Save the dates 1 - 7 November
Official Learning Partner of the Guernsey Chess Festival
The Guernsey Chess Festival is financially supported by the:
FIDE Open Aid Project
Two FIDE rated classical chess tournaments.
Generous prizes
One round per day.
Classical time control of 40 moves in 100 minutes, thereafter all remaining moves in a further 40 minutes, with a 30 second increment starting from move one.
One FIDE rated blitz chess tournament.
Blitz Tournament date will be announced later
Open Tournament Prize Fund: £3000
Challenger Tournament Prize Fund: £900
Blitz Tournament Prize Fund: £175*
Prizegiving Dinner on 7th Nov 2026 included
*Minimum cash prize fund excluding additional Chessable
prizes value. May increase subject to number of entries.
The Festival
The 50th Guernsey Chess Festival takes place in the Channel Island of Guernsey in November 2026
Registration
Follow this link to register to play in the Guernsey International Chess Festival this November
Players
The list of players currently registered in the Open & Challengers Tournaments is available here.
An Historic Festival
The first Guernsey International Chess Festival was held in October 1975 at the Old Government House Hotel.
In 1979 the event moved to the Ronnie Ronalde’s St Martins Hotel where it remained until 1994 when it moved to the Peninsula Hotel where it was held until 2019.
In 1983 a holiday tournament was held alongside the main open tournament for the first time and the two tournaments have been held every year since. In 1989 a total of 226 players participated in both tournaments.
In 2022 the event was held at the St. James concert and assembly hall in St. Peter Port for the first time. It was held there from 2022 to 2025.
In 2026 the event will return to the Peninsula Hotel.
Thanks to our supporters
Tournament is financially supported by FIDE Open Aid Project