The Inaugural Irish Women’s Chess Festival 2025, incorporating the The Irish Women's Chess Championship 2025, will take place October 24th - 27th.
Talbot Hotel Stillorgan, Stillorgan Rd, Stillorgan, Dublin.
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General Tournament Info
Tournaments: Irish Women's Championship(1600+), Challengers(1599 & Below), Irish Women's Rapid Tournament, Irish Girl's Competition.
Default time: 30 minutes.
Arbiter: Ivan Baburin
Players are only eligible to win one prize in any given event unless otherwise stated. In the event of ties cash prizes will be split equally among the tied players. For special prizes and invites tiebreak will be used at the arbiters discretion to decided the winner.
All moves must be recorded by players. For those who are new to notation, you're welcome to participate! A quick guidebook in PDF on how to record moves during the game can be downloaded Here.
Sponsors
Eligibility
The Irish Women's Chess Championship 2025 and all accompanying events are open to all players who are registered under the IRL federation, or who are Irish citizens, or have had Irish residency for two or more years. Exceptions may be granted subject to the organizers prior approval.
Only players who have been registered as IRL players for at least one year and are either Irish citizens or have had a minimum of two years of residency are eligible to claim the title of Irish Women’s Champion. Full details here.
Section eligibility is based on your published rating at any point between opening of registration and October 2025. Players who do not meet these criteria may be considered upon request, subject to the organizer’s approval.
The Irish Women's Championship 2025
Enter Here.
Dates: Friday 24th October - Monday 27th October 2025.
Rounds: 7
Swiss Pairings, Round Robin if insufficient entries for Swiss.
Time Control: 90+30
Entry Fee: €45 / €35 (Discounted)
Prize Fund: €700
Championship Prize Structure
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | €300 + Invite* |
| 2nd | €200 |
| 3rd | €100 |
| Best u1800 | €100 |
| Best Junior(u18) | €100 Chessable voucher |
*Invite: The Irish Women's Chess Championship 2025 winner will also be invited to participate in the XXXVI International Chess Festival Cracovia 2025 (27 December 2025 - 4 January 2026, Kraków, Poland), with accommodation, breakfast, and entry to the playing section of their choice included. If the invitation is declined, the prize may be offered to the next highest-placed player.
The winner of this section will be declared the Irish Women’s Champion 2025 and will earn a guaranteed place on the Irish Women’s team for the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, subject to meeting all additional eligibility requirements.
Championship Schedule
Please note the earlier start on the final day.
| Round | Championship | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 18:00 | Oct 24, 2025 |
| Round 2 | 11:00 | Oct 25, 2025 |
| Round 3 | 16:30 | Oct 25, 2025 |
| Round 4 | 11:00 | Oct 26, 2025 |
| Round 5 | 16:30 | Oct 26, 2025 |
| Round 6 | 10:00 | Oct 27, 2025 |
| Round 7 | 15:30 | Oct 27, 2025 |
Challengers Section
Enter Here.
Dates: Saturday 25th October - Sunday 26th October 2025.
Rounds: 5
Swiss Pairings.
Time Control: 60+30
Entry Fee: €30 / €20 (Discounted)
Prize Fund: €300
Challengers Prize Structure
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | €150 |
| 2nd Place | €90 |
| 3rd Place | €60 |
| Best Junior(u18) | WICF Scholarship* |
| Best u12 | TBA |
| Best Unrated | €50 Chessable Voucher |
*WICF Scholarship: This prize will be awarded to the best Junior(u18) player regardless of any other prizes won by that player. The WICF-Chessable Scholars Program aims to be an annual initiative established by the Women in Chess Foundation to empower and advance junior girls in the chess community. This program aims to foster a supportive and enriching environment where young female players can receive expert guidance and resources to enhance their chess skills and competitive performance.
Challengers Schedule
| Round | Challengers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 10:00 | Oct 25, 2025 |
| Round 2 | 14:00 | Oct 25, 2025 |
| Round 3 | 18:30 | Oct 25, 2025 |
| Round 4 | 11:00 | Oct 26, 2025 |
| Round 5 | 15:00 | Oct 26, 2025 |
Irish Women's Rapid Tournament
Enter Here.
Date: Monday 27th October 2025.
Rounds: 7
Swiss Pairings, break for lunch after round four. Open to all women of any federation.
Time Control: 15+10
Entry fee: €20
Prize Fund: Subject to Entries, TBA.
| Round | Women's Rapid Tournament |
|---|---|
| Round 1 | 11:00 |
| Round 2 | 12:00 |
| Round 3 | 13:00 |
| Round 4 | 14:00 |
| Break | — |
| Round 5 | 16:00 |
| Round 6 | 17:00 |
| Round 7 | 18:00 |
Irish Girls Competition
Entry by Email or on the day. Contact .
Date: Friday, 24 October 2025
Time: 10:00 to 13:00
Entry Fee: €5
Supervision: All participants must be supervised by a teacher, legal guardian or appropriate adult.
An open chess competition for Irish girls of school age, whether you're just starting out or already an experienced player. A fun and welcoming event where young players can enjoy chess and meet others.
Get into the Halloween spirit
Participants are welcome to wear costumes. This is completely optional and just for fun. Costumes will not affect gameplay, but there will be a special prize for the best costume, so creativity is encouraged.
Medals will be awarded.
Trophies and prizes for the top 3 players.
Special prizes for:
Best Halloween Costume
Youngest Participant