PILSEN OPEN 2026 — 14th International Chess Festival
PILSEN OPEN 2026 — 14th International Chess Festival (28 March – 4 April 2026, Plzeň, Czech Republic)
Part of the Czech Tour 2026 Series, the Pilsen Open combines tradition, professional organization, and a wide range of tournaments. Hosted at the Parkhotel Plzeň, the festival includes GM and IM round robins, a large international open, rapid and blitz tournaments, and a strong social program.
📌 Event Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| 📅 Dates | 28 March – 4 April 2026 |
| 📍 Location | Plzeň, Czech Republic |
| 🏟️ Venue | Parkhotel Plzeň ****, U Borského parku 31, Plzeň |
| 🏁 Tournament Type | International Chess Festival – GM RR, IM RR, Open, Rapid, Blitz |
| 🧩 Tournament System | GM/IM: Round Robin · Open: 9-round Swiss · Rapid: 7-round Swiss · Blitz: 11-round Swiss |
| 🔢 Number of Rounds | GM/IM: 9 · Open: 9 · Rapid: 7 · Blitz: 11 |
| ⏱️ Time Control | GM/IM/Open: 90 min / 40 moves + 30 min to finish + 30s increment from move 1; Rapid: 10+5; Blitz: 3+2 |
| ⏰ Default Time | GM/IM/Open: 60 min · Rapid/Blitz: 0 tolerance |
| 🏢 Organizer | AVE CHESS z.s. |
| 👤 Festival Director | Michal Horáček |
| 👤 Chief Arbiter | FA Petr Lausman |
| ✉️ Contact | office@avechess.cz · ave-kontakt@outlook.cz · Tel. +420 466 535 200 · Mob. +420 608 203 007 |
| 🌐 Website | www.czechtour.net |
💰 Prize Fund (CZK)
GM Tournament — Petr Neuman Memorial
- 1st: 5,000
- 2nd: 3,000
- 3rd: 2,000
IM Tournament — Stefan Gros Memorial
- 1st: 3,000
- 2nd: 2,000
- 3rd: 1,000
Pilsen Open — Total: 40,000 CZK
- 1st: 10,000 · 2nd: 6,000 · 3rd: 5,000 · 4th: 4,000 · 5th: 3,000 · 6th: 2,000
- Best Woman: 1,000 · Best Senior 60+: 1,000 · Best U16: 1,000 · Best U12: 1,000
- Best per rating group (1900–1999, 1800–1899, … under 1500): 1,000 each
- Additional material prizes
Rapid Tournament
- 1st: 1,500 · 2nd: 1,000 · 3rd: 500 + material prizes
Blitz Tournament
- 1st: 1,000 · 2nd: 700 · 3rd: 500 + material prizes
🧩 Sections / Groups
- A) GM Round Robin (Petr Neuman Memorial) — 10 players, avg. rating ≥2400, norm event, ELO ≥2350 required.
- B) IM Round Robin (Stefan Gros Memorial) — 10 players, avg. rating ≥2250, norm event, ELO ≥2200 required.
- C) Pilsen Open — large FIDE-rated Swiss, 9 rounds, open to all.
- D) Rapid Open — 7 rounds, 10+5, one-day event.
- E) Blitz Open — 11 rounds, 3+2, one-day event.
📅 Schedule
| Date | Event / Round | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 28 Mar | Attendance (A,B,C) | 10:00–15:00 |
| Sat 28 Mar | Drawing lots (A,B) | 15:15 |
| Sat 28 Mar | Round 1 (A,B,C) | 16:00 |
| Sun 29 Mar | Rapid (D) Registration | 08:30–09:15 |
| Sun 29 Mar | Rapid Tournament (D) | 09:30–13:30 |
| Sun 29 Mar | Round 2 (A,B,C) | 16:00 |
| Mon 30 Mar | Round 3 (A,B,C) | 16:00 |
| Tue 31 Mar | Round 4 (A,B,C) | 09:00 |
| Tue 31 Mar | Round 5 (A,B,C) | 16:00 |
| Wed 1 Apr | Round 6 (A,B,C) | 16:00 |
| Thu 2 Apr | Round 7 (A,B,C) | 16:00 |
| Fri 3 Apr | Blitz (E) Registration | 09:15–09:45 |
| Fri 3 Apr | Blitz Tournament (E) | 10:00–13:00 |
| Fri 3 Apr | Round 8 (A,B,C) | 16:00 |
| Sat 4 Apr | Round 9 (A,B,C) | 09:00 |
| Sat 4 Apr | Closing Ceremony | 15:00 |
📝 Registration & Fees
- Registration deadline: 18 March 2026
- GM Round Robin: 250–521 € depending on rating, with IM discount.
- IM Round Robin: 166–437 €, with FM/WFM/WIM discount.
- Pilsen Open: 41–96 €, depending on rating. Free for GM/IM/WGM/WIM.
- Rapid: 8.5 € · Blitz: 6.5 €
- Discounts: 25% for FM, women, seniors 65%+. Loyalty discounts (5–15%) for repeated Czech Tour participants.
- Late entry surcharge: +12.5 € after 18 March.
- Payment at venue: cash (EUR, CZK, USD) or card.
- All foreign players must have a FIDE ID before registering.
🏢 Organizer
AVE CHESS z.s. — a leading Czech chess organizer responsible for the Czech Tour International Series (Prague, Brno, Marienbad, Hradec Králové, and more). Known for professional arbitering, diverse festival programs, and large international participation.
Contact
📧 office@avechess.cz · ave-kontakt@outlook.cz
☎️ +420 466 535 200 · +420 608 203 007
🌐 www.czechtour.net
🏟️ Venue
Parkhotel Plzeň ****, U Borského parku 31, Plzeň
The modern four-star Parkhotel offers comfortable accommodation and houses the playing hall, making it convenient for participants to stay onsite.
🛏️ Accommodation
- Standard Single Room: €75/night incl. breakfast
- Standard Double Room: €87.5/night incl. breakfast
- Superior Single Room: €83.5/night incl. breakfast
- Superior Double Room: €100/night incl. breakfast
- Municipal fee: ~€1/night (18+)
🚉 How to Get There
- By Air: Prague Václav Havel Airport (PRG)
- By Train/Bus: Direct trains from Prague to Plzeň hl.n. (~90 min)
- By Car: 90 km west of Prague via D5
The Pilsen Open 2026 promises a strong lineup of tournaments, generous prizes, and the cultural charm of Plzeň — the city famous for its historic brewery and vibrant Czech atmosphere. An unmissable stop in the Czech Tour 2026 Series.
Organizer
AVE CHESS z.s. is a Prague-based non-profit organization dedicated to promoting chess through the organization of international tournaments and festivals. It is best known for managing the Czech Tour series and the prestigious Czech Open in Pardubice, one of the largest chess festivals in Europe.
♟️ Key Activities
- Czech Tour Series: AVE CHESS organizes a sequence of international chess festivals across various Czech cities, including Prague, Brno, Pilsen, Hradec Králové, Olomouc, and Mariánské Lázně.
- Czech Open: Held annually in Pardubice, this event features a wide range of tournaments, from grandmaster competitions to amateur and youth events.
- European Youth Chess Championship: In collaboration with the Czech Chess Federation and the European Chess Union, AVE CHESS co-organized the 2024 championship in Prague, catering to players under 8 to 18 years old.
- FIDE World Senior Team Chess Championship 2025: AVE CHESS is the official organizer of this upcoming event, scheduled to take place in Prague.