San Bernardino Festival 2026 will take place on July 1–5, 2026 in San Bernardino, Switzerland. This is a chess tournament in San Bernardino, Switzerland, in 2026, and it brings together two FIDE-rated events at the same alpine venue: the 2nd San Bernardino Senior Over 50 and the 31st Alpine Weekend Open.

Unlike a single open tournament, San Bernardino Festival 2026 gives players two different entry options. The senior event runs from July 1–5, while the weekend open starts on July 3 and finishes on July 5. Moreover, both tournaments use the same classical 90+30 time control, so the format stays consistent across the festival.

The mountain setting also makes the event especially attractive. In addition, the games take place at Hotel Lido, which combines the playing hall and accommodation in one location. As a result, the festival offers a practical and relaxed chess week in the Swiss Alps.

📌 Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

The confirmed total cash prize fund for San Bernardino Festival 2026 is CHF 2,550, which is approximately USD 3,240. Therefore, the festival offers a solid combined reward structure across both tournaments. However, the published rules state that the prize fund is calculated with a player threshold and may be awarded pro rata if the required participation level is not reached.

⏰ Time Control & Pairings

Both events use 90 minutes for the whole game plus a 30-second increment from move one. As a result, the festival clearly belongs to the classical chess category and gives players enough time for serious long-play games.

Each tournament runs over 5 rounds. In addition, every player may request one half-point bye in the first three rounds, which gives participants a little more flexibility in a compact festival schedule. The published tie-break system is Buchholz.

📂 Sections / Groups

🗓️ Schedule

📝 Registration

👤 Organizer

Swiss Chess Tour organizes the festival and manages player communication, registration, and event logistics for both tournaments. Moreover, the organizer runs a broad calendar of Swiss events, so the San Bernardino stop benefits from a familiar and clearly structured format.

• Email: swisschesstour@bluewin.ch
• Phone: +41 79 6205326
• Website: www.swisschesstour.com

📍 Venue

Hotel Lido, Strada del Lido 2, CH-6565 San Bernardino, Switzerland

Hotel Lido serves as the official playing venue for San Bernardino Festival 2026. The event takes place directly at the hotel, which keeps the games, check-in, and festival stay in one practical location by the mountain lake area of San Bernardino.

🏨 Accommodation

Staying at Hotel Lido is the most convenient option because the festival takes place on site. The hotel offers guest rooms with views of the alpine surroundings and Lake Doss, so players can keep their daily routine simple throughout the event.

• Booking / hotel website: https://en.lido-sanbernardino.ch/

🚗 How to Get There

San Bernardino is easy to reach by both road and public transport. By car, the resort is about 45 minutes from Lugano, around 2 hours from Zurich, and about 1 hour 30 minutes from Milan. In addition, players can travel by train to Bellinzona or Chur and then continue by bus 171 for the final leg to San Bernardino.

San Bernardino Festival 2026 is a strong choice for players who want classical chess, alpine scenery, and a compact festival format in Switzerland.