In the Sicilian town of Monreale, Italy, the IX Festival del Mediterraneo brings together club players and young talents for a three-day classical chess event at the Accademia Scacchistica Monrealese. You play in two rating groups, enjoy full-length FIDE-standard games, and experience a friendly but competitive atmosphere inside one of Sicily’s most active chess academies.

You compete from Sunday, January 4 to Tuesday, January 6, 2026, in Open A or Open B depending on your rating. Organizers run a five-round Swiss in each section with a 90+30 time control, apply FIDE pairing rules and tiebreaks, enforce strict anti-cheating controls with metal detectors, and offer cups, medals, and cash prizes to reward both overall winners and age-category standouts.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

Open A

Open B

Organizers treat all prizes as non-cumulative and award the highest eligible prize when a player qualifies for more than one category.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

• Organizers use a classical time control of 90 minutes for the entire game plus 30 seconds increment per move from the first move.

• Both Open A and Open B follow the FIDE Swiss pairing system over five rounds.

• They apply the following tiebreak order: Buchholz, Buchholz Cut 1, and ARO (rating performance).

• A registered bye counts as one point according to the festival regulations.

• The waiting time equals 30 minutes from the scheduled start of each round; if you arrive later, you lose the game by forfeit.

• Arbiters follow FIDE Laws of Chess and current FSI regulations during all games.

• Tournament staff enforce strict fair-play rules and reserve the right to perform random metal-detector checks at the beginning of each round.

📂 Sections / Groups

📅 Schedule

Organizers expect all players to arrive in time for registration and the first-round pairing, so you should plan your travel accordingly.

📝 Registration

You register in advance and secure your place through Vesus and bank transfer.

Registration steps:

• Pre-register online: https://vesus.org/event/BvrPOZkG

• When you register, you specify whether you play in Open A or Open B and include your full name, FIDE ID, federation, and current rating.

Entry fees:

• Standard fee: €40

• Reduced fee for U16 players: €35

Payment instructions:

• Beneficiary: A.S.D. Accademia Scacchistica Monrealese

• IBAN: IT29 V 03268 04607 053844340190

• Payment reference: your full name and the chosen open (Open A or Open B)

You complete the bank transfer before the festival and bring proof of payment if the organizers request it at the playing venue.

👥 Organizer

A.S.D. Accademia Scacchistica Monrealese organizes the IX Festival del Mediterraneo and continues its role as a leading chess center in the Palermo area. The academy promotes chess among young players and adults, runs local and regional events, and uses this festival to create a strong classical tournament for the Sicilian chess community and visiting players.

• Club name: A.S.D. Accademia Scacchistica Monrealese

• Address: Via Roma 48, 90046 Monreale (PA), Italy

• Website: https://www.mondoscacchi.it

• Email: amaestri@hotmail.it

• Phone (Antonio Maestri): +39 335 1952966

• Phone (Elio Cianci): +39 380 6542447

🏨 Venue

You play inside the rooms of Accademia Scacchistica Monrealese at Via Roma 48 and the nearby Collegio di Maria in Monreale. The playing area offers a club-style environment with tournament equipment, space for players and companions, and quick access to the historic center, so you can combine your games with short walks through the old streets of Monreale.

🛎️ Accommodation

You can stay in Monreale or in nearby Palermo and reach the academy easily by car or local transport. Many players choose small hotels, guesthouses, or bed-and-breakfast accommodations within Monreale’s center, while others book rooms in Palermo and travel up to Monreale for the rounds.

You contact your preferred hotel or guesthouse directly and mention the festival dates of January 4–6, 2026 when you book, so you can align check-in and check-out with the tournament schedule.

🚗 How to Get There

Monreale stands just above Palermo in western Sicily and connects quickly with the regional transport network. If you arrive by air, you normally fly to Palermo Airport (Falcone–Borsellino) and then continue by car, taxi, or shuttle toward Palermo and up to Monreale.

Drivers follow the main roads toward Palermo, then head for Monreale and Via Roma, where the Accademia Scacchistica Monrealese and Collegio di Maria sit near the center. Travelers who come by train or long-distance bus first reach Palermo and then use local buses or taxis to travel up the hill to Monreale and the playing venue.

🧾 Other

• Italian players must hold a valid FSI membership for the 2026 season and handle any card renewal before they sit at the board.

• Organizers strictly forbid electronic communication devices in the playing hall; they may disqualify players who carry active phones or similar devices during games.

• The festival team reserves the right to adjust technical details (such as schedules or room assignments) to ensure the best possible running of the tournament, while they keep players informed on site.

You can start your new chess year in Monreale, enjoy five serious classical games in a friendly Sicilian atmosphere, and test your form at the IX Festival del Mediterraneo against a motivated field of club players and juniors. This compact three-day event gives you the perfect excuse to mix tournament play with a winter visit to one of Italy’s most picturesque hillside towns.