FIGUEIRA DA FOZ – SABIR ALI – INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT 2026
1. PLAYING SCHEDULE
1.1. The tournament will begin on 8 November and end on 15 November 2026.
1.2. There will be one round per day, starting at 17:30, except on Tuesday, 10 November, when two rounds will be played: Round 3 at 10:00 and Round 4 at 19:00. The final round, Round 9, will be played on Sunday, 15 November, starting at 10:00.
2. VENUE AND ATTENDANCE
2.1. All games will be played in Figueira da Foz, at the Sweet Atlantic Hotel (or, should unforeseen circumstances arise, at an alternative venue to be announced).
2.2. The clocks will be started at the scheduled starting time of each round. The default time is 60 minutes: any player who arrives at the board one hour or more after the scheduled start of the round will lose the game by default.
2.3. An exception to Rule 2.2 applies to the first round. Only players who confirm their presence in person with the Chief Arbiter by 16:30 on 8 November, one hour before the start of the round, will be included in the first-round pairings.
2.4. The Chief Arbiter may, at his discretion, accept confirmation by other means as an exception to Rule 2.3, provided that such confirmation is received in due time, that the reason for not confirming in person is considered justified, and that the player can reasonably be expected to arrive before the expiry of the 60-minute default time. Acceptance of this exception is entirely at the discretion of the Chief Arbiter. If the exception is not granted, the player will not be paired, in accordance with Rule 2.3.
2.5. Any player who fails to appear in due time for the first round without having previously and properly informed the Chief Arbiter, either directly, through the Organising Committee or through one of the assistant arbiters, will be withdrawn from the tournament and will remain liable for the full entry fee.
2.6. The Appeals Committee shall have the authority to consider the circumstances of players who fail to appear for the first round due to force majeure and to determine whether Rule 2.5 should apply. If the circumstances are accepted as force majeure, the player may remain in the tournament and will receive 0 points for the first round.
3. SPECIAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
3.1. All health and safety requirements established by the Portuguese Directorate-General of Health (DGS) and applicable to the event will be observed.
4. RESTRICTIONS AND CONDUCT
4.1. Analysis of completed games, smoking and eating are not permitted in the playing hall. These activities may take place only in the areas designated for that purpose, including the designated analysis area.
4.2. Players may not play wearing shorts, flip-flops, tracksuits or any other clothing considered inappropriate by the Organising Committee. Hats and caps may not be worn during games.
4.3. Players must refrain from conduct or postures considered inappropriate by the arbiters, including removing their footwear or placing their feet on a chair while playing.
4.4. Players are required to observe appropriate standards of personal hygiene. If the arbiters determine that a player’s personal hygiene is seriously interfering with the normal conduct of the game or causing significant disturbance to the opponent or players at adjacent boards, the player may be required to leave the playing area and may be declared to have lost the game.
5. FORMAT AND TIME CONTROL
5.1. Swiss System, 9 rounds.
5.2. Time control: 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the remainder of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move from move 1.
6. OFFICIAL RATING AND TITLE NORMS
6.1. The tournament will be rated for both FIDE and FPX rating purposes and will be eligible for GM and IM title norms.
7. DEFAULTS
(FIDE Handbook, C.04.1)
7.1. Any player whose presence in the playing hall has not been verified by the arbiting team within one hour of the scheduled starting time of the round will lose the game by default, with the consequences established in these Regulations.
7.2. Any player who loses a game by default for failure to appear will automatically be withdrawn from the tournament and will remain liable for payment of the full entry fee.
7.3. The Appeals Committee shall have the authority to consider the circumstances of players who have defaulted due to force majeure and to determine whether Rule 7.2 should apply. If the circumstances are accepted as force majeure, the player may remain in the tournament and will receive 0 points for the round missed.
8. WITHDRAWAL FROM THE TOURNAMENT
8.1. Players who withdraw from the tournament will not be paired in subsequent rounds.
8.2. Invited players who have been granted exemption from the entry fee or who receive support from the Organising Committee, including accommodation, transport or meals, and who withdraw from the tournament or are excluded following a default, will forfeit those benefits. They will also be required to pay the full entry fee, the cost of their accommodation at the applicable hotel rate for each relevant day, and the cost of any sponsored meals, at €20 per meal.
8.3. The Organising Committee, represented by the Tournament Director and the Appeals Committee, shall have the authority to consider the circumstances of players who withdraw from the tournament or are excluded following a default for reasons of force majeure, and to determine whether Rule 8.2 should apply. If the circumstances are accepted as force majeure, the player may be exempted from the payments specified in Rule 8.2.
9. BYES
9.1. Players may request a maximum of three byes during the tournament.
9.2. A bye may be requested until the pairings for the following round are made, which will take place after the conclusion of each round. The exception is the first round, for which bye requests are subject to the procedure established in Rule 2.3, requiring notification to the Chief Arbiter by 16:30 on 8 November.
9.3. A player requesting a bye up to and including Round 6 will not be paired for that round and will receive ½ point, provided that the maximum allowance of three byes has not been exceeded.
9.4. 9.4. A player requesting a bye in Rounds 7, 8 or 9 will not be paired for that round and will receive 0 points.
10. PRIZES
The tournament has a total cash prize fund of €8,750, to be awarded together with the corresponding trophies, according to the following distribution:
Overall standings — 1st to 10th place:
1st — €2,000
2nd — €1,400
3rd — €900
4th — €650
5th — €500
6th — €400
7th — €300
8th — €250
9th — €200
10th — €150
Additional prizes, which may be combined with other prizes:
1st Women’s Prize — €600 + trophy
2nd Women’s Prize — €400
3rd Women’s Prize — €250
1st Senior Prize (50+) — €300 + trophy
1st Senior Prize (65+) — €300
2nd Senior Prize (65+) — €150
All prizes will be awarded on the final day of the tournament, at a time to be announced following the conclusion of the final round, during the Festival Closing Ceremony at the Sweet Atlantic Hotel.
11. FAIR PLAY REGULATIONS
The Fair Play Panel (FPP) will consist of four members and will be chaired by Dr Mário Mourato.
Players must comply with all instructions issued by the FPP. Failure to comply may result in penalties under Article 12.9 of the FIDE Laws of Chess.
The FPP and the arbiting team will share responsibility for monitoring and controlling possible interactions between players and other persons. More generally, the FPP shall be entitled to take any measures it considers necessary to safeguard fair play throughout the tournament.
The Organising Committee will provide security personnel to inspect personal belongings and ensure that no electronic devices are brought into the playing hall, whether by players or by any other persons authorised to enter the playing areas.
12. REGISTRATION
Entries must be completed no later than 24 hours before the start of the tournament.
The standard entry fee is €50 and must be paid before the start of Round 1. GMs and IMs are exempt from the entry fee.
A special registration package including preferential accommodation conditions will also be available.
The tournament is open, but the number of participants is limited. Participation can therefore only be guaranteed to the first 50 registered players.
13. ORGANISATION
The Organising Committee will consist of five members, including: the Vice-President of the Assembleia Figueirense and Tournament Director, Mário Póvoa Leitão; the representative of the Organising Committee, Miguel Babo; and International Arbiters Carlos Dias and Francisco Carapinha.
The Competition Committee will consist of five members: the Tournament Director, Mário Póvoa Leitão; the Chief Arbiter, Carlos Dias; and the three players receiving the highest number of votes from among the tournament participants. The players receiving the next highest numbers of votes will serve as substitutes in cases involving any of the elected player members.
Any incident arising during the tournament will be decided by the Chief Arbiter. The applicable FIDE and FPX regulations will apply.
Copies of the Laws of Chess in Portuguese and Spanish will be made available to the players. In the event of any doubt, inconsistency or discrepancy between the rules presented in the three languages, the English-language version shall prevail.
ANNEX
TIE-BREAK SYSTEMS
(To be drawn by lot after Round 9)
Tournament Performance Rating (TPR)
Tournament Performance Rating is calculated using the following formula:
Average rating of the opponents + rating difference according to Table 8.1a of the FIDE Rating Regulations (B.02).
Unplayed games are not included in the calculation.
Buchholz Cut 2
The Buchholz score after excluding the two lowest opponent scores.
Buchholz
The sum of the final scores of all of a player’s opponents.
For tie-break calculation purposes, if an opponent does not have a FIDE rating, a rating of 2000 will be assigned to that opponent.
For rounds not played due to the player’s failure to appear, a rating of 1800 will be used.