The Blitz Tournament (BTZ) brings fast-paced over-the-board chess to the 59th Biel International Chess Festival in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, with the 2026 edition scheduled for July 19, 2026. You join a dedicated one-day blitz event inside one of Switzerland’s best-known summer chess traditions, with the festival program running from July 11–24, 2026.

Play the Blitz Tournament (BTZ) in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland as part of the wider Biel International Chess Festival experience, where multiple open and featured events run side by side. The Blitz Tournament (BTZ) sits in the official festival schedule as a standalone day of blitz chess, ideal if you want a competitive event that fits neatly into your Biel/Bienne chess travel plans.

🗓️ Event Details

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The official festival schedule lists the Blitz Tournament (BTZ) as a one-day blitz event with a 14:00 start on Sunday, July 19, 2026.

📂 Sections / Groups

Blitz Tournament (BTZ) runs as a single open one-day tournament within the Biel International Chess Festival program.

📅 Schedule

📝 Registration

👥 Organizer

Biel-Bienne CHESS organizes the Biel International Chess Festival in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, and manages participant services and event communications for the festival’s open tournaments, including the Blitz Tournament (BTZ).

• Address: Biel Congress Center, Zentralstr. 60, CH-2502 Biel/Bienne, Switzerland

• Email: office@bielchessfestival.ch

• Phone: +41 32 589 68 68

• Website: https://www.bielchessfestival.ch/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BielChessFestival/

🏨 Venue

Biel Congress Center, Zentralstr. 60, CH-2502 Biel/Bienne, Switzerland
The Biel Congress Center hosts the festival’s tournament program in Biel/Bienne. The venue serves as the central hub for multiple events across the Biel International Chess Festival dates.

🛎️ Accommodation

Limited rooms are available with special 4* hotel rates for tournament players; request details and booking support via info@bielchessfestival.ch. For broader lodging options in Biel/Bienne, use the local tourism portal at https://www.j3l.ch/.

🚗 How to Get There

Biel/Bienne is easy to reach by public transportation, especially by train. You can route travel through major Swiss airports with onward rail connections to Biel/Bienne: Zurich (ZRH), Berne–Belp (BRN), Basel EuroAirport (MLH / BSL), and Geneva (GVA). The organizer notes an approximate 1.5-hour transfer to Biel/Bienne from these airports using public transport connections.

If you drive into Biel/Bienne, plan for higher inner-city parking fees. Parking space Eisplanade near the Kongresshaus is available, and you can obtain daily parking tickets at post offices or at the police inspectorate at Zentralstrasse 60 (ground floor).

Bring your best speed-chess focus to Biel/Bienne and make the Blitz Tournament (BTZ) your headline result inside the 59th Biel International Chess Festival.