Crikvenica Chess Open 2026 is the main classical competition of the 2nd Advent Chess Festival 2026, taking place from December 10 to December 16, 2026 at Hotel Marina in Selce, Croatia.

Organized by Šahovski klub Crikvenica under the patronage of the Tourist Board of the City of Crikvenica and the City of Crikvenica, the festival offers two separate FIDE-rated classical sections. Open A is intended for players rated above 1950, while Open B is for players rated below 2000.

Both sections feature nine Swiss-system rounds. However, they use different time controls: 90+30 in Open A and 60+30 in Open B. The published total prize fund is €8,000, while players can also book special tournament accommodation directly at Hotel Marina.

♟️ Event Details

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

Both competitions are played over nine rounds according to the FIDE Swiss system.

Open A

Chess-Results:
https://chess-results.com/tnr1475027.aspx?lan=1

Open B

Chess-Results:
https://chess-results.com/tnr1475033.aspx?lan=1

Pairings are produced with Swiss-Manager. Starting lists, pairings, standings and results are published separately for Open A and Open B.

🏆 Prize Fund

The total guaranteed prize fund is €8,000 (approximately $9,320).

• Open A: €6,500 – approximately $7,570
• Open B: €1,500 – approximately $1,750

Prizes are non-cumulative. The organizer states that prize money will be transferred to the player’s bank account within 15 days.

🥇 Open A – Main Prizes

⭐ Open A – Special Prizes

🥇 Open B – Main Prizes

⭐ Open B – Special Prizes

👥 Sections / Groups

The festival consists of two separate classical tournaments.

🔴 Open A

🔵 Open B

The official regulations therefore create an overlap for players with ratings above 1950 but below 2000. Such players should confirm their preferred section with the organizer when registering.

The published invitation does not specify which particular monthly rating list is used to determine these thresholds.

📅 Schedule

Both sections follow the same published starting times.

There are double rounds on December 11 and December 13.

📝 Registration

Registration is handled directly by the tournament organizers.

Entry Fees

The official invitation states that all players in each section participate under the same entry-fee conditions.

Payment

Entry fees must be paid by bank transfer to:

Šahovski klub Crikvenica

IBAN:
HR36 2340 0091 1109 8568 6

Players should include sufficient identifying information with their payment so that the organizer can match the transfer to the tournament registration.

Registration Contacts

Chief Arbiter – IA Nenad Dorić
Email: nenad.dori@gmail.com
Phone: +385 98 1701 984

Tournament Director – Nikola Sundać
Email: sahovskiklub.crikvenica@gmail.com
Phone: +385 99 3842 114

The official English announcement does not state a separate registration deadline. Therefore, players should contact the organizer and confirm acceptance before arranging non-refundable travel.

👥 Organizer

📍 Venue

Hotel Marina Selce – Emila Antića 73, 51266 Selce, Croatia

Hotel Marina is a four-star hotel in Selce on the Crikvenica Riviera. Both Open A and Open B are played at the same hotel.

The venue also serves as the official accommodation option for tournament participants. Hotel facilities include an indoor swimming pool, fitness facilities, restaurant and hotel parking.

Because the games and official accommodation are in the same building, players staying at Hotel Marina do not need daily transport between their room and the playing venue.

🚆 How to Get There

Hotel Marina is located in Selce, approximately 3 km south of Crikvenica. Selce is connected with Crikvenica, Rijeka and other Croatian destinations by regular bus services.

🚗 By Car

Venue address: Hotel Marina Selce – Emila Antića 73, 51266 Selce, Croatia

Drivers should use the full Emila Antića 73 address rather than navigating only to Crikvenica, because the tournament is physically located in Selce.

Guests booking the official tournament accommodation package have free hotel parking included in the accommodation price.

🚌 By Bus

The official Selce bus station is located on the Jadranska magistrala, 51266 Selce.

Arriva operates daily services connecting Selce with destinations including:

• Rijeka
• Crikvenica
• Novi Vinodolski
• Zagreb
• Zadar
• Split and other coastal destinations

There is also a local Crikvenica–Selce–Crikvenica city bus connection.

Crikvenica and Selce are approximately 3 km apart, and Arriva lists the direct bus journey at roughly 5 minutes, depending on the service and traffic.

The Selce bus station is on the main road above the town. Players should allow additional time for the final connection from the bus stop to Hotel Marina, particularly when travelling with luggage.

✈️ From Rijeka Airport

Rijeka Airport on the island of Krk is the nearest airport to Hotel Marina. The hotel is approximately 22 km from the airport.

Rijeka Airport operates official shuttle services to:

• Rijeka
• Omišalj
• Kraljevica

There is no official airport shuttle listed directly to Selce.

Therefore, practical options include:

• Taxi or rental car directly from Rijeka Airport to Hotel Marina
• Airport shuttle to Kraljevica followed by onward road transport
• Airport shuttle to Rijeka followed by an Arriva bus to Selce

Airport shuttle timetables are published monthly, so players travelling in December should check the current December 2026 schedule before booking connections.

🚆 By Train

Selce does not have a railway station. Rijeka is the practical rail gateway for the tournament.

HŽ Passenger Transport serves Rijeka from the Croatian and international rail network. After reaching Rijeka, players can continue to Selce by regular bus.

Travelers should pay particular attention to the timetable change in December: the published 2025/2026 HŽ timetable runs only through December 12, 2026, while the tournament continues until December 16.

Anyone travelling by train on or after December 13 should therefore check the new 2026/2027 HŽ timetable before purchasing tickets.

🚍 From Rijeka

Arriva operates regular bus connections between Rijeka and the Crikvenica/Selce area.

The road distance between Rijeka and Crikvenica is approximately 40 km, with normal bus travel between Rijeka and Crikvenica taking around 45 minutes depending on traffic.

From Crikvenica, Selce is only around 3 km farther south and is served by direct local and intercity buses.

⏰ Arrival Advice

The Opening Ceremony begins at 15:15 on Thursday, December 10, followed by Round 1 at 15:30.

Players arriving on the opening day should allow sufficient time for:

• Hotel check-in
• Tournament registration confirmation
• Entry-fee/payment verification where required
• Reaching the playing hall before the Opening Ceremony

Those flying into Rijeka Airport or arriving by long-distance bus should leave a generous connection margin rather than planning to reach Selce immediately before Round 1.

ℹ️ Other Information

🏨 Official Accommodation – Hotel Marina

The official tournament accommodation is available directly at Hotel Marina Selce, the playing venue.

A limited number of double rooms with the possibility of an extra bed are available.

Double Room – Minimum 2 People

Single Room

Accommodation Discounts

For stays of four nights or longer, the organizer publishes a 10% discount on the accommodation prices above.

Extra-bed discounts are:

• Children up to 3 years: Free
• Children aged 4–17: 50% discount
• Adult on extra bed: 30% discount

Included with Accommodation

The tournament accommodation price includes:

• Tourist tax
• Use of the indoor swimming pool
• Use of the gym
• Free hotel parking
• Wireless internet

The official tournament announcement lists the following accommodation contact:

info@hotel-marina.hr

Hotel Marina’s general website is:

https://www.hotel-marina.net/

💶 Prize Payments

All tournament prizes are non-cumulative.

Prize money will be transferred to the winner’s bank account within 15 days. Players who win a prize should therefore be prepared to provide the banking information required by the organizer.

🏆 Festival Context

The tournament is officially titled:

2nd Advent Chess Festival 2026 – Crikvenica Open

The festival is organized under the patronage of:

• Tourist Board of the City of Crikvenica
• City of Crikvenica

Open A and Open B share the same venue, dates and tournament schedule but retain separate Chess-Results records because of their different eligibility conditions and time controls.

🔗 Official Links

Chess-Results – Open A:
https://chess-results.com/tnr1475027.aspx?lan=1

Chess-Results – Open B:
https://chess-results.com/tnr1475033.aspx?lan=1

Hotel Marina:
https://www.hotel-marina.net/