Entries Welcome for 2026 Northumbria Masters
2026 Northumbria Masters & Darlington ChessFest
Entries are now open for the 2026 Northumbria Masters (26-31 August at Darlington’s Dolphin Centre), a six-day, nine-round FIDE-rated congress.
Please enter online here: https://northumbriamasters.com
Tournaments include:
- Open Super-Swiss (eligible for title norms): £3,000 in prizes
- Challengers (U-2000 FIDE): £1175 in prizes
- Major (U-1700 FIDE): £900 in prizes
- IM Norm Round Robin
- FIDE-rated Blitz: £300 in prizes
PLUS: Darlington ChessFest 2026
This will take place on Horsemarket Square, Sunday August 24, 3pm-7pm. Live Chess Games, Challenge the Master, Simultaneous Displays, Chess Lessons, Friendly Games. Free entry, all welcome!
Many thanks to sponsors John Robinson Youth Chess Trust, The Chess Trust, English Chess Federation Grassroots Initiative, Chess in Schools & Communities, The Friends of Chess, Northumberland Chess Association, Durham County Chess Association, Northumbria Junior Chess Association.
- NORTHUMBRIA MASTERS OPEN (FIDE-rated, eligible for title norms)
Prizes: £1,000, £650, £450, £300, £200
Top Female Player: £100, Top Junior (U-18) £100, Top Senior (50+) £100, Top U-2200 FIDE £100
Entry Fees:
GM, WGM, IM, WIM: Free
FM, WFM: £40
2000+ FIDE: £75
U-2000 FIDE: £100
- NORTHUMBRIA CHALLENGERS (FIDE-rated)
For players rated Under 2000 FIDE
Prizes: £500, £250, £125
Top Female Player: £75, Top Junior (U-18) £75, Top Senior (50+) £75, Top U-1750 FIDE £75
Entry Fee: £50
- NORTHUMBRIA MAJOR (FIDE-rated)
For players rated Under 1700 FIDE
Prizes: £400, £200, £100
Top Female Player: £50, Top Junior (U-18) £50, Top Senior (50+) £50, Top U-1550 FIDE £50
Entry Fee: £45
- NORTHUMBRIA IM ROUND ROBIN (FIDE-rated, eligible for title norms)
Entry fees: IMs by invitation only
2350+: £200
2300+: £250
2250+: £300
- FIDE-Rated BLITZ
Prizes: £100, £50, £30
Top Female Player £25, Top Junior (U-18) £25, Top Senior (50+) £25, Top Under 2000 FIDE £25
ECF Membership and Pay-to-Play Fees:
Title norm events: 1 (MASTERS OPEN) and 4 (IM ROUND ROBIN) – Entrants should be ECF Gold or ECF Junior Gold members (or above), or a member of another national chess federation. England-affiliated non-ECF Gold members should pay a play-to-fee of £16 (£6.50 for juniors Under 18).
Non-title norm events: 2 (CHALLENGERS) and 3 (MAJOR): Regardless of national chess federation affiliation, all entrants should be ECF Gold or ECF Junior Gold members (or above). Non-ECF Gold members should pay a play-to-fee of £16 (£6.50 for juniors Under 18).
Other events: 5 BLITZ: No ECF membership is required to play in the FIDE-rated Blitz, but players should register for a FIDE ID before the tournament.
Rating:
All tournaments will be FIDE- and ECF-rated.
Time controls:
The time control for events 1-4 (MASTERS OPEN, CHALLENGERS, MAJOR & IM ROUND ROBIN) will be all moves in 90 minutes, plus 30 seconds per move.
Players in these events are required to write down all their moves.
The time control for event 5, the FIDE-rated Blitz, will be all moves in 3 minutes, plus 2 seconds per move.
Playing Schedule:
Events 1-4 (MASTERS OPEN, CHALLENGERS, MAJOR & IM ROUND ROBIN)
Round 1: Wednesday 26 August, 6:00pm
Round 2: Thursday 27 August, 10:00am
Round 3: Thursday 27 August, 3:00pm
Round 4: Friday 28 August, 10:00am
Round 5: Friday 28 August, 3:00pm
Round 6: Saturday 29 August, 10:00am
Round 7: Saturday 29 August, 3:00pm
Round 8: Sunday 30 August, 10:00am
(please note: on Sunday 30 August, 3:00pm-7:00pm, Darlington Chess Festival will be taking place on Horse Market Square)
Round 9: Monday 31 August, 10:00am
Event 5 (FIDE-RATED BLITZ)
Thursday 27 August at 8:00pm