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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:
18 April 2026
For more information about chess for over-50s, please see our Seniors news and Seniors introduction pages.
In recent weeks we added some new tournaments and details, indicated by ** at the start of the listings. The busy season for senior tournaments has now begun, the highlight being the World Senior Team Championships which start tomorrow.
The latest tournament added to our calendar is Kilkenny (in November), an Irish weekend congress that is always popular with overseas (especially French) visitors and which usually has several GMs and other titled players in its Open section. This is the second time they have included a seniors event in their programme, which this year will be 60+ (for players born in 1966 or earlier).
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.
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.
There is 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 have a chess-results page.
** 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. Our special report page and the official event website are now live. The first round is on Sunday afternoon.
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.
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.
11-17 May: The Austrian Open Seniors at St. Veit an der Glan, Carinthia, over 7 rounds. Prizes for 50+, 65+ and Nestors (75+). If there are sufficient entries (at least 25 players per group) then the 50+ will be a separate tournament from the older players. Details (PDF in German) and chess-results page.
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.
** 16-23 May: The Tatrafest Seniors in Slovakia. There is not much information in English on their official website. We tried to download their file (PDF in Slovak) but our antivirus program blocked it as dangerous. In previous years the games were in the evenings.
** 21-29 May: Oberpfalz Open Seniors at Neustadt an der Weinstrasse in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany is now cancelled (abgesagt) according to the German calendar.
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 Förderkreis der Senioren im DSB, have 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 last November: 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 live yet. It was very hot in Acqui Terme during 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: the 11th Senior Open of Baden-Württemberg at the Kurhaus in Bad Herrenalb (9 rounds, 60+); 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 Championships of Lower Saxony at Magdeburg (50+ and 65+). Information on the tournament website. There are also 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.
**25-31 July: The Open Danish Senior Championship (50+ and 65+) at Løgumkloster, a small town in Jutland. Foreign players can participate, but the Danish Championship titles and travel prizes can only be won by players who are DEN-registered with FIDE. The organisers sent us a PDF in English with tournament details and the accommodation offer.
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+) 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 released full details (PDF in English) for the Olomouc Chess Summer in Moravia. The varied programme of events includes nine-round 50+ and 65+ Senior tournaments as well as an Open, rapid, blitz, etc. There are two rounds on the second day (Monday 17th).
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.
21-29 August: We are informed that the annual Festival of the Echiquier Dieppois in Dieppe, France, is enjoyable and includes a 50+ tournament called the "Open des Rois" for which there are apparently only three places left. The official website is now online and here is the full information about the various events (PDF in French).
** 23-29 August: Munich Open Seniors Championship (60+, 7 rounds). Restricted to 64 players. First round at 1pm, the others start at 11am. Details (PDF in German).
** 26 August-5 September: The European Senior Team Championships (50+ and 65+) at Hersonissos, on 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 regulations and invitation document (PDF in English) are now available.
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.
7-15 September: 32nd Bad Bertricher Schachtage (50+) at Bad Bertrich in the Rheinland-Palatinate region of Germany. Nine rounds starting at 10am, except day one. As with many German events, the generous time limit with an extra half hour added after move 40 applies in addition to the 30 second increment from move one. The full tournament announcement can be downloaded from us (PDF in English) and in several other languages from the tournament website, which is impressive. Our informant, Gunnar Johnsen from Tromsų in Norway, kindly informs us: "Fine playing hall with AC. Quiet, but cosy village in the Moselle valley. Organiser: Dr. Mathias Kleifges."
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.
** 3-11 October: The 48th Città di Arco chess festival in north Italy includes the Arco Seniors (B section, 65+) alongside an Open (A section). Nine rounds with afternoon play except on the last day. Details in multingual PDF.
** 12-18 October: We now have the details (PDF in German) for the increasingly popular Lower Austrian Seniors. The venue is the Gasthof Goldenes Schiff in scenic Spitz an der Donau, right by the Danube river in the wine-growing Wachau region of Austria, organised by schach50plus. This is a 60+ tournament with one prize for the best Nestor (born 1951 or earlier). It will be played over seven rounds starting at 9am (ouch!), except in round one, to leave the rest of the day free for hiking and drinking. A chess-results page shows who has entered so far. We are certainly considering going to this tournament. We are told the transfer from Vienna airport is easy by train and bus.
The Saxon Seniors is usually held around this time of year in Dresden but apparently no details have been announced yet for 2026.
24 October-1 November: The English Seniors Championships (50+ and 65+) will be held on these dates, alongside the main English Championships, at the Holiday Inn Peterborough West. For details see the ECF website. Unlike the British Championships in August, these tournaments are only for ENG-registered players.
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. No details or entry form have yet been released. Likely to be well supported by Russian players; we therefore choose to boycott it. NB: the dates on the German calendar have at last been fixed and are now correct..
** 7-14 November: The 2026 Open Cap Negret (50+ and 65+) at the Hotel Cap Negret, Altea, Spain, over nine rounds. Most games start at 4.30pm but rounds 1, 2 and 9 start at 10am. Details (PDF in English). The nearest airport is Alicante. We have received many recommendations about this event from English players. Some rounds will be in the morning while most start at 4.30pm. Registration for the tournament increases in price after 1 June. Accommodation must be booked separately with the hotel.
** 20-22 November: Senior (60+) tournament at the ever-opular Kilkenny Chess Congress in Ireland's oldest inland town. Five rounds, FIDE-rated. Byes possible. Details including an entry form (in MS Word format) are already available on the Irish Chess Union website.
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. Details (PDF in German). For women born in 1971 or earlier, men born 1966 or earlier. Nestoren, women's and rating prizes also.
26 November-4 December: The First Binz Senior Winter on the Baltic island of Rügen, organised by Wolfgang Fiedler. This is a 9-round 50+ tournament. Full details (PDF in German) and link to the Congress website.
We note that a few dates for early 2027 are already mentioned on the German calendar. In the coming weeks we shall be looking more actively to see what has been announced for next year.
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