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Editor: Dr Tim Harding |
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Editor: Dr Tim Harding |
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© Dr Tim Harding
Last modified:
22 January 2026
For more information about chess for over-50s, please see our Seniors news and Seniors introduction pages.
Entries are now open for the 2026 European senior individual championships (50+ and 65+), to be played in Acqui Terme, Italy. You can download the invitation document below.
Play is at 3pm each day starting on 2nd June. As usual there are nine rounds with no rest day. The document states that women will play in separate tournaments if there are more than nine entries.
Entries are also open for the 2026 World Senior Team Championships to be held in Albania in April. In our listings below we provide links to the invitation document and entry form, which can also be found on the FIDE website.
Earlier this month the European Chess Union finally announced new dates and venue for the European Senior Team Championships. Greece is still the organising federation but instead of Rhodes, as previously announced, the venue will be Iraklion in Crete, starting in late August. It is too early to expect the release of full details but at least this is progress.
Below you can find listings of more than 40 tournaments for senior players in Europe next year. I think there have never been so many options for the over-50s to play chess events against one's own age group.
Recent additions and updates are, as usual, indicated by ** at the start of the listing.
Players from abroad who are new to senior chess should note that it is usually necessary to have a FIDE registration from your home country before entering events listed on this page. If you don't have one, contact your local federation.
Note that German tournaments usually start with an afternoon round (to allow for personal registration of players arriving on the day or the previous evening), after which the remaining rounds start after breakfast. Also some events have limited numbers because of venue capacity and can book out early, so don't book travel until your entry is confirmed.
We concentrate here on European tournaments, but may sometimes mention major events on other continents. As always, we check the German Federation Senior tournaments calendar regularly. This sometimes shows tournaments before we do, but often we are first. We also regularly search on chess-results.com and we sometimes find a few events (mostly in Austria) which we add below if relevant.
We also just discovered another German senior calendar and news page at the Schach50plus website that you may find useful.
Newly announced events are added to this page when we find out about them. We know that these pages are widely read but we rely on readers and friends to notify us of many events. Tournament organisers rarely send us announcements in good time.
Please inform us if you know of an international senior tournament that is not mentioned. In our calendar we include only those tournaments which are described as Open and FIDE-rated. In most cases we omit events restricted to players from one country or which are played over an extended period so are unsuitable for overseas visitors.
German senior tournament age limits vary a lot, so always check your eligibility if you are thinking of going. For tournaments run on FIDE Senior rules, you do not have to wait for your birthday; you are qualified from 1 January in the year in which you reach the qualifying age.
The qualifying birth years for the two FIDE age groups in 2026 are 1976 for 50+ tournaments, 1961 (for 65+ events) and also 1951 for "Nestor" (75+) events and prizes.
Our Seniors introduction page explains in more detail.
17-24 January: The annual Marienbad Chess Festival at the Continental Hotel, Marianszke Lazne, also part of the Czech Tour. There are numerous sections including section D, a Seniors tournament (50+). Details of all events (PDF in English) and chess-results page.
** 2-6 February: The Scottish Seniors at Hamilton (50+, 5 rounds). There may be a separate 65+ section if entries are sufficient;' otherwise one section with the 65+ title for the highest placed eligible player. Prizes are dependent on entries. Details on the Chess Scotland website. Chess-results page.
** 3-12 February: The 42nd Open Berlin Senior Individual Championship. Details are available (PDF in German) but we understand the tournament is full and alreday has a long waiting list.
14-20 February: Senior (50+) tournament (7 rounds) as part of the Graz, Austria, international chess festival. Here is the chess-results page for the Seniors.
15-21 February: The 3rd Thuringian Open Seniors (50+) at the Hotel Leonardo in Weimar (7 rounds, morning play except round one). Details (PDF in German). You can enter by email or use the form on the tournament website. There is now a chess-results page.
16-20 February: The Isle of Wight congress at Ryde, Isle of Wight (off the Hampshire coast in England), will have a 7-round 50+ tournament for the first time alongside other 7-round amateur events and a GM tournament (16-22 February). Two double round days but we are told you can take two half-point byes. Details are now available on the organiser's website.
23-27 February: The Open Senior Championship of Brandenburg at Trebbin. Dates were recently announced on the German calendar but no details as yet; presumably there will be two rounds on some of the days.
13-21 March: The 41st annual chess festival at Bad Worishöfen, Bavaria, has three groups including a 60+ senior tournament. This is a popular and attractive event because the games are in the afternoon except for round 9. The organisers' website has an entry form and an English-language PDF is available now.
17-24 March: The 4th Nestoren tournament (75+) at the Undeloh Hof on the Lüneburger Heide, northern Germany, is announced on the tournament website. The venue is restricted to 70 players.
** 11-19 April: The First Binz Senior Spring on the Baltic island of Rügen, organised by Wolfgang Fiedler. This is a 9-round 50+ tournament; players born 1976 or earlier are eligible. Full details (PDF in German). They also now have a chess-results page and an official website.
18-26 April: The 14th Schach-Senioren-Cup (60+) at Rottach-Egern on the Tegernsee in Bavaria. This is also a 9-round 50+ tournament; players born 1976 or earlier are eligible. Details and a registration form are now available on the official website. They started a chess-results page but with no entries listed as yet.
18-29 April: The FIDE World Senior Team Championships (50+ and 65+) at Durres, Albania, the resort which was the venue for the 2023 European Club Cup. The invitation document (PDF in English) and entry form (MS Word file) can be downloaded here. An official event website will be launched later.
20-25 April: The Offene Niedersächsische (Lower Saxony) Senioren-Meisterschaft at Sottrum, Germany, is announced on the German calendar without further details. This is an annual event in Lower Saxony.
** The English Seniors Championships (50+ and 65+) are usually held around April/May but the ECF website still says that there are no further details at this stage. This is probably because the World Senior Teams are so close to the May bank holiday. Unlike the British Championships in August, these tournaments are only for ENG-registered players.
29 April-3 May: Serpiano O50 Open (5 rounds) at Hotel Serpiano, near Lugano in the Ticino canton of Switzerland as part of the Swiss tour. Organisers' website and Details in English (PDF). There is also a 5-round weekend General Open on 1-3 May.
1-3 May: The second International Open of Masters of Time de Castres: 6 rounds, 50+. Time limit: 60 minutes each for the game with 30 second increment. Details on the French Federation website.
3-9 May: The 33rd Oberlausitzer Seniors will be played over seven rounds at Großschönau in Saxony (close to the Czech border) in two age groups: 60+ and 70+. Organisers' website and Details (PDF in German). Play is in the mornings except for round one. There will also be a blitz tournament on May 5th.
** 9-17 May: The 36th Bavarian Senior Individual Championships at Bergen/Chiemsee. Tournament details (PDF in German) and chess-results page. For players born in 1966 or earlier. Nine rounds with morning play (except round 1). Maximum particpants 100.
10-16 May: The popular 10th international Bodensee Senior Open in Bregenz on Lake Constance, Austria. Over seven rounds with morning play, for men 60+ and women 55+. The Open is a 9-round event with afternoon play (except the last round) from 9-17 May so it is possible to play both events, but why not enjoy the scenery? Full details are now available: organisers' home page in English, PDF invitation (in German) and a chess-results entry list.
14-17 May: Second International Open of Masters of Time de Carcassonne: 7 rounds, 50+. Time limit: 60 minutes each for the game with 30 second increment. Details on the French Federation website. This is a longer event than the others in the series. Round 1 is at 5pm on Ascension Thursday, a major public holiday in France.
15-24 May: The ACO Super Seniors (65+) at the Atlantica Belvedere Resort on the Greek island of Kos. Regulations (PDF in English) and the organisers' website. Limited to around 100 players in seven ratings-based sections as usual. ACO tournaments are not FIDE rated, however; these are just holiday events.
** 21-29 May: Oberpfalz Open Seniors at Neustadt an der Weinstrasse in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. The organisers' website which has all the details. This is a 9-round 50+ tournament with some prizes for women and Nestors. Few entries as yet on their chess-results page.
23-25 May: Second International Open of Masters of Time de Cahors: 6 rounds, 50+. Time limit: 60 minutes each for the game with 30 second increment. Details on the French Federation website. Eric Prié says that an additional 1,000 Euro may be added to the prize fund for this tournament.
27 May-4 June: The Chess Classics Bad Neuenahr 2026 at the restored Kursaal of the Steigenberger Hotel. This town, which was devastated by the Ahr valley floods a few years ago, is near the Rhine at Remagen (where the nearest railway station is situated). Details are now available. Three sections: 50+, 65+ and 75+. The organisers, the F rderkreis der Senioren im DSB, have now started a dedicated tournament website. The regulations are available to download here (PDF in German). We also have two images of the colour brochure we picked up while in Germany: page 1 and page 2.
** 1-11 June: The European Senior (individual) Championships at Acqui Terme, in north-west Italy. The invitation document (PDF in English) can be downloaded from our site or you can go to the European Chess Union website but the official website for the tournament is not ready yet. It was very hot in Acqui Termeduring the team championships in June a few years ago. We advise 65+ players to pay extra for an air conditioned hotel room.
11-19 June: The 4th Senior/Nestoren Open in the Spessart Forum at Bad Soden/Salmünster. Maximum 60 competitors. Advance details (PDF in German).
12-20 June 2026: The German calendar announces these dates for the 43rd Frankische Open Seniors at Bischofsgrün (Fichtelgebirge) but there are no details yet.
19-26 June: The 33rd annual German-run Brandenburg tournament in Miedzyzdroje (Poland). Details (PDF in German).
26 June-4 July: We have information about the 11th Senior Open of Baden-Württemberg at the Kurhaus in Bad Herrenalb (9 rounds, 60+) and you can download the details (3-page PDF in German). The venue is described as "idyllic surroundings, beautiful spa house with a spacious ballroom, promenade hall, outdoor terrace and parking nearby." With prizes for the five best 75+ players and at least two women's prizes. There will be a 60+ blitz tournament on 30th June. We found a chess-results entry list.
6-12 July: The 34th Senior Open Championship of Lower Saxony at Magdeburg. We have no further details except separate chess-results links for the 50+ section and the 65+ section which so far has many more entries.
** The German individual senior (closed) championships (50+ and 65+) will be played from 17-25 July in Dresden. Chess-results pages are already live.
1-9 August: The 12th International Arber Seniors (50+) alongside an Open, at Bodenmais in Bavaria. Details are available (PDF in German). Nine rounds, morning play except round 1.
** 3-9 August : The British Senior Championships (50+ and 65+ presumably) over 7 rounds as shown on the revised schedule recently posted for the British Championships (which start on 1 August). The venue is the University of Warwick campus at Coventry. These championships are usually open to citizens of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland and long-term British residents of other nationalities.
** 8-14 August: The annual Brugse Meesters in Bruges, Belgium, including a Seniors tournament. Details are now available on the organisers' Google pages. The Seniors is for players born in 1971 or earlier and there is another section for players rated below 1800 by FIDE. Registration is now open and the congress is limited to 400 players.
** 16-23 August: The Czech Tour organisers have announced these dates for the Olomouc Chess Summer in Moravia, which normally includes a Senior tournament but we do not have further details yet.
18-26 August: The 23rd Rhineland Palatinate Senior Open at Altenkirchen. There is a flyer to download (PDF in German) and also a chess-results entry list already. For men born 1966 or earlier, and women born 1971 or earlier. Limited to 120 competitors.
** 21-28 August: We are informed that there is an enjoyable annual Festival of the Echiquier Dieppois in Dieppe, France, including a 50+ tournament called the "Open des Rois". Only the 2026 dates are known so far but next year we shall try to obtain more details from the organiser.
** 26 August-5 September: The European Senior Team Championships (50+ and 65+) at Iraklion, the capital of the Greek island of Crete. For teams of four with an optional reserve; all players on a team must be from the same federation. The dates and venue have just been announced, full details of hotels etc. will probably not be released for several weeks.
29 August-6 September: The 4th Fränkisches Seniorenderby (50+) at Bischofsgrün, alongside the 2nd Ochsenkopfopen. They are calling it "the tournament also for chess-playing couples." Details are available (PDF in German) and also a chess-results entry list.
** The German senior team championships (50+ and 65+) for the states (Lands) will be played from 14-20 September in Bad Soden/Salmünster.
** 24 September-2 October: The 20th Open Senior Championship of Schleswig-Holstein at Büsum. No further details as yet.
** 1-10 October: The ACO Seniors "World Championship" (50+) at the 5* Fodele Beach Resort in Crete. Separate sections according to rating. Strictly holiday events; not FIDE rated and not genuine "world championships". Details on the organisers' website.
** 12-18 October: These dates are now announced for the increasingly popular Lower Austrian Seniors at scenic Spitz an der Donau in the wine-growing Wachau region of Austria, organised by schach50plus. Full details not shown there yet. It will be 60+ over seven rounds with morning play starting at 9am (ouch!) to leave the rest of the day free for hiking and drinking. A chess-results page is now started. We are certainly considering going to this tournament if somebody can tell us how non-drivers can get there from Vienna.
2-10 November: The 2nd Senioren im Spessartfestival (50+, 65+ and 75) at the Spessart Forum at Bad Soden-Salmünster, organised again by the Förderkreis der Senioren im DSB. Nine rounds instead of the seven played in 2025, with half-point byes allowed in rounds 2-5. We do not have a PDF for this event yet but we have scanned the leaflet we brought home, page 1 and page 2 (JPEG format in German).
2-15 November: The World Senior (individual) Championships at Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia. This spa town was the venue for many international chess tournaments played in the old Yugoslavia in the 20th century. The dates on the German calendar are wrong; they have not yet noted the change.
** 25 November-3 December: 26th Open Senior Championship of Mecklenburg-Vorpommen at the Hotel Kaiserhof in Heringsdorf. This annual event was held there for the first time in 2025. It remains to be seen whether the event in its previous venue (Binz) that clashed will be repeated next year. Details (PDF in German). For women born in 1971 or earlier, men born 1966 or earlier. Nestoren, women's and rating prizes also.
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