Sligo Chess and Culture Festival – 9-Round Open 2027
Sligo Chess and Culture Festival – 9-Round Open 2027
The Sligo Chess and Culture Festival – 9-Round Open 2027 takes place from February 1–7, 2027, at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa in Sligo, Ireland. The nine-round classical tournament is the centrepiece of the festival’s international week and welcomes players from Ireland and abroad.
Players compete in a 9-round Swiss tournament with a classical time control of 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move from move one. The event is both FIDE-rated and ICU-rated. Moreover, the schedule includes only two double-round days, leaving additional time to enjoy Sligo and the wider festival programme.
The festival promotes professional playing conditions with 100% DGT Smartboards, live games and a dedicated Chess Lounge. Separate Blitz and Rapid tournaments are also available during the week for players who want additional rated competition.
♟️ Event Details
| Event Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| 🏷️ Event Name | Sligo Chess and Culture Festival – 9-Round Open 2027 |
| 📅 Dates | February 1–7, 2027 |
| 🌍 Country | Ireland |
| 📍 Location | Sligo, County Sligo |
| 🏨 Venue | Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Sligo |
| ♟️ Format | Classical Open |
| 🔢 Rounds | 9 |
| 🔄 Pairing System | Swiss system |
| ⏱️ Time Control | 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move |
| ⭐ Rating | FIDE-rated and ICU-rated |
| 👥 Organizer | Sligo Chess Club |
| 🎯 Tournament Director | Craig DuBose |
| ⚖️ Chief Arbiter | Colm Ó Muireagáin – FIDE ID 2507382 |
| 🔗 Chess-Results | https://chess-results.com/tnr1482667.aspx?lan=1 |
⏱️ Time Control & Pairings
The tournament consists of nine classical rounds under the Swiss system. Each player receives 90 minutes for the entire game, with a 30-second increment added from move one.
| Competition Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| ⏱️ Time Control | 90 minutes + 30 seconds per move |
| 🔢 Rounds | 9 |
| 🔄 System | Swiss system |
| ⭐ FIDE Rating | Yes |
| 🇮🇪 ICU Rating | Yes |
| 💻 Pairing Program | Swiss-Manager |
The schedule contains two double-round days, on Tuesday and Thursday. All other tournament days have one classical round.
🏆 Prize Fund
The currently published cash prizes total €2,940 – approx. $3,400.
Open Prizes
| Place | Cash Prize | Chess.com Diamond Membership |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1st | €1,050 | 3 months |
| 🥈 2nd | €700 | 2 months |
| 🥉 3rd | €400 | 1 month |
Women’s Prizes
| Place | Cash Prize | Chess.com Diamond Membership |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1st Woman | €400 | 3 months |
| 🥈 2nd Woman | €260 | 2 months |
| 🥉 3rd Woman | €130 | 1 month |
Players may receive only one prize.
Cash prizes are subject to change based on the number of registrations.
🧩 Sections / Formats
The 9-Round Open is a single Open classical tournament.
However, players can combine it with separate faster events during the Sligo Chess and Culture Festival.
| Tournament | Date | Rounds | Time Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⚡ Blitz Open | February 1 | 11 | 3+2 |
| ♟️ 9-Round Open | February 1–7 | 9 | 90+30 |
| 🚀 Rapid Open | February 6 | 7 | 10+5 |
The Blitz Open and Rapid Open require separate tournament entries. Therefore, players may enter only the 9-Round Open or combine it with either or both faster events.
The wider festival also includes the five-round Weekender from January 29–31, 2027.
📅 Schedule
| Date | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, February 1 | 2:30 PM | Technical Meeting |
| Monday, February 1 | 4:00 PM | Round 1 |
| Tuesday, February 2 | 9:30 AM | Round 2 |
| Tuesday, February 2 | 3:30 PM | Round 3 |
| Wednesday, February 3 | 3:30 PM | Round 4 |
| Thursday, February 4 | 9:30 AM | Round 5 |
| Thursday, February 4 | 3:30 PM | Round 6 |
| Friday, February 5 | 3:00 PM | Round 7 |
| Saturday, February 6 | 4:00 PM | Round 8 |
| Sunday, February 7 | 10:00 AM | Round 9 |
| Sunday, February 7 | After Round 9 | Awards Ceremony |
Tuesday and Thursday are double-round days. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday each have one classical round.
📝 Registration
Registration for the 2027 9-Round Open is currently listed as opening soon.
The organizer has already published the entry-fee schedule:
| Registration Period | Entry Fee | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| 🟢 Early Entry | €110 | November 30, 2026 |
| 🔵 Standard Entry | €120 | December 31, 2026 |
| 🟠 Final Entry | €130 | January 28, 2027 at 8:00 PM |
Players can follow the official festival website for the opening of online registration.
Official tournament page:
https://sligochessfestival.com/tournament/sligo-chess-festival-2027-9-round-open/
👥 Organizer
| Contact | Information |
|---|---|
| 👥 Organizer | Sligo Chess Club |
| 👤 Contact Person | Craig DuBose |
| ✉️ Email | info@sligochessfestival.com |
| 📞 Phone | +353 89 485 9892 |
📍 Venue
Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Sligo – Ballincar, Rosses Point Road, Sligo, F91 XW7Y, Ireland
The four-star hotel overlooks Sligo Bay and provides the playing venue as well as on-site accommodation. In addition, the hotel has restaurants, meeting facilities, a gym, an 18-metre indoor swimming pool and spa facilities.
The venue is approximately 4.5 km from Sligo bus and railway station. It is also close to Rosses Point and around a five-minute drive from central Sligo.
🚆 How to Get There
| Travel Option | Route / Distance | Information |
|---|---|---|
| 🚗 By Car | Ballincar, Rosses Point Road, Sligo, F91 XW7Y, Ireland | From the N4 Sligo Inner Relief Road, cross Hughes Bridge, then turn onto the R291 toward Rosses Point. The hotel is approximately 2 km ahead. |
| 🚆 Train | Dublin Connolly → Sligo | Iarnród Éireann operates direct rail services between Dublin Connolly and Sligo. Sligo station is approximately 4.5 km from the hotel. |
| 🚌 Local Bus | Sligo → Ballincar | Local bus services connect Sligo with Ballincar. The hotel is on the Rosses Point Road. |
| ✈️ Ireland West Airport Knock (NOC) | Approx. 57–58 km | The nearest airport with scheduled passenger flights. The drive to the hotel is approximately 55 minutes. |
| ✈️ Dublin Airport (DUB) | Approx. 220 km | A major international option. The hotel lists the drive at approximately 2 hours 45 minutes. |
The hotel provides free on-site parking.
ℹ️ Other Information
🎥 Playing Conditions
The festival promotes 100% DGT Smartboards, allowing games to be displayed and broadcast electronically. In addition, a dedicated Chess Lounge will remain available during the festival for casual games, analysis and conversation.
🎭 Chess and Culture Programme
The 9-Round Open forms part of a ten-day festival running from January 29 to February 7, 2027. Alongside tournament chess, the programme is being developed to include cultural and social activities.
Planned activities include traditional Irish music, talks, film, board games, wellbeing activities, social events and opportunities to explore Sligo. Some cultural programme elements remain provisional.
The tournament timetable deliberately leaves several mornings and evenings free. As a result, players can participate in festival activities or explore Sligo between rounds.
🤝 Player Conduct and Safety
The event is covered by the Irish Chess Union Code of Conduct. The festival also works with Women in Chess Foundation-trained advocates to support a safe and inclusive environment.
The festival operates policies covering anti-harassment, non-discrimination, accessibility and appropriate conduct throughout the venue and associated festival activities.
⚡ Additional Rated Chess
Players who want more tournament chess can enter the 11-round FIDE-rated Blitz Open on February 1 and the 7-round FIDE-rated Rapid Open on February 6.
Both are separate competitions and require separate entry.
🔗 Official Links
Official 9-Round Open Page:
https://sligochessfestival.com/tournament/sligo-chess-festival-2027-9-round-open/
Sligo Chess and Culture Festival:
https://sligochessfestival.com/
9-Round Open Festival Experience:
https://sligochessfestival.com/the-9-round-open-experience/
Code of Conduct:
https://sligochessfestival.com/code-of-conduct/
Chess-Results:
https://chess-results.com/tnr1482667.aspx?lan=1
Additional Details
Organizer
♟️ About Sligo Chess Club
Sligo Chess Club is an active chess club and tournament organizer based in Sligo, Ireland. The club is registered with the Irish Chess Union (ICU) and provides regular over-the-board chess for players in County Sligo and the wider northwest of Ireland. Its activities combine local club chess with an increasingly ambitious tournament program, including FIDE-rated classical, rapid, and blitz competitions. The club meets at the Avalon Centre on Chapel Street in Sligo.
In recent years, Sligo Chess Club has developed a strong reputation for organizing events designed for both Irish and international players. Its flagship project is the Sligo Chess & Culture Festival, which combines a multi-section Weekender, a nine-round international Open, rapid and blitz tournaments, and cultural and social activities. The club also launched the Sligo Rapid Series for the 2026–2027 season, providing a sequence of FIDE-rated rapid tournaments alongside a dedicated Rising Stars competition for players under 12.
Craig DuBose is the principal operational contact for Sligo Chess Club and serves as Tournament Director of the Sligo Chess & Culture Festival. He was Chief Organiser of the 2026 festival and continues to direct the 2027 edition. During 2026, the club significantly expanded its tournament activity, transformed its main annual event into a ten-day chess festival, and launched a new regional rapid circuit. The next Sligo Chess & Culture Festival is scheduled for January 29 – February 7, 2027 at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa in Sligo.
🏛️ Club Chess in Sligo
Sligo Chess Club provides a regular meeting point for chess players in the region. The Irish Chess Union lists the club as active and records its current home at the Avalon Centre, Chapel Street, Sligo.
Regular club sessions are held on Wednesday evenings, creating opportunities for competitive and recreational chess outside the tournament calendar.
The club also maintains connections with the wider local chess community. Sligo has separate junior and university chess activity, while Sligo Chess Club increasingly provides tournament pathways that allow young players to progress into rated competition.
🌟 Sligo Chess & Culture Festival
The Sligo Chess & Culture Festival is the club’s largest tournament project.
In 2026, the traditional Sligo event underwent a major expansion from a weekend tournament into a multi-event chess festival. It ran from January 30 to February 8 at the Diamond Coast Hotel in Enniscrone and included five rating-banded Weekender sections, a nine-round Open, rapid, and blitz competitions.
The principal nine-round Open attracted players from numerous federations and included Grandmasters and International Masters. Austrian GM Felix Blohberger won the tournament with 7.5/9, finishing ahead of Irish FM Adam Collins.
Craig DuBose served as Chief Organiser, with Sandra Woods also part of the organizing team. The festival used FIDE-rated classical competition and incorporated professional tournament presentation alongside cultural and social activities.
⚡ Sligo Rapid Series
For the 2026–2027 season, Sligo Chess Club launched the new Sligo Rapid Series, a five-event circuit running from August 2026 through February 2027.
Each stage contains two competitions: a FIDE-rated Open and an unrated Rising Stars Under-12 tournament. Players earn series points in addition to competing for prizes at each individual event.
The circuit began on August 15, 2026 at Mercy College in Sligo. Further rounds are scheduled for September 13, October 18, and November 15 at the Clayton Hotel Sligo.
The final stage takes place on February 6, 2027 during the Sligo Chess & Culture Festival. Overall Open winners will receive cash prizes, while trophies are awarded across the junior series.
🏆 Sligo Chess & Culture Festival 2027
The 2027 Sligo Chess & Culture Festival is scheduled for January 29 – February 7 at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Ballincar, Rosses Point, Sligo.
The festival begins with a five-round Weekender from January 29–31, divided into Master, Expert, Championship, Major, and Challenger sections.
Its principal 9-Round Open runs from February 1–7, 2027. The festival also includes an 11-round Blitz tournament on February 1 and a seven-round Rapid tournament on February 6.
The classical competitions use a 90+30 time control and are FIDE rated. Chess-Results identifies Sligo Chess Club as organizer, Craig DuBose as Tournament Director, and Colm Ó Muireagáin as Chief Arbiter for the Weekender sections.
The festival emphasizes strong playing conditions and extensive use of digital chess boards while combining competitive chess with the cultural and tourism experience of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way.
📞 Contact Details
Organizer Country: Ireland
Address: Avalon Centre, Chapel Street, Sligo, F91 RF78, Ireland
Contact Person: Craig DuBose – Club Contact / Tournament Director
Email: info@sligochessfestival.com
Phone: +353 89 485 9892
Website: https://sligochess.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sligochessclub/
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