XXXI Torneo Weekend “Roberto Magari” 2026 is the 31st edition of Siena’s Roberto Magari weekend tournament, organized by Mens Sana Scacchi SSD with CRAL MPS and the Tuscan regional chess committee. The event takes place in Siena’s historic centre, only a short distance from Piazza del Campo, and is capped at 80 participants.
The main Master and Challenger sections each play a 5-round FIDE Swiss at 90+30. A separate Sunday-only Fast Race for players below 1800 uses 30+30, also over five rounds. The three formats are presented together under one tournament record because they belong to the same weekend event and share the same venue and organization.
The published total prize fund is €2,340, approximately $2,690, with overall, rating and junior awards plus a special beauty prize. The regulations provide full entry/refund rules, anti-cheating measures and three recommended nearby hotels—Alma Domus, Chiusarelli and Tre Donzelle—making the event especially easy to plan for visitors staying in central Siena.
📌 Event Details
XXXI Torneo Weekend “Roberto Magari” 2026 is scheduled for November 27–29, 2026 in Siena, Tuscany, Italy. The verified event facts, playing format, rating status and venue are summarized here.
| Event Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| 🏆 Tournament | XXXI Torneo Weekend “Roberto Magari” 2026 |
| 📅 Dates | November 27–29, 2026 |
| 🎮 Playing Days | Friday–Sunday |
| 📍 Location | Siena, Tuscany, Italy |
| 🏨 Venue | CRAL MPS – Via dei Termini 31, 2nd floor, Siena |
| 🏛️ Organizer | Mens Sana Scacchi SSD with CRAL MPS Siena and Comitato Regionale Toscano |
| ♟️ Format | Master + Challenger + Sunday Fast Race |
| 🔢 Rounds | 5 in each section |
| ⏱️ Time Control | Master/Challenger 90+30; Fast Race 30+30 |
| ⭐ Rating | FIDE rated under the published regulations |
| 👥 Capacity | Maximum 80 |
| 💰 Prize Fund | €2,340 (approx. $2,690) |
⏱️ Time Control & Pairings
Master and Challenger use 90+30; the Sunday Fast Race uses 30+30, all over five rounds.
| Stage / Rule | Information |
|---|---|
| Master | 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move |
| Challenger | 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move |
| Fast Race | 30 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move |
| Default time | 1 hour Master/Challenger; 30 minutes Fast Race |
| Tie-breaks | Direct encounter; Buchholz Cut 1; Sonneborn-Berger; ARO |
🏆 Prize Fund
The published total fund is €2,340, supplemented by cups and a beauty prize.
| Prize Category | Award / Details |
|---|---|
| Master | €400 / €300 / €200 / €100 plus €100 rating prizes, youth cups and €100 best performance-vs-expectation |
| Challenger | €250 / €150 / €100 / €50 / €40 plus youth cups and €60 performance prize |
| Fast Race | €150 / €100 / €50 / €50 / €40 plus U16/U14/U12/U10 cups |
| Total | €2,340 |
| Beauty prize | Special award for the game selected as the most beautiful |
🧩 Sections / Groups
Three formats share the same weekend: Master, Challenger and a one-day Fast Race.
| Section / Group | Eligibility / Details |
|---|---|
| Master | Elo ≥ 1900 |
| Challenger | 1700 to ≤1900 under the published band |
| Fast Race | Elo <1800; Sunday-only |
📅 Schedule
Master/Challenger run Friday–Sunday, while all five Fast Race rounds are played Sunday.
| Day / Stage | Time / Details |
|---|---|
| Friday, Nov 27 | Registration 15:00–16:00; Master/Challenger Round 1 16:30 |
| Saturday, Nov 28 | Round 2 09:30; Round 3 15:00 |
| Sunday, Nov 29 – Master/Challenger | Round 4 09:30; Round 5 15:00; awards follow |
| Sunday, Nov 29 – Fast Race | Registration 08:15–08:45; rounds 09:00, 11:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00; awards follow |
📝 Registration
The regulations publish early/late fees, discounts, bank-transfer confirmation and refund conditions.
| Registration Item | Details |
|---|---|
| By Nov 25 – Master/Challenger | €60 |
| By Nov 25 – Fast Race | €40 |
| CRAL MPS members / M FSI+ / members’ children | €50 Master/Challenger; €30 Fast Race |
| GM / IM >2400 | Free |
| Late registration | +€10 from November 25 onward |
| Payment | Bank transfer to Mens Sana Scacchi SSD; send proof by email/WhatsApp |
| Refunds | 100% through Nov 24; 50% after that under the published terms |
👥 Organizer
Mens Sana Scacchi SSD organizes the event with CRAL MPS and the Tuscan regional committee; Alessandro Patelli is the published contact.
| Organizer Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| 🏛️ Organizer Name | Mens Sana Scacchi SSD |
| 🤝 Partners | CRAL MPS Siena; Comitato Regionale Toscano |
| 👤 Contact Person | Alessandro Patelli |
| ✉️ Email | menssanascacchi@gmail.com |
| 📞 Phone | +39 335 786 1127 |
📍 Venue
CRAL MPS on Via dei Termini 31 is in Siena’s historic centre near Piazza del Campo.
| Venue Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| 🏨 Venue | CRAL MPS |
| 📍 Full Address | Via dei Termini 31, 2° piano, 53100 Siena SI, Italy |
| 🧭 Latitude / Longitude | 43.31986, 11.33073 |
| 🏛️ Area | Historic centre, a short walk from Piazza del Campo |
🚆 How to Get There
Rail/bus/taxi access is practical, while drivers must account for Siena’s ZTL restrictions.
| Transport Option | Details |
|---|---|
| 🚆 Rail | Siena railway station is outside the historic centre; use city bus/taxi to the centre. |
| ✈️ Airports | Florence Airport (FLR) is the nearest major airport; Pisa (PSA) is another international option. |
| 🚗 Driving | Central Siena has ZTL traffic restrictions; drivers should use public parking outside the restricted historic core and walk/taxi onward. |
🏨 Accommodation
Alma Domus, Chiusarelli and Tre Donzelle are specifically recommended in the regulations.
| Hotel / Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Alma Domus | Officially recommended nearby hotel/guesthouse in Siena’s historic centre. |
| Hotel Chiusarelli | Officially recommended nearby hotel. |
| Tre Donzelle | Officially recommended central Siena accommodation. |
| Food at venue | Bar service plus buffet: €15 adults, €10 children up to 14 under the published arrangement. |
ℹ️ Other Information
The rules also cover FSI membership, anti-cheating checks, wildcards, no-bye policy and prize conditions.
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| FSI membership | Italian players and foreign residents in Italy need valid 2026 FSI membership under the regulations. |
| No half-point byes | The notice states that no half-point byes are granted. |
| Anti-cheating | Metal detectors/electromagnetic detectors may be used; electronic analysis devices are prohibited. |
| Wildcards | Maximum two wildcards for Master and Challenger at organizer discretion. |
| Prizes | Cash prizes are net, indivisible and generally non-cumulative, with the published performance prizes explicitly cumulative where stated. |
🔗 Official Resources
The links below are the primary official or organizer-published sources for XXXI Torneo Weekend “Roberto Magari” 2026; players should recheck them shortly before travel for late changes.
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Vesus tournament | Vesus |
| Organizer email | Mens Sana Scacchi |
Additional Details
Prize Fund (approx.) - $2,690
Organizer
♟️ About Mens Sana Scacchi SSD
Mens Sana Scacchi SSD is a chess organization based in Siena, Tuscany, Italy, and the chess section of the historic Polisportiva Mens Sana 1871. The club combines competitive chess, junior training, FSI and FIDE tournament organization, team competition, educational activity, and public chess events throughout Siena.
The organization is affiliated with the Federazione Scacchistica Italiana (FSI) under club code 17030. CONI records Mens Sana Scacchi as an officially registered sporting organization, with 52 competitive and 8 recreational registered players during the 2026 sporting year. Alessandro Patelli is the legal representative, President and Director of the chess section.
Patelli is a National Master, FIDE Trainer, and senior FSI instructor. The teaching staff also includes National Master Mario Leoncini, International Master Francesco Bettalli, Lucio Colombini, and Marco Villa.
🏆 Tournaments & Chess Activities
Mens Sana Scacchi organizes a broad calendar of classical, rapid and junior competitions in Siena.
One of its longest-running events is the Torneo Weekend “Roberto Magari”, which reached its 31st edition in 2026. The tournament is dedicated to Roberto Magari, the mathematician closely associated with Siena and the University of Siena, and has become one of the club’s traditional annual competitions.
The XXXI Torneo Weekend “Roberto Magari” 2026 takes place from November 27–29 at the CRAL Monte dei Paschi premises in Siena’s historic centre. The event combines Master, Challenger and Fast Race sections and offers a published total prize fund of €2,340.
The 30th edition in 2025 attracted strong players from around Italy. Sixteen-year-old Alessia Natoli won the main tournament with a perfect five victories from five games, ahead of several leading junior players and titled competitors.
Mens Sana Scacchi also organizes the Siena fa Scacco Matto festival, a large public chess event created in cooperation with the City of Siena. The 2026 edition expanded to five days and combined tournaments with exhibitions, lectures, technology, art, cultural programming and activities for children.
Other events have included university tournaments, amateur rapid competitions, provincial youth championships, public simultaneous exhibitions and chess initiatives in locations across the Siena area.
🌱 Junior Chess & Development
Youth development is one of the strongest areas of Mens Sana Scacchi.
The club operates structured Under-18 courses for players from approximately eight years of age. Saturday training at CRAL MPS is divided into introductory, intermediate and competitive groups, while individual lessons can also be arranged.
The organization is recognized as an official Scuola di Scacchi by the Tuscan regional chess committee and operates at Levels 1 and 2. Its recognized chess-school status dates back to an FSI decision from 2012.
The results of this program are visible in national and regional youth competition. Mens Sana finished second in the Italian Under-18 Team Championship in 2021, with Francesco Bettalli and Orlando Pin both winning individual board gold medals.
The club’s junior program remains highly competitive. In September 2026, Mens Sana won the Tuscan Under-16 absolute team championship with 18.5 points from 20 and also captured the Under-14 girls regional title. Its second Under-16 team took third place, giving the club two regional titles and another podium in the same competition.
The Under-16 championship team included Nilo D’Ippolito, Marco Peccianti, Leonardo Bettollini and Gabriele Penzo, while the successful Under-14 girls squad featured Ludovica Rossi, Melissa Bruma, Benedetta Rossi, Emma Ballarin and Silvia Peccianti.
🥇 Team Chess & Competitive Activity
Mens Sana Scacchi participates actively in the Campionato Italiano a Squadre.
For the 2026 season, its leading team competes in Serie B, while additional Mens Sana teams participate in lower national and regional divisions. Alessandro Patelli serves as team manager for the principal squad.
The club’s playing roster combines experienced competitors and young developing players. This integration between junior training and adult team chess gives strong youth players a natural pathway into higher-level competition.
Mens Sana has also developed a significant record in junior team chess. In addition to its 2021 national Under-18 silver medal and the 2026 Tuscan titles, many players from the club regularly qualify for individual and team championships at regional and national level.
📚 History & Development
Mens Sana Scacchi SSD has been formally registered as a sporting organization since 2007, but chess activity connected with Mens Sana and CRAL Montepaschi has a longer history. The CRAL MPS chess section itself dates to 1987 and has organized tournaments, chess courses, team competition and the Roberto Magari tournament for decades.
The connection between Mens Sana Scacchi and CRAL Monte dei Paschi remains important today. Many training sessions and tournaments, including the Roberto Magari event, take place at the CRAL premises on Via dei Termini in central Siena.
In recent years the club has expanded beyond conventional tournament chess. The Siena fa Scacco Matto project has brought chess into one of Siena’s major cultural venues and combined the game with education, art, technology and public outreach. The City of Siena has described Mens Sana Scacchi as a central organizer of the initiative.
Today, Mens Sana Scacchi combines a strong junior academy, competitive team chess, established tournaments and large public events, giving the organization an important role in chess throughout Siena and Tuscany.
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