The XV Sigulda District Open Rapid Chess Championship will take place on October 3-4, 2026 in Sigulda, Latvia as a FIDE rated rapid chess tournament with an 11-round Swiss format. This 2026 edition uses FIDE rapid rules and FIDE rapid rating calculation, and it applies a fast time control of 12 minutes per game plus a 5-second increment per move. The XV Sigulda District Open Rapid Chess Championship is open to chess players with a FIDE ID number and brings a strong regional rapid event to Sigulda, Latvia.

The tournament is organized by the Sigulda Chess Club together with the Sigulda District Council Sports Department and the Latvian Chess Federation, and it includes a published two-day round schedule, cash prizes, and category awards. The XV Sigulda District Open Rapid Chess Championship also provides discounted early registration, free participation for selected categories, and clear rules on default time, prize conditions, and tie-breaks. Players in Sigulda, Latvia can expect a practical weekend format with the venue located close to both the railway station and bus station.

🗓️ Event Details

🏆 Prize Fund

Prize rules: One participant may receive no more than one prize from the main prizes section. The organizer also announces one rating prize of EUR 20 for each group of 12 players from the 12th start rating, but this amount depends on the final number of players and groups. Organizers transfer prizes within 10 days after the tournament to first-eighth place winners’ bank accounts if they represent the Eurozone.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The XV Sigulda District Open Rapid Chess Championship uses an 11-round Swiss system under FIDE rules with FIDE rapid chess rating calculation. The time control is 12 minutes per game plus 5 seconds per move. Any player who arrives at the board after the default time of 12 minutes loses the game.

The regulations define the tie-break order for equal points as: improved Buchholz coefficient, Buchholz coefficient, and RPT (rating performance in tournament). The published FIDE event information also lists the event as a rapid tournament in Sigulda and confirms the chief arbiter.

📂 Sections / Groups

The XV Sigulda District Open Rapid Chess Championship runs as one open rapid section and is open to chess players who have a FIDE ID number. The event does not split players into separate rating sections in the published regulations.

📅 Schedule

📝 Registration

👥 Organizer

Sigulda Chess Club organizes the XV Sigulda District Open Rapid Chess Championship in cooperation with the Sigulda District Council Sports Department and the Latvian Chess Federation. The tournament director is Visvaldis Gercāns, and the regulations list direct contact details for player communication and tournament management.

• Email: siguldachess@gmail.com

• Phone: +371 29277148

🏨 Venue

Sigulda secondary school, K. Barona iela 10, Sigulda, Latvia

The tournament takes place at Sigulda secondary school in Sigulda, Latvia over two days. The published regulations confirm the venue address and provide a map reference for the school location.

🛎️ Accommodation

🚗 How to Get There

The regulations state that Sigulda secondary school is located about 1000 meters from Sigulda railway station and Sigulda bus station, which makes arrival by train or bus practical for players traveling to Sigulda, Latvia. A map reference for the station-to-school route is also provided in the regulations.

Play fast, stay sharp, and make the most of this two-day FIDE rated rapid chess event in Sigulda, Latvia.

🧾 Other

Sending an application means the player agrees that participants may be photographed and filmed during the event and that games may be broadcast live on the internet. The regulations also state a participation restriction based on municipal rules: residents of the Russian Federation and Belarus cannot participate in the competition.

The regulations also announce a related blitz event, the Milda Lauberte Memorial Blitz Open 2026, on October 4, 2026 from 15:00 until 18:30.