The XV Festival Internacional de Ajedrez Ciudad de Lorca 2026 takes place on December 26–27, 2026, at the IFELOR Palace of Fairs and Congresses in Lorca, Murcia, Spain. Club Ajedrez Lorca and the Lorca City Council’s Sports Department organize the fifteenth edition with support from the regional chess federation.

Two independent FIDE Standard-rated Swiss competitions offer seven rounds each. Tournament A (U2200) uses 80 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Tournament B (U1800) uses 50 minutes plus 10 seconds per move. The events share the same weekend timetable and venue.

The published cash-award categories add up to €5,200 (approximately $5,810), although the organizer’s advertised net total is €5,080. Players should check their category and complete registration ahead of the December holiday weekend.

📌 Event Details

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

Both sections use the seven-round Swiss system and submit results for FIDE Standard rating. Players in A (U2200) receive 80 minutes with a 10-second increment from move one. In contrast, B (U1800) has 50 minutes with the same increment. The December 1, 2026 FIDE rating list determines category eligibility.

The regulations specify a 15-minute default time, measured from the actual round start. A new round begins at its scheduled time or 10 minutes after the preceding round’s final game, as announced by the arbiters. Consequently, players should remain attentive to possible adjustments between sessions.

Participants may request up to two half-point byes during rounds 1–5. A first-round request must precede the entry cutoff; later requests go to the arbiter in writing before the previous round ends. Byes in rounds 6–7, and any third requested bye, score zero points.

The published tie-break order is direct encounter when applicable, Buchholz Cut 1, total Buchholz, Sonneborn-Berger, number of wins, then a drawing of lots by the chief arbiter.

🏆 Prize Fund

The listed monetary awards total €5,200 (approximately $5,810) when each advertised prize category is added. Tournament A contributes €3,090, while Tournament B contributes €2,110. The organizer’s separately stated €5,080 net prize figure is €120 lower than the full itemized total. Therefore, the amount displayed in MyChess.Events’ USD Prize Fund field reflects the arithmetic sum of published cash awards, not an assurance that every nominal award will be paid in addition to overlapping category prizes.

Tournament A — U2200: €3,090 in Listed Awards

Tournament B — U1800: €2,110 in Listed Awards

Cash prizes are not cumulative for a single player. When a player qualifies for several monetary awards, the larger amount applies; overall classification takes priority if amounts match. Trophies may be cumulative, including separate junior age-group trophies. The USD estimate uses the European Central Bank’s November 6, 2026 reference rate of €1 = $1.1165, rounded to the nearest $10.

♟️ Sections / Groups

The event has two independent tournaments rather than one combined rating section. Tournament A is open to participants with a FIDE rating below 2200. Tournament B is open to participants below 1800 or without a FIDE rating. Each group is limited to 128 players, and both welcome eligible adults and juniors.

Players under the Spanish federation must hold a valid 2026 FEDA license; participants registered with another federation must have an active FIDE ID before play begins. The organizers also award category prizes for senior players, women and juniors, using the published birth-year cutoffs.

📅 Schedule

Four rounds take place on Saturday, December 26, followed by three on Sunday, December 27. The posted times are local Central European Time (CET). Since both sections share the timetable, every player should check the designated pairing board and playing area before each start.

Participants who expect to win a prize should plan to stay for the closing ceremony. In addition, the compact two-day format makes hotel location and meal planning important, especially around Saturday’s evening game.

📝 Registration

The standard entry fee is €40. A reduced €35 rate applies to eligible U14 players, Club Ajedrez Lorca members and groups of more than five from the same club. The tournament organizer’s general deadline is December 25, 2026, at 9:00 PM CET, subject to earlier closure when a section reaches its 128-player limit.

The Coimbra registration calendar lists an earlier December 23 deadline for Tournament A (U2200). Therefore, players entering via that partner registration system should follow the earlier cutoff shown there, while Tournament B entrants should verify availability through the organizer. The safest option is to enter well before the final holiday deadline.

Registration and bank-transfer payment instructions are available through the official Ciudad de Lorca tournament website. The organizer requests the player’s full name in the payment reference. For individual questions about eligibility or payment confirmation, contact the festival coordinator at the email and WhatsApp number in Event Details.

Registration establishes acceptance of the event rules, including its anti-cheating procedures and provisions for the publication of tournament results and photographs. Minors and accompanying adults should review those terms before submitting an entry.

🏛️ Organizer

Club Ajedrez Lorca, established as a local sporting association in 1987, promotes chess throughout Lorca and the Region of Murcia. Its work includes tournament organization, regional competition, municipal chess instruction and activities for younger players. The club runs the international year-end festival with the Lorca City Council Sports Department, supported by the Federación de Ajedrez de la Región de Murcia.

Juan José Motos López is the tournament registration contact, while IA Luis Blasco de la Cruz is the chief arbiter for the competition. The club’s usual administrative base is at Casa del Deporte in Lorca; however, the festival is held in the separate IFELOR conference complex.

📍 Venue

The festival takes place at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos Alcalde Francisco Jódar Alonso (IFELOR), Calle Santa Quiteria 28, 30800 Lorca, Murcia, Spain. This is the multipurpose fair and conference center also listed as Recinto Ferial Santa Quiteria. Its published GPS reference corresponds to the building complex, rather than a separately identified chess-room entrance.

IFELOR has fairground and event facilities. Drivers should follow temporary event signage or the parking directions posted at the center. The Region of Murcia’s official visitor listing confirms the Santa Quiteria location.

Food Near the Venue

Dakota Burger operates at Calle Santa Quiteria 32, close to IFELOR’s No. 28 address. The business is principally an evening burger restaurant, so participants should not count on it for a meal before Sunday’s afternoon games. For a longer meal in central Lorca, El Sibarita on Calle Fiscal Martínez Blanco 4 serves Mediterranean and Spanish food. Neither restaurant is an official tournament caterer, and holiday hours should be checked directly.

🏨 Accommodation

A stay in Lorca on the night of December 25 makes Saturday’s 8:30 AM accreditation more manageable for travelers arriving from outside the city. The three hotels below have verified addresses and direct booking websites. They are independent accommodation choices, not organizer-designated properties; room availability and prices for the tournament dates must be checked before booking.

Compare road access to IFELOR and checkout arrangements before choosing a nonrefundable reservation. The last round starts on Sunday afternoon, while the award ceremony follows play, so some visitors may prefer to depart on December 28.

🚆 How to Get There

The tournament venue is on Calle Santa Quiteria, in Lorca’s fairground district. Visitors arriving by car can approach the city via the A-7 motorway, while public-transport passengers should plan a local transfer to IFELOR.

Renfe provides current replacement-bus information on its official C-2 travel advisory. Because December 26–27 falls in the Christmas period, confirm connection availability and allow extra time for the morning rounds.

ℹ️ Other Information

Players must keep phones, smartwatches and other communication devices switched off inside a closed bag on the floor, in accordance with the tournament’s published FIDE fair-play provisions. Keeping such devices on the person, or allowing them to sound or vibrate, can result in a game loss. The organizers may conduct checks, including metal-detector inspections.

Cash awards are noncumulative, while junior and other trophies may be cumulative. Players seeking a prize must attend the closing ceremony; unjustified absence or withdrawal during either of the final two rounds results in forfeiture of award eligibility. Appeals against the chief arbiter’s decision require a written submission within 15 minutes and a €50 deposit, refundable when successful.