Korea International Chess Festival 2026 runs in Incheon from 3 to 8 November 2026 and combines FIDE Standard, Blitz and Rapid tournaments. The Standard Open A and Open B competitions and the Blitz are played at Holiday Inn Incheon Songdo; the festival’s Rapid program on 8 November is held separately at Incheon Global Campus Gymnasium.

The Standard tournament is particularly well documented. WizChess Academy publishes a seven-round 90+30 schedule, a ₩10,000,000 Standard prize fund, separate Open A and Open B eligibility, staged entry fees, titled-player benefits and an official hotel offer. Incheon Chess Federation, WizChess Academy and Yeonsu-gu Chess Federation are named in the published event information.

The festival is presented here as one combined MyChess.Events record because its formats run consecutively and use a common organizer structure. Venue notes clearly distinguish the hotel-based Standard/Blitz program from the separate Rapid venue so players do not assume every round is in the same building.

♟️ Event Details

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

Open A and Open B are seven-round FIDE Standard tournaments at 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment from move one. The Blitz is nine rounds at 3+2 on 7 November. The Rapid Open is seven rounds at 10+2 on 8 November.

The published Standard tiebreak order is Buchholz Cut 1, Buchholz, Sonneborn-Berger, direct encounter and number of wins. The organizer states that cash prizes are not cumulative: if a player qualifies for more than one cash prize, the larger applicable prize is awarded.

🏆 Prize Fund

The Standard Open publishes a total cash prize fund of ₩10,000,000. Open A prizes are ₩3,000,000 / ₩2,000,000 / ₩1,000,000 for first through third, followed by ₩500,000, ₩300,000, ₩100,000, ₩50,000 and ₩50,000 for places 4–8, plus ₩100,000 Best Woman.

Open B prizes are ₩1,000,000 / ₩700,000 / ₩500,000 / ₩300,000 / ₩150,000 / ₩50,000 / ₩50,000 / ₩50,000 for places 1–8, plus ₩50,000 Best Woman and ₩50,000 for the top unrated player under the published conditions.

⚡ Blitz Prize Fund – 7 November

The official Blitz page publishes a ₩2,000,000 total prize fund. Overall awards are ₩700,000 / ₩400,000 / ₩300,000 / ₩200,000 / ₩50,000 / ₩50,000 for places 1–6. Special awards are Best Woman ₩100,000, Best Junior U14 ₩50,000, Best Junior U08 ₩50,000 and Best Senior 50+ ₩100,000.

🚀 Rapid Prize Fund – 8 November

The Rapid Open publishes a ₩10,000,000 total prize fund. Open prizes are ₩3,000,000 / ₩2,000,000 / ₩1,000,000 / ₩700,000 / ₩600,000 / ₩400,000 / ₩250,000 / ₩150,000 / ₩100,000 / ₩100,000 for places 1–10, plus Best Woman ₩150,000, Best Junior U18 ₩200,000 and Best Senior 50+ ₩150,000.

Each U06/U08/U10/U12 Rapid group awards ₩100,000 to first, second and third place. The organizer also states that all Rapid participants receive a souvenir. Cash prizes are non-cumulative under the published common award rule.

🧩 Sections / Groups

Rapid youth birth-year groups: U06 – born 2020–2022; U08 – 2018–2019; U10 – 2016–2017; U12 – 2014–2015. The Rapid Open remains available to all otherwise eligible players.

👤 Eligibility

All Standard participants need a FIDE ID. Open B is restricted to players rated 1899 or below in FIDE Standard or players without a FIDE Standard rating. Open A is the unrestricted main section.

The organizer also publishes special benefits for title holders who register by 30 September. GM/WGM players receive free Standard entry and, subject to organizer confirmation, six nights at the official hotel. IM/WIM and players rated 2400+ receive free entry; FM/WFM also receive free entry under the early-registration terms.

📅 Schedule

⚡ Blitz – Saturday 7 November, Holiday Inn Incheon Songdo

🚀 Rapid – Sunday 8 November, Incheon Global Campus Gymnasium

📝 Registration

Registration for the Standard Open is published for 19 August–31 October 2026. Up to 30 September, Open A costs ₩170,000 for rated players and ₩200,000 for unrated players; Open B costs ₩170,000. From 1 October, fees become ₩200,000 / ₩250,000 / ₩200,000 respectively.

The official WizChess application form is available online. Every player should ensure that the correct section is selected and that a FIDE ID is supplied. Registration deadline for the Standard Open: 31 October 2026.

Official application form

Blitz fee: ₩50,000. Rapid fee: ₩60,000. Both official pages state a registration deadline of 31 October 2026 and require every participant to have a FIDE ID.

For GM/WGM players registered by 30 September and confirmed by the organizer, the official title-holder terms provide free Blitz/Rapid entry and the same six-night official-hotel benefit (2–8 November). From 1 October, the published Blitz fee for GM/WGM is ₩50,000 and the Rapid fee is ₩60,000.

👥 Organizer

Organizers: WizChess Academy / Incheon Chess Federation / Yeonsu-gu Chess Federation
Tournament Director: Jeong GeunYeong
Chief Arbiter: Choi Junil
Deputy: Lee Kisook
Email: wizchess@naver.com
Phone: 032-710-0266

The published event page also identifies International Arts & Therapy Association as a sponsor.

📍 Venue

Main venue: Holiday Inn Incheon Songdo – 251 Incheon Tower-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, South Korea

Rapid venue on 8 November: Incheon Global Campus Gymnasium, Songdo, Incheon. The Rapid day is therefore not at the Holiday Inn; allow transfer time and verify the exact check-in point in the rapid registration notice.

Rapid exact address: Incheon Global Campus Gymnasium – 119 Songdo Munhwa-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, South Korea. The Rapid organizer is The Kyonggi ILBO, with WizChess Academy / Incheon Chess Federation operating the event and the Incheon Global Campus universities listed as supporters.

🚆 How to Get There

Holiday Inn Incheon Songdo is in the Songdo International Business District. From Incheon International Airport, road transport across the Incheon Bridge is the most direct option. Airport bus/rail plus a local transfer is also possible, but players with luggage should plan around the morning check-in time on 3 November.

For the Rapid on 8 November, travel separately to Incheon Global Campus. Both locations are in the greater Songdo area, but they are distinct venues and should not be treated as interchangeable map pins.

🏨 Accommodation / Travel & Stay

The organizer advertises a limited official hotel allocation at Holiday Inn Incheon Songdo: ₩110,000 per night without breakfast or ₩134,000 with breakfast, subject to room availability. The source states that staying at the official hotel is not mandatory.

GM/WGM players receiving the early title-holder benefit may receive six complimentary hotel nights from 2 to 8 November, but this requires prior confirmation by the organizer.

💳 Published Standard Entry Fees & Title Benefits

The official notice also publishes reductions/exemptions for GM/WGM, IM/WIM or FIDE 2400+ and FM/WFM under specified registration timing. Some leading-title players can receive official-hotel support when registered by the early deadline and confirmed by the organizer. These benefits are conditional; obtain organizer confirmation before relying on them.

🏆 Published Standard Prize Structure

The official Standard information publishes a ₩10,000,000 total pool. Open A lists ₩3,000,000 / ₩2,000,000 / ₩1,000,000 for the top three, followed by additional 4th–8th prizes and a Best Woman prize. Open B publishes its own overall and Best Woman/unrated awards. Recheck the live notice for non-cumulative-prize and tie handling.

🔎 Verified Source Hierarchy

The official Wiz Chess Academy / Chess Queen information is substantially richer than the basic Chess-Results records. It confirms registration dates, fees, title-holder conditions, prize tables, hotel rates, the standard schedule and the separate rapid venue.

📝 Registration Workflow & Conditions

Registration is open through October 31, 2026. All players need a FIDE ID. The official material uses different standard entry fees before/after September 30 and gives title-holder reductions or exemptions under stated conditions; confirm the amount that applies to the player before payment.

♟️ Format / Section Planning

Standard Open A and Open B run November 3–6. Open B is for FIDE Standard 1899 or lower / unrated under the published rule. Blitz follows on November 7. Rapid follows on November 8 at a different venue, the Incheon Global Campus Gymnasium.

🌍 Practical Player Planning

Do not assume every round is in the Holiday Inn. Standard and blitz are at Holiday Inn Incheon Songdo, but the November 8 rapid moves to Incheon Global Campus. The organizer states that official-hotel guests playing rapid can use a free shuttle, with final departure times to be announced.

The published special Holiday Inn rate is ₩110,000 per night without breakfast or ₩134,000 with breakfast, subject to availability and organizer terms. The hotel is not stated as compulsory, but it is operationally convenient for standard/blitz and the rapid shuttle.

The standard event publishes a ₩10,000,000 prize pool and the rapid also publishes ₩10,000,000. Standard Open A includes substantial overall prizes plus a Best Woman award; Open B has its own prize table. Use the final official prize conditions for tie rules and eligibility.

The official hotel allocation is limited to 60 rooms on a first-come basis. For official-hotel guests playing the Rapid, the organizer plans two free shuttle departures on the morning of 8 November from Holiday Inn Incheon Songdo to Incheon Global Campus Gymnasium; exact departure times are to be announced.

ℹ️ Other Information

Primary festival Chess-Results IDs used here: Open A 1478712, Open B 1478714, Blitz 1478718 and Rapid Open 1478720. Additional age-group rapid pages exist for U06, U08, U10 and U12.

The detailed Standard regulations and application materials are published by WizChess Academy; the ChessQueen event page provides the clearest current fee, prize and schedule tables.

Verified sources

• Detailed Standard event page
• WizChess notice / official materials
• Open A Chess-Results
• Open B Chess-Results
• Blitz Chess-Results
• Rapid Chess-Results