The Berks & Bucks is played over the August Bank Holiday weekend. This year, the tournament dates are Saturday 23 to Monday 25 August 2025. The tournament is held over six rounds, with two rounds being played each day. Please see the playing schedule for details of round times.
There is on-site parking at the venue, and light refreshments and a bookstall (provided by Francis Bowers Chess Supplies) will be available.
Sections
Participants play in sections, usually of between 12 and 16, organised according to ability. The top two sections (the Championship and the Challengers) are FIDE-rated, and all sections are ECF-rated. There are usually five or six sections.
The Championship and Challengers sections are open to all.
The Reserves sections are open to FIDE-unrated players, and rated players with ratings below 1900.
Subject to these provisions, players will be allocated to sections according to their rating. All adult players with ECF or FIDE ratings over 2000, and all junior players with ratings over 1950, will be placed in the Championship section. Players rated below this may be placed in the Championship section dependent on entry levels, or at the organisers’ discretion.
The organisers reserve the right to vary the section structure, including (subject to numbers) merging the rated and unrated sections, and increasing or decreasing the number of sections.
Venue
St Piran’s School, Gringer Hill, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 7LZ. See the venue page for a map.
Please note that this is a non-smoking venue.
Time Control
The rate of play in all sections is all moves in 90 minutes, with a 30 second cumulative increment for each move starting from the first move. This equates to an approximate four-hour playing session.
Round times can be found here.
Players arriving more than thirty minutes late will be defaulted.
Re-pairing
In the event that a player’s opponent does not attend by the default time, efforts will be made to re-pair the player with another player who does not have an opponent, although no guarantee is given that this will be possible. It shall be each player’s choice as to whether to agree to re-pairing. If a player declines to be re-paired, then they will receive one point for the round. If a player agrees to be re-paired then:
(i) If they are re-paired with a player in a different section, they shall receive one point for the round, but the game shall be ECF-rated and (if both players are in a FIDE-rated section) FIDE-rated.
(ii) If they are re-paired with a player in the same section, and the difference in the scores of the two players prior to the game is no more than one point, then the player shall receive one point if they win, half a point if they draw, and no points if they lose. If the difference in scores prior to the game is more than one point, then both players shall receive a point for the game. In any event, the game shall be ECF-rated and (if in a FIDE-rated section) FIDE-rated.
Entry fee
£45 for entries received (online, by e-mail, or by post) on or before Tuesday 19 August, and £47 thereafter.
Under the rules of the English Chess Federation, all English players who are not ECF Platinum or Gold members will be required to pay an ECF surcharge of £15 for adults and £6 for juniors.
Prizes
First prize in each section is £70, second is £60, and third is £50.
The winner of the Championship section receives the Berks & Bucks Championship trophy for one year.
The winner of the Challengers/Challengers A section receives the Mike Bolan Trophy for one year. This is named in honour of longstanding chess organiser and regular Berks & Bucks competitor Mike Bolan.
The winner of the Reserves/Reserves A receives the Alan Cox Cup for one year. This is named in honour of former Buckinghamshire chess organiser Alan Cox.
The Mrs Stean Cup will be awarded for the most meritorious performance by a player aged under 14 on the first day of the congress. The Mrs Stean Cup was presented to the congress by Mrs J Stean, mother of Grandmaster Michael Stean.
There are also smaller permanent trophies for all section winners, and most second and third-placed players.
Berkshire Individual Championship
The highest-placed Berkshire player in the tournament, as defined by the Berkshire Chess Association, will hold the Berkshire Individual Championship cup for one year.
Refreshments
Light refreshments will be available at the venue (please note that we do not have the capacity to take card payments, so please bring cash). There are also pubs, cafes, and shops within a 5-10 minute walk from the venue.
Mobile Telephones
Any player whose mobile phone emits a noise or is found to be turned on during a game will be defaulted. However, players will not be defaulted merely for having a switched-off mobile phone in their possession during the game.
How do I enter?
Click here to enter online. Alternatively, entries can be made by e-mail to liamvarnam@yahoo.co.uk, or by post using the congress entry form, which can be downloaded here.
Accommodation
For those players coming from further afield, details of local accommodation are available here.
You haven’t answered all my questions!
If you have any other questions, they may be answered in the entry form. Otherwise, please contact the tournament organisers.