central venue with straightforward access from the railway station via tram and practical driving directions for local and visiting players. If you want a classic weekend Swiss with meaningful prizes and reliable organization, Nottingham delivers exactly that.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

Prize money is shared in the event of a tie. Players can win only one prize, and they receive the largest prize they qualify for. Unrated players cannot win rating prizes. The organizers may merge sections and redistribute prizes if entries run low, and they may award additional prizes when entries support them. The event pays prizes by bank transfer and does not hold a prize-giving ceremony.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The congress runs a 5-round Swiss with a time control of 90 minutes plus 10 seconds increment per move from move 1. The organizers make pairings using Swiss Manager and publish pairings and results on chess-results.com before each round. The April 2026 ECF and FIDE OTB rating lists determine section allocation, and standard-play ratings take precedence over rapid when both exist.

Players may request a half-point bye in Rounds 1 to 4. The default time is 30 minutes after the scheduled start of the round. Games that include a player rated FIDE 2400+ are not FIDE-rated, and the Improvers section does not receive FIDE rating.

📂 Sections / Groups

📅 Schedule

📝 Registration

Enter online via the official congress entry page and complete payment to secure your place in the entries list. The organizers apply a £5 late entry fee after April 14, 2026 and do not accept entries on the day. Players without ECF Gold membership (or above) pay a £16 pay-to-play fee (£6.50 for juniors) in addition to the entry fee. Juniors qualify as under 18 on 01/01/26, and juniors receive the junior entry fee.

Withdrawal policy: the organizers give a full refund for withdrawals notified before April 15, 2026, minus a £2 administrative fee reimbursed after the event; later withdrawals incur a £5 late withdrawal fee.

Online entry: https://congress.org.uk/congress/634/enter

👥 Organizer

Nottinghamshire Chess Association runs the Nottingham Congress as a long-standing weekend standard-play event that combines accessible rating-limited sections with a fully open top group, all under consistent Swiss conditions and published competitor notes. The organizers handle titled-player free entries through the online form process and manage congress communications through the official email address and entry portal.

• Email: congress@nottinghamshirechess.org

• Website: https://congress.org.uk/congress/634/home

• Website: https://www.nottinghamshirechess.org

🏨 Venue

Nottingham High School, Forest Road East, Nottingham NG1 4HH
The congress takes place at Nottingham High School, a central Nottingham venue with direct tram access from the railway station area. The site offers on-location parking at the owner’s risk and sits near local shops and cafés for breaks between rounds.

🚗 How to Get There

Tram / train: follow the signs from Nottingham railway station to the tram, then take a service to Hucknall or Phoenix Park. Get off at the High School stop (about nine minutes, fifth stop), walk up the hill to the traffic lights, turn right onto Forest Road East, and reach the school entrance about 100 meters on the right.

Car: use NG1 4HH for satnavs. From Nottingham city center, follow the A60(N) Mansfield Road and turn left onto Forest Road East; the school entrance and car park sit about 500 meters on the left.

Bring your best weekend form and take five serious rounds to chase both performance and prizes in one of Nottingham’s signature chess dates.

🧾 Other

The venue does not allow smoking or vaping anywhere on site. The organizers may take photographs during the congress for publicity use; inform the entries secretary in writing or by email before the event if you object. The organizers discourage hot food brought into the venue.