Spend a full week of serious classical chess at the Offene Oberpfälzer Senioreneinzelmeisterschaft 2026, May 21-29, 2026, in Neustadt/WN, Germany. This senior open also doubles as the nationwide Neustadt senior city championship and awards the Neustadt and Upper Palatinate senior titles to the best eligible finishers. You play a demanding 9-round Swiss with a modern increment time control, DWZ evaluation, and planned FIDE rating submission, which makes every game count for both results and rating progress.

The organizers host play in the center of Neustadt/WN at a venue close to the train station and nearby food options. Your entry fee includes daily water and coffee, and you can buy sandwiches on site for a small charge. The event adds a social and leisure program during the week, including a Thursday grill evening and a Sunday Zoigl visit. If you want a structured senior event with a fixed daily start time and clear title and prize rules, this championship delivers a strong competitive week in the Upper Palatinate.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

The organizers guarantee the prize fund from 30 participants. The organizers do not award double prizes and do not pass prizes down to lower places. Winners must attend the prize ceremony in person to receive prizes.

Overall prizes

Special and rating prizes (paid only when the stated participation thresholds are met)

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The tournament runs 9 rounds in a Swiss System and applies FIDE rules. Each game uses 40 moves in 90 minutes, then 30 minutes to finish, plus a 30-second increment from move 1. The organizers evaluate the tournament for DWZ and submit it for FIDE rating, so every participant needs a FIDE ID before the event starts. The organizers seed the starting list by Elo or DWZ and prioritize Elo when available.

The organizers decide standings with these tie-breaks in order: Buchholz (drop the weakest opponent), Buchholz sum, number of wins, then lot. The tournament uses a 30-minute default time from the official round start.

📂 Sections / Groups

The event runs one open senior Swiss section for eligible players (born 1976 or earlier) and awards the Neustadt and Upper Palatinate senior titles to the best eligible finishers.

📅 Schedule

📝 Registration

Register by paying the entry fee by bank transfer, since the organizers count registrations by the arrival of the entry fee and place additional players on a waiting list after the 80-player limit. Pay €75 when your transfer arrives by May 10, 2026, then pay €80 from May 11, 2026 onward. GM and IM receive free entry when they register before May 1, 2026.

Send your registration details by email and include: first name, last name, date of birth, FIDE ID, Elo and/or DWZ, club, and an email address for confirmation.
Email: anmeldung@senioren-opf.de

Bank transfer details:
Account holder: Schachfreunde Neustadt / Luhe e.V.
IBAN: DE59 7539 0000 0000 1038 37
BIC: GENODEF1WEV
Bank: Volksbank Weiden
Reference: Senioren 2026

If the organizer cancels the tournament, the organizer refunds the full entry fee. If you cancel your entry, the organizer keeps a €10 processing fee.

👥 Organizer

Schachfreunde Neustadt / Luhe e.V. organizes the open Upper Palatinate senior individual championship and the nationwide Neustadt senior city championship in cooperation with the City of Neustadt/WN under the patronage of the mayor. Bernhard Hoppen leads tournament operations, registration handling, and participant communication through the listed contact channels.

• Email: schach@bhoppen.de

• Email: anmeldung@senioren-opf.de

• Phone: +49 9602 4318

• Phone: +49 151 20740512

• Website: https://senioren-opf.de/

🏨 Venue

Pfarrheim St. Georg, Adolf – Kolping – Str. 17, 92660 Neustadt/WN, Germany
The tournament plays at the Pfarrheim St. Georg in Neustadt/WN. Neustadt/WN train station sits about 1 km from the venue. You can find food options such as snack/pizza and a bakery within roughly 250 meters of the playing hall.

🛎️ Accommodation

You can find budget-friendly options from vacation apartments to 4-star hotels in and around Neustadt/WN. Book directly or request support from the tourism office for the Upper Palatinate Forest:
https://www.oberpfaelzerwald.de/

You can also contact the organizer for local tips and accommodation guidance via the organizer phone or email.

🚗 How to Get There

Arrive by train to Bahnhof Neustadt/WN, then travel about 1 km to Pfarrheim St. Georg at Adolf – Kolping – Str. 17. Drivers can route directly to 92660 Neustadt/WN and plan arrival in time for the Thursday on-site registration window before Round 1.

Play nine disciplined rounds, build momentum day by day, and earn a title-worthy result in Neustadt/WN.

🧾 Other

The tournament applies a 30-minute default time after the official start of each round. The organizers award prizes only in person at the prize ceremony and do not allow double prizes or prize roll-down to lower places. By registering, you agree to the use of tournament data and results for DWZ and FIDE rating processing and to the publication of games, tournament information, photos, and reports connected with the event.