Sicily’s town of Motta Sant’Anastasia welcomes the 5th Festival scacchistico Don Pietro Carrera, a four-day classical chess festival that runs from Saturday, January 3 to Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at Hotel Sigonella Inn in Motta Sant’Anastasia, Italy. Players compete in three long time-control open tournaments with six rounds each, all valid for FSI and FIDE rating, and fight for a total prize fund of €1,650 across cash prizes, trophies, and medals.

You choose between Open A, Open B, or Open C depending on your rating and age, while the organizing Accademia Scacchistica Don Pietro Carrera also offers a dedicated masterclass on endgame strategy to help you warm up before the first round. The festival combines serious tournament conditions, clear regulations, and on-site accommodation deals at Hotel Sigonella Inn, so you can focus on chess and enjoy a friendly Sicilian atmosphere around the boards.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

Open-A

Open-B

Open-C

Organizers treat all prizes as non-cumulative and non-divisible; when a player qualifies for multiple awards, they receive only the highest applicable prize.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

• Organizers run Open A and Open B with a classical time control of 90 minutes for the game plus 30 seconds increment per move from move one.

• Open C uses 60 minutes for the game plus 30 seconds increment per move from move one, which suits young players and newcomers.

• All three tournaments use the Swiss pairing system, Dutch variant, and apply tiebreaks in the following order: Buchholz Cut 1 (BH-C1), full Buchholz, Sonneborn-Berger (SB), and APRO (performance).

• The bye value equals 0.5 points where the regulations allow half-point byes.

• The maximum waiting time equals 30 minutes from the scheduled start of the round; after that, arbiters award a loss by forfeit.

• The festival follows current FSI and FIDE regulations, and arbiters apply those rules to all disputes and game situations.

📂 Sections / Groups

📅 Schedule

Before the main festival rounds, organizers also schedule a masterclass on Saturday, January 3 in the morning from 09:00 to 13:00 on endgame strategy, led by Maestro Alessandro Santagati and aimed at competitive players around 1500–1900 level.

📝 Registration

You register in advance and secure your place through Vesus.org and bank transfer.

• Preferred registration: pre-entry on Vesus.org for the chosen open tournament

• Bank transfer details:

  • Account holder: A.S.D. Accad. Scacch. Don Pietro Carrera

  • IBAN: IT53 J 05036 16900 CC0451297892

  • Bank: Banca Agricola Popolare di Sicilia, Agenzia di Catania

• After the transfer, you send a copy of the payment with your full name and chosen tournament (Open A, B, or C) to:

  • Email: accadpcarrera@email.it

  • WhatsApp: +39 351 7674477

You complete your registration and payment by Thursday, January 1, 2026 at 24:00 (midnight) to guarantee pairing from Round 1. Organizers also allow on-site registrations at the playing venue up to the capacity limit, but they add a €10 surcharge to any fee paid directly on site.

You must remain in good standing with FSI for the 2026 season; if you do not yet hold a valid FSI card, you can request or renew it at the playing venue before the festival starts.

👥 Organizer

A.S.D. Accademia Scacchistica Don Pietro Carrera, one of the most active chess clubs in the Catania area, organizes the 5° Festival scacchistico Don Pietro Carrera and continues its tradition of classical tournaments and training events in Sicily. The club combines competitive tournaments, instructional activities, and youth development programs while it uses this festival to bring together players from the region and beyond.

• Club name: A.S.D. Accademia Scacchistica Don Pietro Carrera

• Address: Via Casa Nutrizione 38, 95100 Catania, Italy

• Phone / WhatsApp: +39 351 7674477

• Website: https://www.accademiacarrera.it

• Email: info@accademiacarrera.it

🏨 Venue

Players compete at Hotel Sigonella Inn, a three-star hotel located along the SS 192 at km 76.60 near Motta Sant’Anastasia, just outside Catania. The hotel offers comfortable rooms, conference spaces suitable for chess tournaments, and easy access to the surrounding area, so you can stay on site, rest between rounds, and enjoy Sicilian hospitality throughout the event.

• Hotel: Hotel Sigonella Inn

• Address: SS 192 km 76.60, 95040 Motta Sant’Anastasia (Catania), Italy

• Phone: +39 095 7130237

• Email: info@hotelsigonellainn.it

• Website: https://www.hotelsigonellainn.it

🛎️ Accommodation

The festival offers special accommodation terms at Hotel Sigonella Inn for players and accompanying persons. Prices apply per room, per night, with breakfast included, and vary by board type and room size.

Non-resident guests who wish to eat at the hotel restaurant can book lunch or dinner at a fixed price of €20 per meal. Players contact Hotel Sigonella Inn directly by phone or email to reserve rooms and should mention the Don Pietro Carrera chess festival dates when they book.

🚗 How to Get There

Motta Sant’Anastasia lies a short distance from Catania in eastern Sicily, and Hotel Sigonella Inn sits directly on the SS 192 highway at km 76.60. Drivers reach the venue easily from the Catania ring roads and nearby motorways by following signs for Motta Sant’Anastasia and the SS 192, then turning toward Hotel Sigonella Inn.

If you arrive by air, you typically land at Catania–Fontanarossa Airport and continue to the hotel by taxi or rental car in roughly 20–30 minutes, depending on traffic. Travelers who come by train or long-distance bus first reach Catania and then take a local bus or taxi toward Motta Sant’Anastasia and the SS 192 to arrive at the hotel.

🧾 Other

• The festival consists of three long time-control tournaments, all valid for FSI and FIDE rating, and organizers require every participant to accept the full regulations as a condition of entry.

• During games, arbiters allow mobile phones and electronic devices only if players keep them completely switched off and stored in a bag on the floor; if any device lights up, vibrates, or rings, the player immediately loses that game.

• Organizers reserve the right to introduce any changes needed to ensure smooth running of the festival or to respond to circumstances beyond their control; for all topics not explicitly covered, they refer to current FSI and FIDE rules.

• By registering, adult players and guardians of minors authorize the organizer to process personal data and publish tournament information and results in line with applicable Italian data protection laws.

You can start your chess year in Sicily with a full festival of classical games, strong competition, and comfortable on-site accommodation at the 5° Festival scacchistico Don Pietro Carrera. This event lets you combine serious tournament play with the charm, food, and warmth of a winter chess trip near Catania.