The Apogée International Chess Festival 2026 takes place from August 22–30, 2026, in Caissargues, near Nîmes, France. Caissargues Chess Club organizes nine days of classical chess, cultural activities, and public events.

The festival includes two FIDE-rated sections: Apogée Masters Open A for players rated 1900 or higher and Apogée Accession Open B for players rated below 2000. Moreover, both tournaments feature nine Swiss-system rounds with one classical game per day.

Former FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov will attend selected festival activities. In addition, the organizers announce official cash prizes of €23,000 and an independent equality supplement that can raise the festival’s headline prize value to €26,000, approximately $30,050.

📌 Event Details

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The organizer runs both sections over nine Swiss-system rounds. Therefore, players usually meet opponents with similar scores as the festival progresses.

Each player receives 90 minutes for the first 40 moves. Afterwards, the clock adds 30 minutes for the remainder of the game.

In addition, every player receives a 30-second increment after each move from move one. The organizer uses Sharly Chess and BBP Pairings for tournament administration.

Half-Point Byes

Players may request up to two half-point byes during Rounds 1–6.

However, players must notify an arbiter before the previous round ends. The organizer does not award half-point byes after Round 6.

Tie-Breaks

The organizer applies the following tie-break criteria:

1. Buchholz Cut, based on the adjusted scores of the seven highest-scoring opponents
2. Buchholz
3. Tournament Performance Rating

🏆 Prize Fund

The published official prize tables total €23,000, approximately $26,580. In addition, an independent private partner may provide a women’s equality supplement of up to €3,000.

Consequently, the festival advertises a headline prize value of up to €26,000, approximately $30,050.

The organizer shares general-classification prizes through the Hort system when players finish with the same score. Meanwhile, tie-breaks determine category awards.

Apogée Masters Open A – Overall Prizes

Apogée Masters Open A – Women’s Prizes

When a male player wins the tournament, an independent partner may supplement the leading woman’s total winnings. The supplement raises her total to the amount actually awarded to the overall winner.

However, this independent payment does not form part of the organizer’s official prize table. Its maximum possible value is €3,000, approximately $3,470.

Apogée Masters Open A – Category Prizes

Apogée Accession Open B – Overall Prizes

Apogée Accession Open B – Women’s Prizes

Apogée Accession Open B – Category and Special Prizes

♟️ Sections / Groups

The festival offers two mixed classical tournaments.

The organizer checks each player’s standard rating on the tournament date. Moreover, it reserves the right to approve or refuse a section placement when a player does not meet the published criteria.

📅 Schedule

All times follow local time in France.

Rounds 1–8 begin at 14:30. Therefore, players have each morning available for preparation, sightseeing, or festival activities.

Meanwhile, Round 9 begins earlier at 10:00. The organizer then conducts the closing ceremony at 16:00.

📝 Registration

Pre-registration is strongly recommended. However, registration becomes final only after the player completes attendance confirmation and pays the applicable entry fee.

The organizer accepts up to 300 players across both tournaments.

Entry Fees

GM, IM, WGM, and WIM titleholders receive free entry. However, they must confirm their participation with the organizer at least 48 hours before the tournament begins.

Online Registration

https://www.payasso.fr/apogee/inscription

Attendance Confirmation

Only players who complete the mandatory attendance-confirmation procedure will enter the Round 1 pairings.

Player Requirements

Foreign players must hold either:

• A valid French Chess Federation Licence A, or
• Membership in a FIDE-recognized federation and an active FIDE ID

Players without an active FIDE ID should contact their national federation before the tournament.

Registration Contact

Contact Person: Silvia Alexieva

Email: festivalapogee2026@gmail.com

Phone: +33 6 15 03 74 52

🏛️ Organizer

📍 Venue

Salle Aldébaran, Centre Saint-Exupéry – Avenue de la Dame, 30132 Caissargues, Gard, France.

The air-conditioned playing hall hosts all nine rounds of Open A and Open B. Moreover, the venue offers free parking for players and visitors.

The organizer provides refreshments and food at the venue. In addition, Brasserie La Barbaude serves as the festival’s official catering partner.

Accommodation

The festival recommends the ibis Styles and ibis budget properties beside Nîmes Centre railway station. Participants should mention “Festival Apogée” when requesting the organizer’s preferred rate.

The following prices show recent advertised starting rates for late August. However, room rates can change according to availability and booking conditions.

ibis Styles Nîmes Gare Centre:
https://all.accor.com/hotel/7574/index.en.shtml

ibis budget Nîmes Centre Gare:
https://all.accor.com/hotel/7467/index.en.shtml

B&B HOTEL Nîmes Centre Arènes:
https://www.hotel-bb.com/en/hotel/nimes-centre

The two ibis hotels offer the easiest public-transport arrangement because they stand beside Nîmes Centre station. From there, players can continue toward Caissargues on the T4 Tram’bus line.

🚌 How to Get There

The T4 Tram’bus connects central Nîmes with Caissargues. Moreover, the extended route links Caissargues with the centre of Nîmes in less than 20 minutes under normal operating conditions.

Arrival Advice

Attendance confirmation closes at 12:30 on Saturday, August 22. Therefore, players arriving on the opening day should allow sufficient time for summer traffic and public-transport connections.

Tango publishes a special summer timetable through August 30. Consequently, participants should check the current T4 schedule before each journey.

ℹ️ Other Information

Veselin Topalov Festival Activities

Former FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov will participate in several events during the festival.

A public simultaneous exhibition takes place from 10:00 to 13:00 on August 27 at Carré d’Art in Nîmes. Moreover, the festival schedules a reception and a special evening in his honor.

Mondial de la Parole

The Mondial de la Parole takes place at Pont du Gard on August 29 at 19:00.

Official Pairings

Online pairings provide advance information only. The official pairing for each round is the version displayed inside the playing hall one hour before play begins.

Players should report incorrect results, colors, or ranking information to an arbiter as soon as possible.

Electronic Devices and Watches

Players may not carry unauthorized phones, Bluetooth earphones, or similar electronic equipment inside the playing hall.

In addition, the tournament prohibits every type of watch, including mechanical, digital, and connected watches.

The organizer provides storage boxes near the entrance. A violation may result in the loss of the game.

Appeals

A player must notify an arbiter at the time of an incident. Afterwards, the player may submit a written appeal to the Chief Arbiter within one hour after the game ends.

The festival’s Appeals Committee issues a final decision.

Prize Ceremony

Prize winners must attend the closing ceremony. An unjustified absence may cause the player to lose the relevant award.

Pairings and Results

Chess-Results publishes separate starting lists, pairings, standings, and results for both sections.

Apogée Masters Open A:
https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr1458078.aspx?lan=1&SNode=S0

Apogée Accession Open B:
https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr1458079.aspx?lan=1&SNode=S0