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Kinsale Winter Open

Zsolt Kardkovacs

Details

Summary

  • Event: Kinsale Winter Open
  • Dates: 2-4 January, 2026
  • Venue: Trident Hotel Kinsale, Kinsale, Co. Cork (P17 NT38)
  • Format: 5-round Swiss (Dutch) Tournament
  • Time control: 90m + 30s (Default time: 30 minutes)
  • Sections 1500+ and 1900+ are FIDE rated.
  • Competition size is limited to 120 (all sections included).
  • Accommodation (Trident Hotel Kinsale): use code 357382 for discounted rates when calling the hotel on (021) 4779300.

Aims of the Competition

The aim of the Kinsale Winter Open is to

Organisers

Organiser

In cooperation with the Kinsale Chess Mates, the Cork Chess Club and the Irish Chess Union (ICU), the competition will be organised by the Piece of Chess under the FIDE tournament regulations.

Arbiters

Sponsors

Tournament Committee

Structure

Seeding and Section Eligibility

Kinsale Winter Open will be held across three sections to ensure players are matched with similarly rated opponents, while also allowing for a clear winner to be determined in each category:

  1. Section "1900+": Open to players with an Elo rating of 1900 or higher.
  2. Section "1500+": Open to players with an Elo rating between 1500 and 1949.
  3. Section "Challengers": Open to players with an Elo rating of 1549 or lower.

The following criteria shall be used to determine players’ seeding and eligibility for sections, in the order listed:

  1. The player’s most recent FIDE rating.
  2. If no FIDE rating is available, the player’s most recent ICU rating.
  3. If no ICU rating is available, the player’s most recent National Federation Rating (if verified).
  4. If multiple ratings exist, the highest available rating shall take precedence.
  5. Unrated and provisionally rated players will normally be placed in the Challengers Section, unless the arbiter, in consultation with the player, determines that a different section is more appropriate.

Organisers will take into account the player's preference on section where the player is eligible in more than one.

Format

Individual competition, all Sections are organised in a five (5) rounds Swiss (Dutch) tournament format under the FIDE regulations.

Participants

Participants are defined as players who have registered and paid the entry fee through the ICU website and who are not under suspension from participating in events organised by FIDE, the ICU, or any Irish Provincial Union.

A player may register for only one Section, and only if they meet the published Elo-rating requirements (or other eligibility criteria) for that Section.

Time allotment

90 minutes + 30 seconds per move on the clocks. Based on the current Laws of Chess, players must record their moves until the end of the game.

Default time: 30 minutes.

Points

Tie-breaks

In case of a tie, the individual ranking is determined by so-called:

Dates and Venue

  • Venue: Trident Hotel Kinsale, Co. Cork, EIR: P17NT38
  • Location: On Google Maps
  • Registration deadline: No later than 1st January, 2026, 23:59 Dublin Time on the event page.
  • Schedule of events:
    • Checking presence of players ends at: 2nd January, 2026 17:45 (pairings are made afterwards).
    • Opening ceremony: 2nd January, 2026 17:45
    • Round 1: 2nd January 2026, 18:00
    • Round 2: 3rd January 2026, 10:00
    • Round 3: 3rd January 2026, 15:00
    • Round 4: 4th January 2026, 9:00
    • Round 5: 4th January 2026, 14:00
    • Prize giving is shortly after the last round (around 6pm).

Travelling options

Kinsale is located 30km south from Cork. Can be accessed

Accommodation and Hotels

We highly recommend that participants book their stay in Kinsale, with the Trident Hotel Kinsale as the main tournament venue. Kinsale offers a wide range of accommodation options to suit different needs and budgets. If you are travelling with children, please, call them on (021) 4779300, the online book registration will not work.

Hotels within or near walking distance:

Other nearby options:

Fees

All Sections:

Fee for appeals: €50 (refunded if the appeal is accepted).

Awards and Prizes

Current Prizefund is €2,000 subject to entry. Grading Prizes (GP) will be awarded in each section using tie-breaks where necessary (see also Terms and Conditions).

Tournament Rules and Terms

  1. FIDE Laws of Chess and standard tournament regulations apply, including, but not limited to, FIDE’s Anti-Cheating Regulations and Anti-Cheating Protection Measures.
  2. Ratings
    1. All games played in the tournament are rated by the ICU.
    2. Games Sections 1500+ and 1900+ are also FIDE-rated.
  3. Presence and Defaults
    1. Default time is 30 minutes.
    2. Players will be defaulted if they are not present at their board within the default time.
    3. Should a player fail to appear for a round and not inform the arbiters, they shall be withdrawn from the tournament.
  4. Parings and re-pairings
    1. Pairings will be conducted according to the FIDE Swiss Pairing rules using FIDE-approved software.
    2. Re-pairing may take place, at the arbiters' discretion, up to the default time plus 10 minutes after the start of any round to provide additional playing opportunities. The lost time is shared between the players uniformly. Any player refusing to play a re-paired game will be deemed to have lost by default.
  5. Appeals against decisions
    1. A Players' Committee will be appointed before the start of the tournament.
    2. Decisions of an arbiter may be appealed to the Players' Committee, provided that the appeal is submitted in writing, and the fee for appeal is paid within 30 minutes of the arbiter's decision. The fee is refunded if the appeal is accepted.
  6. Electronic devices
    1. FIDE tournament rules and regulations shall apply. Players must not have any electronic device powered on, carried (regardless its power state), accessed, or used to communicate in the Playing Area during the game, unless explicitly permitted by an arbiter (e.g., for medical devices). Failure to comply will result in forfeiture of the game.
    2. All devices must be powered off and stored in designated areas as directed by the arbiter and may only be accessed with the arbiter’s permission.
  7. Playing conditions
    1. Chess sets and clocks will be provided for all games. This may include digital boards and online broadcasting.
    2. At the end of each game, players must reset the board and pieces correctly.
    3. Chess sets and clocks must not be removed from the playing area.
    4. Organisers will try to provide sets for analysis outside the playing area; however, players are encouraged to bring their own sets to guarantee availability.
  8. Recording of moves
    1. All moves must be recorded on the provided scoresheet in accordance with the FIDE Laws of Chess, including situations when a player's remaining time falls below 5 minutes.
    2. The tournament may use electronic scoresheets.
    3. Scoresheets, whether paper or electronic, remain the property of the organiser. An electronic scoresheet with an evident defect shall be replaced by the arbiter.
    4. If a player is unable to record their moves, they may provide an assistant, acceptable to the arbiter, to record the moves. The arbiter shall adjust the clock in an equitable manner, except in cases where the player has a disability.
    5. No claims regarding game results can be based solely on the recordings from digital boards.

Terms and Conditions

Entries

  1. Submission of an entry form and payment of the entry fee constitutes acceptance of the tournament terms and conditions.
  2. Players entering the tournament must not be under suspension from participating in events organised by FIDE, the ICU, or any Irish Provincial Union. Suspended players are ineligible until their suspension has been officially lifted.
  3. All Irish participants must be current members of the ICU and in good standing.
  4. The size of the venue is limited to 120 players for the competition, all sections included.
  5. A player may register for only one section, and only if they meet the published Elo-rating requirements (or other eligibility criteria) for that section.
  6. If a player is entered into a section for which their current rating makes them ineligible, they will be moved to the appropriate section.
  7. The organisers will take into account participants’ preferences for playing in any section for which they are eligible.
  8. All entries are subject to approval by the Tournament Committee. The Committee’s decision is final in all matters, and they reserve the right to refuse entry without providing a reason.
  9. To maximise opportunities to play (see Aims of the Competition), if two overlapping sections have an uneven number of players and no participant has volunteered to be reseeded before Round 1, the following procedure shall apply:
    1. The two (2) lowest-ranked players in the higher section and the two (2) highest-ranked players in the lower section will be consulted, in that order, about moving section.
    2. If none of these players agree to change sections, the arbiter will decide which player(s) to reseed.

Prizes

  1. No player may win more than one prize.
  2. Prize money for tied positions (1st–3rd) will be shared equally among the tied players.
  3. Unrated players or players with provisional ratings who win the Challengers or 1500+ sections will receive 50% of the standard prize money.
  4. Prizes will be paid via bank transfer following the completion of the tournament.
  5. Prize claims must be submitted with a valid bank account within 60 days after the last day of the event.

Data protection and privacy

Code of Conduct

  1. General Rules.
    • The ICU's Code of Conduct applies to all participants, organisers, arbiters, and spectators.
    • All players are expected to behave in line with the Aims of the Competition.
  2. Special rules of the tournament
    • Smoking is strictly prohibited inside all Irish hotels.
    • Consumption of alcoholic beverages at the board is not allowed if playing against a minor.

Abbreviations

Created 2025-08-27 ◦ Last updated 2025-10-01 ◦ Editor ZK

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