Experience the Desert Penguins Easter Chess Festival 2026 on April 7-11, 2026 in London, United Kingdom, and compete in a focused five-day classical event in the heart of the city. The festival combines a high-level IM Norm Round Robin with three FIDE Open sections, so ambitious improvers and experienced tournament players can target meaningful rating progress and tough opposition. A £2,300 cash prize fund adds extra motivation across the weekend finish.

The festival runs nine rounds on a clear daily rhythm and uses a classical time control that rewards accuracy and endgame technique. The organizer places players into Open A, Open B, or Open C by rating as of April 1, 2026, and limits those sections to defined rating bands for balanced competition. You can register online and secure an early entry price, with additional discounts available for juniors, seniors, and FM players where applicable.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

IM Norm Round Robin

FIDE Open Sections

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The festival uses 90 minutes for the whole game plus a 30-second increment from move 1. The organizer runs Open A, Open B, and Open C as 9-round Swiss-system tournaments and submits results for both national and international rating calculations. The IM Norm event uses a round-robin format and targets IM norm performance requirements through direct competition in a single group. The open sections apply tie-breaks in this order: Direct Encounter, Buchholz Tie-Break Variable (2023) (Gamepoints, Cut 1), then Buchholz Tie-Break Variable (2023) (Gamepoints).

📂 Sections / Groups

📅 Schedule

📝 Registration

Register online at https://forms.gle/wPuvu5w9oxs1y3xJ7. The organizer charges £90 for open-section entries until March 10, 2026, then £120 after March 10, 2026, and applies a 15% discount for U18 and Over 60 players. The IM Norm Round Robin uses invitation-only entry and sets the entry fee by rating bracket: U2100 £560, 2101–2150 £500, 2151–2200 £430, 2201–2250 £375, 2251–2300 £325, 2301–2350 £280, with a 15% discount for FM players. The organizer allocates each open-section entrant to Open A, Open B, or Open C based on rating as of April 1, 2026.

👥 Organizer

Desert Penguins Chess Club runs the Desert Penguins Easter Chess Festival in Central London and delivers a structured classical schedule alongside an invitational norm group. The team manages entries, section allocation, and on-site operations through the tournament director.

• Email: augustin.madan@gmail.com

• Phone: +44 7513301109

• Website: https://www.englishchess.org.uk/event/desert-penguins-easter-chess-festival-2026/

🏨 Venue

Pimlico Academy, 36 Lupus Street, Pimlico, London SW1V 3AT, United Kingdom. Pimlico Academy operates as a mixed secondary school and sixth form in the Pimlico area of Westminster, which places the playing hall in a central London neighborhood with strong public transport coverage. The venue sits within walking distance of Pimlico Underground Station on the Victoria line, which helps players reach the site quickly from across London.

🚗 How to Get There

Arrive in London by air via the city’s major airports and continue by rail or Underground into central London. Use the Victoria line to reach Pimlico Underground Station and walk to Pimlico Academy from there. You can also reach central London by National Rail and connect onward by Underground or bus for the final leg to Lupus Street.

Bring your best classical form to Pimlico and turn nine rounds into real rating progress and a memorable Easter week of chess.