Local players from Styrian clubs head to Graz, Austria for the Grazer Stadtmeisterschaft 2026, a seven-round city championship that runs over two consecutive weekends from January 9-18, 2026. You play all rounds at Hotel Ibis Styles on Waltendorfer Gürtel, fight for the title of “Grazer Stadtmeister/in 2026,” and enjoy a fully FIDE-rated and AUT-rated classical event with a clear structure and long time control.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

Overall prizes

Rating prizes

Special prizes

Organizers require at least five eligible players in each prize category to award that specific category prize, and they do not allow any player to win more than one prize category at a time.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

• You play every game with 90 minutes for the full game and a 30-second increment per move from move one.

• Organizers run seven rounds using the Swiss system with computer pairings via Swiss-Manager.

• The tournament counts for both FIDE international rating and AUT national rating.

• Organizers apply FIDE Laws of Chess and the TUWO (tournament regulations) of the Austrian Chess Federation.

• The default (forfeit) time equals 30 minutes; if you arrive more than 30 minutes late, arbiters record a loss.

• You may request a single half-point bye up to and including Round 5. You must request the bye at the arbiter desk before the end of the previous round; for Round 1, you must send your request by email to the arbiters by Friday, January 9, 2026 at 12:00 noon.

• Organizers rank players using the following tiebreak order: game points, refined Buchholz (BH-1), Buchholz, Sonneborn-Berger, greater number of wins, then shared place.

📂 Sections / Groups

📅 Schedule

Organizers spread the event over two weekends, always from Friday to Sunday.

📝 Registration

You handle your entry directly with the Styrian Chess Federation and the tournament director.

• Entry fees:

  • Men: €50

  • Women and players U18: €40

  • Players U14: €20

• Registration deadline:

  • On-site registration closes on Friday, January 9, 2026 at 17:30 at the tournament venue.

• Payment:

  • You pay your entry fee in cash directly at the venue during registration.

• Pre-registration:

  • Organizers welcome advance entries by email and encourage you to register early to streamline pairings and planning.

• Contact for entries and bye requests:

  • Email: christian.huber@chess.at

When you register, you confirm that you hold playing entitlement for a Styrian club and that you accept all tournament regulations, including rating, fair-play, and data-publication rules.

👥 Organizer

The Landesverband Steiermark des Österreichischen Schachbundes (Styrian Chess Federation) organizes the Grazer Stadtmeisterschaft 2026 together with Schachfreunde Graz. The team coordinates the hotel venue, runs the Swiss-Manager pairings, and ensures that every round follows FIDE and national regulations while promoting chess in the city of Graz and the wider Styrian region.

• Organizer: Landesverband Steiermark, Schachfreunde Graz

• Federation office address: Landesverband Steiermark, Karmeliterplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria

• Federation email: steiermark@chess.at

• Federation website: http://styria.chess.at

• Tournament director and chief arbiter: IA DI Christian Huber

• Tournament director email: christian.huber@chess.at

• Tournament director mobile: +43 664 88445878

🏨 Venue

You play all rounds at Hotel Ibis Styles, Waltendorfer Gürtel 8–10, 8010 Graz, Austria. The hotel sits in the city of Graz and offers modern playing halls, comfortable lighting, and convenient on-site facilities, so you can focus on your games while enjoying easy access to local services before and after each round.

🛎️ Accommodation

Because the playing venue itself is a hotel, many players choose to stay directly at Hotel Ibis Styles for maximum convenience between rounds. You may also book other hotels or guesthouses in Graz and reach the venue quickly by public transport, car, or a short taxi ride, depending on your preferences and budget.

You arrange your accommodation yourself and align your stay with the two tournament weekends from January 9–11 and January 16–18, 2026.

🚗 How to Get There

You reach Hotel Ibis Styles easily from central Graz. If you drive, you follow local signs toward Waltendorfer Gürtel and use the hotel’s parking options or nearby public parking, then walk directly into the playing area.

If you travel by public transport, you use Graz’s tram or bus network to reach stops near Waltendorfer Gürtel and walk a short distance to the hotel. Long-distance travelers can arrive via Graz Hauptbahnhof or Graz Airport and then continue by local transport or taxi to the venue.

🧾 Other

• Organizers apply FIDE Rules and the TUWO of the Austrian Chess Federation, and they submit results and games to FIDE and AUT rating lists.

• By entering, you agree that organizers may publish your name, club, nationality, ratings, results, and selected games on the internet and in other media.

• FIDE Rule 11.3.2.1 and Styrian TUWO §4.9 forbid electronic devices in the playing area; arbiters may penalize or remove players who violate this rule.

• Organizers guarantee the full prize fund if at least 80 players participate; if fewer players enter, they reduce the prize fund proportionally.

• During the closing ceremony, organizers raffle five gift baskets among all players present as part of a tombola, which adds an extra bit of fun to the final day.

You can open your 2026 chess season by fighting for the Graz city title, enjoy seven serious classical games in a friendly Styrian environment, and turn the Grazer Stadtmeisterschaft 2026 into a highlight of your chess year.