The Memoriál Ing. Olexy 2026 is the 48th edition of Brno’s traditional Christmas chess tournament. The seven-round event takes place from December 26 to 30, 2026 at Bowling Brno in the Židenice district.
Šachový klub Lokomotiva Brno organizes the tournament in cooperation with Bowling Brno. Players compete under a classical time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move, and the tournament is submitted for both FIDE and Czech national rating.
The published prize schedule totals CZK 47,500 (approx. $2,230) when calculated for 55 participants. However, the organizer reserves the right to adjust the prize fund according to the actual number of players.
♟️ Event Details
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| 🏷️ Event | Memoriál Ing. Olexy 2026 |
| 📅 Dates | December 26–30, 2026 |
| 📍 City | Brno |
| 🌍 Country | Czech Republic |
| 🏛️ Venue | Bowling Brno – Líšeňská 4515/80, 636 00 Brno-Židenice, Czech Republic |
| 👥 Organizer | Šachový klub Lokomotiva Brno / Bowling Brno |
| 🔢 Edition | 48th |
| ♟️ Format | 7-round Swiss |
| ⏱️ Time Control | 90 minutes + 30 seconds per move |
| ⭐ Rating | FIDE and Czech national rating |
| 🏆 Published Prize Fund | CZK 47,500 (approx. $2,230) at 55 participants |
⏱️ Time Control & Pairings
The tournament consists of seven rounds under the Swiss system.
Each player receives 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move from move one.
The tournament is submitted for both international FIDE rating and Czech national rating.
The published default time is 60 minutes.
Tiebreaks are applied in the following order:
- Buchholz with the weakest result removed
- Buchholz
- Sonneborn-Berger
- Number of wins
- Drawing of lots
🏆 Prize Fund
The published prize schedule totals CZK 47,500 (approx. $2,230) when based on 55 participants.
The organizer reserves the right to modify the prize structure according to actual participation.
Overall Prizes
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | CZK 10,000 (approx. $470) |
| 2nd | CZK 8,000 (approx. $380) |
| 3rd | CZK 6,000 (approx. $290) |
| 4th | CZK 5,000 (approx. $240) |
| 5th | CZK 4,000 (approx. $190) |
| 6th | CZK 3,000 (approx. $150) |
| 7th | CZK 2,000 (approx. $100) |
| 8th | CZK 1,000 (approx. $50) |
| 9th | CZK 500 (approx. $30) |
| 10th | CZK 500 (approx. $30) |
Category Prizes
Additional prizes are published for the following categories:
- Senior
- Youth
- Women
- Czech Elo 1001–1599
- Czech Elo 1600–1899
Each category offers:
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | CZK 700 (approx. $40) |
| 2nd | CZK 500 (approx. $30) |
| 3rd | CZK 300 (approx. $20) |
🧩 Sections / Groups
The Memoriál Ing. Olexy 2026 is played as one Open tournament rather than separate rating sections.
Players of different ratings compete together in the same seven-round Swiss event. Separate category prizes are available for selected rating, age and women’s classifications.
🗓️ Schedule
| Date | Activity | Time |
|---|---|---|
| December 26 | Registration / check-in | 15:30–15:55 |
| December 26 | Round 1 | 16:00 |
| December 27 | Round 2 | 10:00 |
| December 27 | Round 3 | 16:00 |
| December 28 | Round 4 | 16:00 |
| December 29 | Round 5 | 10:00 |
| December 29 | Round 6 | 16:00 |
| December 30 | Round 7 | 16:00 |
| December 30 | Prize ceremony | Immediately after Round 7 |
📝 Registration
Advance registration and payment should be completed by December 20, 2026.
| Player Category | Entry Fee |
|---|---|
| FIDE Elo 2000+ | CZK 600 (approx. $30) |
| FIDE Elo 1600–1999 | CZK 900 (approx. $50) |
| FIDE Elo 1000–1599 | CZK 1,200 (approx. $60) |
| No FIDE Elo | CZK 1,500 (approx. $80) |
| Unregistered players | CZK 1,800 (approx. $90) |
Registrations submitted after the deadline are subject to an additional CZK 200 (approx. $10) surcharge.
Players should complete registration through the organizer’s current application process and follow the published payment instructions.
Official organizer page:
https://www.lokobrno.cz/
👤 Organizer
Organizer Name: Šachový klub Lokomotiva Brno
Contact Person: Miroslav Hurta
Email: mhurta@volny.cz
Phone: +420 724 314 231
📍 Venue
Bowling Brno – Líšeňská 4515/80, 636 00 Brno-Židenice, Czech Republic
Bowling Brno is a large sports and entertainment complex in Brno-Židenice. The venue includes a restaurant and other recreational facilities.
The complex also provides a large on-site parking area. Moreover, it is approximately seven minutes by car from the D1 motorway exit.
🏨 Accommodation
Several accommodation options are available in Brno-Židenice close to the playing venue.
| Accommodation | Approximate Price | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Albellus | approx. CZK 1,130–2,490 ($60–$120) per room/night | Rokycanova 4358/21; around 2.6 km from Bowling Brno |
| Pension Iberica | from approx. €57 ($70) per room/night | Gajdošova 1544/16; around 2.8 km from the venue |
| Penzion Slunce | regular rates from approx. CZK 1,100 ($60), but special year-end pricing applies | Podpísečná 2988/6; around 3 km from Bowling Brno |
Penzion Slunce specifically states that its normal 2026 price list does not apply between December 23, 2026 and January 3, 2027. Therefore, players should request the actual Christmas-period price before booking.
Accommodation prices can change according to room type, booking date and availability.
🚆 How to Get There
From Brno Main Railway Station: Tram 8 runs from Hlavní nádraží toward Líšeň. The Líšeňská stop is approximately 12 minutes from the main station and serves the Bowling Brno area.
Other public transport: Tram 9 terminates at Juliánov. Buses 58 and 78 serve Poliklinika Židenice, while trolleybuses 25 and 26 serve Čejkovická.
From Brno Airport: Public transport line 21 connects Brno Airport with Hlavní nádraží in approximately 22 minutes. From the main station, players can continue toward the venue by tram 8.
By car: Bowling Brno is located close to D1 motorway access. The venue provides a large parking area directly within the complex.
ℹ️ Other Information
The tournament is the 48th edition of the traditional Olexův memoriál and forms part of Šachový klub Lokomotiva Brno’s long-running Christmas chess program.
The organizer has also announced the traditional Memoriál Karla Radila, a New Year’s Eve blitz tournament held in Brno after the main Olexy Memorial. Separate regulations apply to that event.
The prize schedule for Memoriál Ing. Olexy is calculated for 55 participants. Therefore, final prize amounts may be adjusted if the actual number of entries differs.
Players should complete both registration and payment by December 20 to avoid the late-entry surcharge.
Additional Details
Prize Fund (approx.) - $2,230
Organizer
♟️ About Šachový klub Lokomotiva Brno
Šachový klub Lokomotiva Brno, z.s. is one of the oldest and most established chess organizations in Brno, Czechia. Its historical roots reach back to chess clubs created during the First Czechoslovak Republic and to the railway sports movement that developed in Brno after the Second World War.
A railway chess section was founded in Brno on December 3, 1945. Following the reorganization of Czechoslovak sport, it adopted the Lokomotiva name in 1952. In the same year, it merged with another successful local chess organization whose history stretched back to the Šekový úřad chess club founded in 1927. The organization operated for decades as the chess section of TJ Lokomotiva Brno before becoming the independent Šachový klub Lokomotiva Brno in 1992.
Today, the club combines competitive team chess with tournaments, youth development, training, regular club activities, and community chess. Mgr. Miroslav Hurta serves as Chairman and is one of the club’s principal organizers and public contacts.
🏆 Tournaments & Chess Activities
Lokomotiva Brno maintains an extensive tournament program throughout the year. Its activities include classical, rapid, and blitz chess as well as recurring competitions for adults and young players.
One of the club’s longest-running events is the Memorial Ing. Olexy, a traditional Christmas tournament in Brno. The competition reached its 48th edition in 2026 and is scheduled from December 26–30 at Bowling Brno. The tournament follows a seven-round Swiss format and has become a regular part of the Czech Christmas chess calendar.
The club also organizes the long-established Veletržní turnaj. In 2026, this competition reached its 51st edition, demonstrating another tournament tradition extending across several decades.
Other recurring activities include the Třetí sobota rapid tournament series, youth events, internal competitions, and participation in tournaments organized throughout the South Moravian region. Lokomotiva also fields several teams in regional and national team competitions.
🌱 Youth Chess & Development
Youth development is a major part of Lokomotiva Brno’s activities. The club maintains structured training for children and young players during the school year and participates extensively in regional and national youth competitions.
Its junior program includes regular training groups, tournament participation, team championships, training camps, and support for talented players. Younger members compete in categories ranging from introductory regional competitions to Czech national championships.
The club achieved notable junior team results in 2026. Its younger and older youth teams both earned silver medals at Czech national team championships, reflecting the strength and depth of its youth program.
Lokomotiva also supports competitions such as the Druhé úterý youth series and regularly helps players participate in championships throughout Moravia and Czechia.
🏅 History & Achievements
Lokomotiva Brno has a distinguished history in Czech and Czechoslovak team chess. The clubs that formed the modern organization enjoyed major national success during the twentieth century.
The team won the Czechoslovak Team Championship in 1958 and 1959. During the period from 1945 to 1970, it also recorded four second-place finishes and two third-place finishes at national level.
After leaving the highest division in the 1970s, Lokomotiva eventually returned to top-level competition approximately two decades later. The club has continued to participate actively at several levels of Czech team chess while maintaining a large tournament and development program.
Its long history, recurring tournaments, youth work, team competition, and involvement in South Moravian chess have made Lokomotiva Brno an important part of the chess community in Brno for generations.
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