Sligo Chess & Culture Festival

The board received this call for participation from the organisator of the Sligo Chess & Culture Festival:

I am writing to ask for your assistance in reaching Belgian titled players who may be interested in pursuing International Master (IM) norms or competing in a strong international tournament at the Sligo Chess & Culture Festival 2027 in Ireland.

Our 9-Round Open takes place from 1–7 February 2027 and offers opportunities to achieve IM norms. We are assembling a strong international field and would be delighted to welcome Belgian players, both titled and non-titled.

We offer the following participation conditions:

• FMs, WFMs, WIMs and WGMs: Free entry to the 9-Round Open, Blitz Open and Rapid Open.
• IMs and GMs: Free entry, with additional participation conditions available by contacting me directly.

You can see the current registered players for our 9-Round Open here:

Our festival takes place from 29 January to 7 February at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa in Sligo, on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way.

We organise four FIDE-rated tournaments:

• Weekender (29–31 January): Five rounds, with five rating sections.
• 9-Round Open (1–7 February): Classical tournament open to all ratings, with IM norm opportunities.
• Blitz Open (1 February): 11 rounds, 3+2.
• Rapid Open (6 February): Seven rounds, 10+5.

Sligo is a beautiful destination for a visit to Ireland, with dramatic mountains, sandy beaches, traditional Irish music and a rich cultural heritage. Our festival also features cultural and social activities for players and accompanying family members.

I would be very grateful if you could circulate this invitation to Belgian titled players, national squads, women’s chess representatives, chess clubs and the wider chess community. We would be delighted to welcome a group of Belgian players to Sligo.

Full festival information, accommodation and registration: https://sligochessfestival.com

Many thanks for your assistance. I hope we can welcome some of your players in February.