WE ARE NOT AT PRESENT OPEN FOR ENTRIES TO THESE TOURNAMENTS
The Newport Chess Congress 2026
The Gwent County Chess Association invites you to enter:
OPEN, MAJOR (U1900), MINOR (U1650)
in conjunction with
The Newport Junior Chess Rapidplay 2026
Under 8, Under 10, Under 12
A Welsh Chess Union ratified FIDE Rated Tournament
Fri 14th, Sat 15th & Sun 16th August 2026
5 Round Swiss
All Section are FIDE rated
at
Rougemont School Auditorium, Malpas Road, Newport, NP20 6QB, Cymru
T-Shirt Stall at Newport Chess Congress
I am very happy to announce that Lynda Smith will be bringing her range of chess T-shirts to the Newport Congress. Many designs in both adult (as worn by GM Keith Arkell) and kids ranges.These T-shirts will be at a discounted price for the duration of the tournament and the stall will be open on Saturday and Sunday. If you would like a sneak peek at the designs please visit: www.rankandsmile.co.uk
| OPEN | Open to FIDE Registered members of the WCU or other National Body. |
| MAJOR (U1900) | Open to any FIDE registered members of the WCU or other National Body with a published rating of: Under 1900 FIDE. National ratings will be used where a player has no FIDE rating. |
| MINOR (U1650) | Open to any FIDE registered members of the WCU or other National Body with a published rating of: Under 1650 FIDE. National ratings will be used where a player has no FIDE rating. |
Timetable
| Friday 15th August: | Junior Rapidplay: 10am to 5pm. Round 1: 10.00am Round 2: 11.30am Round 3: 2.00pm Round 4: 3.30pm Welcome to Main Congress: 6.30pm. Round 1: 6.45pm. |
| Saturday 16th August: | Round 2: 10.00am. Round 3: 3.00pm. |
| Sunday 17th August: | Round 4: 10.00am. Round 5: 3.00pm. Prize giving: 6.30pm or soon after. |
Rate of Play
MAIN CONGRESS: Each Player Receives –
90 mins plus 30 sec increment per move (from move one).
JUNIOR RAPIDPLAY: Each Player Receives –
30 mins plus 10 sec increment per move (from move one).
Digital clocks will be used.
Regulations
Entries will be accepted up to 11.59pm on Tuesday 11th Aug 2026. Entrants after this time/date are subject to availability and payment of a £10 surcharge.
| Prizes: | No player may win more than one prize. In the event of a tie prize money will be shared (no tie breaks will be used). |
| Late Arrival: | Competitors will be allowed 30 minutes on their clocks in any round and then defaulted. |
| Appeals: | Any appeal against the Arbiter’s decision will be subject to a formal appeals procedure, to be detailed at the event. |
| Exclusions/Transfers: | The organisers reserve the right to refuse or transfer entries. |
| Smoking/Vaping: | Smoking or Vaping permitted only in designated areas outside the venue. See organiser. |
| Entry Requirement | All players must be a registered member of the WCU or other National Body. The WCU Registration form can be obtained by clicking on DOWNLOAD. Note registrations using this application form are valid for the 2026-2027 season. |
| Players from England | Players from England are asked to advise the ECF on gpa@englishchess.org.uk if they wish to be graded as playing in an out of England tournament by the ECF. FIDE ratings will be submitted as normal. |
| Junior Prize | Note that at least 4 Juniors (i.e. at least 2 from England and 2 from Wales) are required in each of the Minor, Major and Open sections for this prize to be available in the respective section. CAN be won together with another prize (i.e. 1st, 2nd or 3rd prize). |
| Rating Prize | Any change in Rating Prizes will be announced at the event. |
Note: July 2026 FIDE ratings are used for entry in this order: FIDE, WCU, ECF or other National Body.
If a player wishing to enter the Major or Minor does not have a rating, please consult the organiser before entering. The latest published ratings (FIDE – WCU – ECF) will be used for pairings and rating prizes.
Organisers
Kevin Staveley, David Norris
Prize Fund
| Open | Major | Minor | |
| First Prize | £300 | £240 | £180 |
| Second Prize | £200 | £160 | £120 |
| Third Prize | £100 | £80 | £60 |
The Robert Graham Taylor Memorial Trophy will be presented to the highest placed Welsh person in the OPEN.
Enquiries to: organiser@newportchesscongress.uk