The Normandy summer festival returns with Festival Saint-Lô 2026 – Open Coquereau (1900+), July 4-10, 2026, Agneaux, France, delivering nine rounds of classical, FIDE-rated chess in a long-established French open-week format. The organizer targets experienced competitors and ambitious improvers who want a demanding Swiss schedule and serious round-to-round consistency. You play with a classical time control and compete for cash prizes led by a guaranteed €800 first prize. The event sits within the Agneaux (Saint-Lô) festival setting, which keeps players together in one focused chess week.

The Open Coquereau welcomes adults and juniors, and it also accepts players rated below 1900 with a defined entry-fee surcharge by rating band. The published timetable runs a steady rhythm of morning and afternoon rounds across the week, starting on Saturday afternoon and finishing with an early Friday round. The organizer runs additional blitz events during the festival week for players who want evening action after classical rounds. If you want a summer tournament that combines a strong field, a classical pace, and on-site logistics, this open offers a practical, competitive package.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

The organizer guarantees the first prize and announces additional prizes and rating-category prizes based on registrations. The organizer plans to publish the full prize list around June 25, 2026.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The Open Coquereau runs a 9-round Swiss System and submits results for FIDE standard rating in the FIDE August 2026 rating period. The organizer uses S.A.D. pairings for this event.

Each game uses a classical control of 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment per move.

📂 Sections / Groups

The event runs a single Open Coquereau section designed for players rated 1900 and above, and it also accepts lower-rated players under the published surcharge conditions.

📅 Schedule

📝 Registration

👥 Organizer

Club Échecs Agneaux / Saint-Lô organizes the Agneaux (Saint-Lô) festival week and hosts the Open Coquereau as its top classical section for advanced competitors. The club welcomes adults and juniors, invites titled players, and supports participants with centralized registration, a published round timetable, and an on-site logistics concept during the festival week.

• Email: webmaster@echecsaglo.fr

• Phone: +33 2 33 57 35 26

🏨 Venue

Gymnase de l’Institut Saint-Lô, Rue des Campagnes, 50180 Agneaux, France
The festival places the playing hall at the Institut gym in Agneaux, in the Saint-Lô area of Normandy. The organizer runs the tournament week with playing hall access on the same site as the festival’s on-site lodging and catering options. This setup supports a concentrated chess routine between rounds and reduces daily travel needs.

🛎️ Accommodation

The organizer offers on-site, budget accommodation in an internat with mostly 3-person rooms and some 4-person rooms, with showers and toilets on the floor. The organizer indicates 280 to 300 places on site.

The organizer offers meal plans through the registration form, including full board (€250 without July 4 lunch, or €263 with July 4 lunch) and half board (€169 without July 4 lunch, or €182 with July 4 lunch). Book these options during registration at https://echecsaglo.fr/2026festival/festinscr.php.

For minors traveling without an accompanying adult, the organizer runs a supervised holiday center option during the festival week (€160; 60 places available).

🚗 How to Get There

Travel to the Saint-Lô area and continue to Agneaux, then head to Rue des Campagnes to reach the Institut gym venue. Arrive early enough on Saturday to settle in and join the opening ceremony before Round 1.

Commit to nine classical rounds, embrace the festival atmosphere, and turn a full week in Normandy into your strongest summer result.