5° Festival Internazionale Bella Italia runs from August 17-23, 2026. This is a chess tournament in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy, in 2026. It brings a broad classical festival format to one of the Adriatic coast’s best-known summer destinations.

The event includes four classical sections: a Master tournament and three additional opens for different published rating bands. The Master runs over 9 rounds, while Tournaments A, B, and C each run over 7 rounds. All sections use a 90 minutes + 30 seconds per move time control, and the confirmed cash prize fund totals €6,500, or approximately $7,490.

Play takes place at Bella Italia EFA Village, which also serves as the festival’s accommodation base. That setup makes the event practical for players who want chess, meals, beach access, and on-site leisure facilities in one location.

📌 Event Details

These are the core published details for the 2026 festival.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

All sections use the FIDE Swiss pairing system. The time control is 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment from move one. The festival also applies published technical tie-breaks in this order: REP, Buchholz Total, Sonneborn-Berger, and ARO.

Half-point byes follow the applicable federation rules. In addition, electronic devices are not allowed in the competition area, smoking is not allowed in the playing hall, and players are expected to follow a casual dress code.

🏆 Prize Fund

The confirmed cash prize fund is €6,500, which is approximately $7,490. Cash prizes are indivisible and non-cumulative. They are awarded only to players present at the prize ceremony and are paid by bank transfer or PayPal in line with the applicable fiscal rules.

Tournament B and Tournament C also award youth cups by age category, while Tournament C adds plaques for 2nd and 3rd place. Those non-cash awards are not included in the cash total above.

👥 Sections / Groups

The festival structure gives stronger players a full 9-round Master, while the other sections offer shorter 7-round events with their own rating-based prize ladders. In the Master, the published rules also allow the four best U18 players rated above 1950, in addition to approved wild cards.

🗓️ Schedule

Master

Tournaments A, B, and C

The schedule keeps the week easy to follow. The Master continues through Sunday, while Tournaments A, B, and C finish on Friday after seven rounds.

📝 Registration

The festival also publishes on-site accommodation with full-board options, reserved beach access, and access to the village’s sports facilities. Because of the resort setup, the event works well for players who want to stay at the venue for the full tournament week.

🏢 Organizer

Lignano Scacchi organizes the festival and continues to build the Bella Italia event as a multi-section summer tournament in Lignano Sabbiadoro. The published 2026 material also names Andrea Bisaro as technical director, while the event runs in collaboration with local and federation partners.

Phone: +39 348 2613719
Email: scacchilignano@gmail.com

📍 Venue

Bella Italia EFA Village, Viale Centrale 29, 33054 Lignano Sabbiadoro (UD), Italy

The venue combines the playing hall and the accommodation base in one resort complex. That makes the tournament especially practical for a week-long stay, and the published festival package also includes beach access and use of the on-site leisure and sports facilities.

🚆 How to Get There

The most practical rail stop is Latisana-Lignano-Bibione on the Venice-Trieste line, followed by a TPL FVG bus connection to Lignano Sabbiadoro. By car, the standard route is the A4 Venice-Trieste motorway to the Latisana-Lignano exit, then SR 354 toward Lignano. For air travel, the closest airport is Trieste / Ronchi dei Legionari, while Venice Marco Polo is another strong option for international arrivals.

This Lignano festival combines serious classical chess with a practical seaside tournament base.