Congress latest news:
2027 dates — Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd January 2027
Links:
🔗 Link to Live boards (DGT Viewer) // Link to Live Boards (Lichess)
The 2027 Congress will follow the successful format of previous years with a five-round event across four sections from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon.
LIVE DGT chess boards for the top boards in ALL sections
Large practice/study area with TV screens displaying matches from every section.
Chess Essentials book store
Date:
Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd January 2027
Location:
The Wrekin Housing Group, Colliers Way, Old Park, Telford, Shropshire, TF3 4AW
Sections and Prizes:
Open – ECF-rated
First £300, Second £150, Third £75
Major U1900 – ECF-graded
First £300, Second £150, Third £75
Intermediate U1700 – ECF-graded
First £300, Second £150, Third £75
Minor U1500 – ECF-graded
First £300, Second £150, Third £75
There will be up to 3 £50 rating prizes in every section
In the event of a shared place prize, all prize money will be split equally.
Best Performing Female Player
A £100 prize for the best performing female player in any section. This prize will be awarded to the female whose performance rating outperforms their own rating by the highest amount. Unrated players and defaults will be ignored from the calculation.
For calculating the average performance rating the “algorithm of 400” will be used: Performance rating = [(Total of opponents’ ratings + 400 * (Wins – Losses)) / Games]
Best Performing Shropshire Junior Player
The best performing Shropshire Junior will be awarded The Ray Cox Junior Trophy. This prize will be awarded to the Shropshire junior player who scores the highest number of points in any section. In the event of a tie on points, the trophy will be awarded to the junior with the highest bucholz score (sum of opponents scores).
To be eligible to win this trophy you must be:
– Born on or after 1st September 2008 and either:
– Resident in Shropshire or;
– Attend school in Shrosphire or;
– Attend a chess club in Shropshire
Entry fees:
All sections – Adult/Junior £39
ECF Congress fee for all sections if not Gold/Platinum member – additional £15
Playing Schedule:
Round 1 – Fri 1 Jan 2027 – 7pm – 11pm
Round 2 – Sat 2 Jan 2027 – 9.30am – 1.30pm
Round 3 – Sat 2 Jan 2027 – 2.30pm – 6.30pm
Round 4 – Sun 3 Jan 2027 – 9.30am – 1.30pm
Round 5 – Sun 3 Jan 2027 – 2.30pm – 6.30pm
There will not be a Prize giving ceremony; prizes will be paid to winners following the event.
Players may request a half-point bye in any one of the first four rounds at the time of entry.
Rate of Play
All moves in 100 minutes, plus 10 seconds per move, from move one.
(All moves to be recorded until your clock goes under 5 minutes remaining)
Ratings and gradings
ECF Ratings from the December 2026 ECF list will be used.
Other information
Disabled access, Free Parking on site
Arbiters: TBA
It is a requirement of the venue that all entrants must sign themselves in and out whenever they enter or leave the building.
Default time = 45 minutes
Entries will be capped at 180.
Catering and refreshments
Friday/Saturday evening- Light snacks and an honesty box
Saturday/Sunday- cooked breakfasts from the Wrekin Housing Group catering team
– main courses served from lunch time inc Sunday roast
Tea, coffee and soft drinks available throughout the weekend.
The menu and prices should be similar to last year:
Congress Terms and Conditions
It is a condition of entry that players agree to abide by the following Congress rules.
- Organisers reserve the right, without giving a reason, to transfer or refuse an entry.
- All players must sign in/sign out of the venue (for fire safety). The organisers reserve the absolute right to expel or deduct points from a player who refuses to abide by this rule. No refunds will be offered.
- Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the Wrekin Housing Group Site. The organisers have the absolute right to expel anyone found smoking on site (you must go down to the public road)
- December ECF Standardplay lists will be used to determine sections, seeding and rating prizes.
- Where a player has no rating or only a P rating the organisers will assign an estimate based on all available data. The organisers reserve the right to move unrated players into a higher section.
- If a player qualifies for more than one cash prize (except the women’s prize), they shall be paid the higher amount and the Congress organisers will decide how most fairly any balance shall be re-distributed.
- The default time is 45 minutes. A player who defaults will not be paired in subsequent rounds unless they contact the arbiter prior to that pairing.
- In the event of a dispute, the decision of the arbiter is final
- The organisers intend to take photographs at the event and possibly streatm video. Any photographs or videos taken at the event may be used for publicity purposes. If any entrant objects to this, they must inform the Congress Organiser.
- Players’ details will be held electronically for the purposes of administering and marketing Shropshire Chess Congresses; their entries will be published on the Congress website; and Congress results will be made available to the English Chess Federation (ECF) for rating purposes and will be published online at chess-results.com.
- All personal entry information is required for either player identification or communication purposes and will be either safely removed if no longer required or securely retained for the purpose of this and future Shropshire Congresses only. We will not share your details with third parties other than the ECF.
- The organisers will not accept responsibility for children at the event outside of the playing area. All children should be adequately supervised.
- The organisers accept no responsibility for any loss, theft or accident during the tournament.
- The organisers have zero tolerance to abuse and are empowered to expel anyone who verbally or physically abuses any individual on site.
Entry to the congress is deemed to be acceptance of all of the above
