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The 3rd Wells Chess Congress

& West of England Championships

An ECF International Series 2026 Tournament

March 6th - 8th 2026

Wells Town Hall, Market Square, Wells, Somerset, BA5 2RB

5-Round ECF rated Swiss tournament sponsored by Rugantino in Wells

Open, Major and Intermediate are FIDE-rated

Flyer Information | Parking in Wells | Web Site

Sections
SectionOpenMajor U1950Intermediate U1750Minor U1550
First Prize£600£400£300£200
Second Prize£300£200£150£100
Third Prize£150£100£75£50
Grading Prizes (2 per section)£50 X2£40 X2£25 X2£25 X2
Junior Prizes£50£40£25£25
Entry Fee£40£40£30£30

Entry fees above are for ECF Gold or Platinum members in all four sections. For other entrants of either non-members or Bronze members an additional charge may apply. There is a £5 discount for Juniors.

Additional Prizes and Offers

Our Congress falls on International Women's Day and we are looking to promote Women's Chess this with support from ECF and FIDE. We are delighted to be able to offer a £10 discount on entry fees to the first 12 females who book their place at the Congress. To claim this discount please just email Wells Congress Entries. and notify that you have signed up. A refund on your entry fee will be sent. Plus there's an additional £280 prize pot specifically for women and girls. This will be allocated as below

  • £150 - Top female player in Open Section
  • £70 - Top female player outside the Open Section
  • £60 - Top girl (female U18) in the competition
We are looking to have 1 junior prize and 2 grading prizes per section, dependant to the number of entries. We also have a Rugantino Team prize of £80 for the highest combined score from a team made up from the same club.

Late Entries

On-line entries will be accepted up to midnight at the end of the day on Thursday 5th March 2026. If you wish to apply later than that, please email Wells Congress Entries There is a £5 fee for any entries from 1st March 2026

Rate of Play

90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move from start of game (all sections).

Timetable

Please arrive in plenty of time to start each round promptly.

Round 1: Friday 6.45pm
Round 2: Saturday 10.00am
Round 3: Saturday 3.00pm
Round 4: Sunday 10.00am
Round 5: Sunday 3.00pm
Finish Sunday 7pm

Conditions of Entry

Participation in this Congress implies acceptance of the Congress Competition Rules.

Players with a health condition

 Please send a description of any special requirements that you have, or of any considerations that would help you to take part in this event, to Wells Congress Entries.