The Berks & Bucks is played over the August Bank Holiday weekend. This year, the tournament dates are Saturday 24 to Monday 26 August 2024. 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.

Berkshire Individual Championship

The highest-placed Berkshire player in the tournament will hold the Berkshire Individual Championship cup for one year.

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.

Players arriving more than thirty minutes late will be defaulted.

Prizes

First prize in each section is £100, second is £80, and third is £60. There are also trophies for all section winners, and most second and third-placed players, as well as the Mrs Stean Cup, which is presented to the top player aged under fourteen.

Refreshments

Light refreshments will be available at the venue. There are also pubs, cafes, and shops within a 5-10 minute walk from the venue.

Entry fee

£40 for entries received (online, by e-mail, or by post) on or before Tuesday 20 August, and £44 thereafter.

Under the rules of the English Chess Federation, English players in the FIDE-rated sections who are not ECF Platinum or Gold members will be required to pay an ECF surcharge of £12. All players in the Reserves sections who are not ECF Platinum, Gold, or Silver members will be required to pay a £9 surcharge.

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.