49th Nottingham Congress

Saturday 18th - Sunday 19th April 2026

5-Round standard play congress - FIDE & ECF rated Open, Major, Intermediate, Minor, Improvers

For further information, please download our Entry Form

FREE for GMs, WGMs, IMs and WIMs

GMs, WGMs, IMs and WIMs please fill in online form but do not pay, and then contact us via the contact tab and we will complete the registration process

Sections

* Players must have Gold ECF membership, otherwise a £16 (£6.50 juniors) pay to play fee applies. There is a £5 discount for juniors (Under 18 on 01/01/26).

** Unrated players cannot win a rating prize

Entries will be posted on the website following receipt of payment. The controllers’ decisions will be final on all matters regarding this tournament. The right to refuse or transfer entries without giving a reason is reserved. Cheques will not be banked until a week before the event. Unrated players will be asked to give evidence of their playing strength or they may be moved to a higher section or withdrawn. Please enter early. A late payment fee becomes payable after 14th April 2026.

Venue

Nottingham High School Forest Road East Nottingham NG1 4HH

Tram / train:

Follow the signs from the railway station to the tram. Tram departures to Hucknall or Phoenix Park are every 5 minutes. Nottingham High School is the 5th stop and takes around 9 minutes. Proceed up the hill to the traffic lights. Turn right onto Forest Road East and the school entrance is 100m on the right.

Car:

Use NG1 4HH for satnavs. From Nottingham city centre follow A60(N) Mansfield. Turn left onto Forest Road East. School entrance and car park is about 500m on the left. Organisers are not liable for any loss or damage to vehicles using the car park.

Refreshments

Sainsbury’s Local on the corner of Forest Road West and Waverley Street (next to High School tram stop). Homemade Cafe in Pavillion of Forest Recreation Ground Arboretum Cafe at bottom entrance to the Arboretum, Waverley Street (follow tram track down the hill from the High School tram stop). No hot food may be brought into the venue.

NOTES FOR COMPETITORS

• ECF rated standard play event.
• Maximum permitted entries: 200.
• There will be no prize-giving, prizes will be paid by bank transfer.
• Prize money will be shared in the event of a tie. Players can only win one prize, the largest they are eligible for.
• Sections may be merged & prizes redistributed if numbers are low, additional prizes may be awarded if numbers are sufficient.
• A full refund will be given for withdrawals notified before 15-04-26, minus an administrative fee of £2, reimbursed after the event. Later withdrawals will be charged a £5 late withdrawal fee.
• The default time will be 30 minutes after the start of the round.
• Pairings will be made using Swiss Manager, pairings and results will be published on chess-results.com before the start of each round.
• The April 2026 ECF and FIDE OTB rating lists have precedence for allocating players to sections. Standard play takes precedence over rapid when players have both. Players without a FIDE ID code will be registered as ENG. Unrated players must provide information about their playing ability, including previous results and any rating previously held. Unrated players cannot win rating prizes..
• Free limited car parking on site, all vehicles parked at owner’s risk.
• No smoking/vaping anywhere on site. Participation is at your own risk.
• We hope to offer hot drinks for sale on site; players are encouraged to bring their own food. No hot food may be brought into the venue.
• Organisers and arbiters will only take responsibility for children in the playing area, during their games. Outside of the playing area, parents must take responsibility for their children.