The 7th Paul Keres Memorial Festival 2026 brings top-level summer chess back to Pärnu with a full week of classical, blitz, and rapid competition in one of Estonia’s most popular seaside resorts. Set for July 27-August 2, 2026 in Pärnu, Estonia, the festival features two FIDE-rated classical opens over 9 Swiss rounds, followed by dedicated blitz and rapid events, all under one roof at the conference center of Estonia Resort Hotel & Spa.

Across the week, the 7th Paul Keres Memorial Festival 2026 combines serious norm-chasing classical chess with fast-paced blitz and rapid tournaments, all played over the board and FIDE rated. Players can choose between Classic Open A and Classic Open B (both sharing the same 9-round schedule), then continue with the festival’s Blitz on August 1 and Rapid on August 2. With a guaranteed €17,500 prize fund and clear prize and pairing rules, the Paul Keres Memorial Festival remains a flagship international chess tournament in Pärnu, Estonia.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

Open A – Main prizes

Classic-Open A – Women’s prizes

Classic-Open A – Special cash prizes

Classic-Open B – Main prizes

Classic-Open B – Special cash prizes

Blitz – Main prizes

Blitz – Special cash prizes

Rapid – Main prizes

Rapid – Special cash prizes

Prize rules (all events)

• Classic Open monetary prizes are divided according to the Hort system.

• Rapid and blitz prizes are not shared.

• Each player can receive only one prize per tournament.

• Special prizes are awarded only if there are at least 5 participants in the category.

• Prize funds are guaranteed in case of at least 100 participants.

• Prizes are taxed according to Estonian law.

• If a player is not present at the closing ceremony and does not inform the organizer beforehand, the prize will not be awarded.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

Classic Open A and Classic Open B run as two separate Swiss-system tournaments with the same 9-round schedule. The time control is 90 minutes per player for the game, with 30 seconds added per move from move 1. The default time is 15 minutes.

The Blitz tournament is an 11-round Swiss-system event and is FIDE rated. The time control is 3 minutes per player for the game, with 2 seconds added per move.

The Rapid tournament is a 9-round Swiss-system event and is FIDE rated. The time control is 12 minutes per player for the game, with 3 seconds added per move.

Tie-breaks (festival events)

1. Median Buchholz (-1 weakest result)

2. Median Buchholz (-2 weakest results)

3. More wins with the black pieces

Bye policy (Classic Open A & B)

• One bye is allowed during the first six rounds only.

• The player must request the bye before the previous round finishes (for a Round 1 bye, the player must notify the organizer 24 hours before Round 1 starts).

• The bye scores 0.5 points.

📂 Sections / Groups

📅 Schedule

📝 Registration

Participation fees (EUR)

👥 Organizer

The 7th Paul Keres Memorial Festival 2026 is led by Tallinn Chess Club and honors the legacy of Paul Keres through a full festival program of classical chess, blitz, and rapid tournaments in Pärnu, Estonia.

• Email: tallinnamaleklubi@gmail.com

• Website: https://keresmemorial.com/en/

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

🏨 Venue

ESTONIA Resort Hotel & Spa Conference Center, A.H. Tammsaare pst 4a/6, Pärnu, Estonia
All festival tournaments take place inside the hotel’s conference center, keeping the full week in one consistent playing location. The venue sits in Pärnu’s beach area and supports both classical tournament days and the weekend blitz and rapid events.

🛎️ Accommodation

Official festival accommodation terms

Additional accommodation notes

• After paying the participation fee, players can request a 10% discount code for independent booking through the hotel website.

• Accommodation may be offered to up to 10 foreign GM/WGM players (minimum 2500+ / 2300+) by prior agreement, and GMs rated 2600+ as of July 1, 2026 may be accommodated at ESTONIA Resort Hotel & Spa.

🚗 How to Get There

Pärnu, Estonia is located about 135 km from Tallinn Airport and about 190 km from Riga Airport. Direct LuxExpress buses connect both airports to Pärnu. https://luxexpress.eu/en/

Make your summer chess trip count in Pärnu—play the Paul Keres Memorial Festival, chase your next result, and finish the week with fast chess on the coast.