Alwan Fannia Chess Association

22nd edition

ChefchaouenInternationalChess Festival

مهرجان شفشاون الدولي للشطرنج

18 — 25 October 2026

Chefchaouen · Morocco

Discover the festival View the program Participants & results

01The 22nd edition

Eight days of chess, culture and encounters in the Blue Pearl of Morocco.

October 2026

Youth Center — Chefchaouen

FIDE-rated tournaments: 9-round classical Open, 11-round Blitz Marathon and a Grand simultaneous open to players of all ages — 120,000 MAD in cash and symbolic prizes.

Opening in

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

Sunday 18 October · 10:00 · Youth Center

02In numbers

The 2026 edition in numbers

Edition: 22
Players maximum: 120
Prize fund: 120,000MAD
Classical rounds: 9
Blitz rounds: 11
Association founded: 1977

03Competitions

The three competitions

FIDE rated

International Classical Chess Open

9 rounds, accelerated Swiss system — 90 min + 30 s / move

Thursday, Oct 22 — 5pm

International Blitz Marathon

11 rounds, accelerated Swiss system — 3 min + 2 s / move

Medals & gifts

Grand Simultaneous open to all

Tuesday, October 20 at 5pm — Historic Uta Hamam square

04Program

The festival week

18
Sun · October
- 10:00
  Welcome of participants (10am–1pm)
- 14:00
  Pairing of round 1
- 17:00
  Round 1
19
Mon · October
- 09:00
  Round 2
- 17:00
  Round 3
20
Tue · October
- 09:00
  Round 4
- 17:00
  Grand simultaneous — Uta Hamam square
21
Wed · October
- 09:00
  Round 5
- 17:00
  Round 6
22
Thu · October
- 09:00
  Round 7
- 17:00
  Blitz Marathon (11 rounds)
23
Fri · October
- 10:00
  G. Bertola lecture — Hotel Parador
- 17:00
  Round 8
24
Sat · October
- 09:00
  Round 9 — final round
- 17:00
  Award ceremony — Historic Kasbah

* Official program (updated 06/07/2026) — photo & poster exhibition daily from 18 to 24 October at 5pm, Youth Center.

05Prizes table

Total prize fund

120,000MAD

cash and symbolic prizes

International Open

1st
20 000 MAD
2nd
16 000 MAD
3rd
12 000 MAD

International Open · General ranking

4th: 9 000 MAD
5th: 7 000 MAD
6th: 5 000 MAD
7th: 4 000 MAD
8th: 3 000 MAD
9th: 2 000 MAD
10th: 1 000 MAD

International Open · Categories

1st Moroccan: 4 000 MAD
2nd Moroccan: 3 000 MAD
3rd Moroccan: 2 000 MAD
1st Woman: 2 500 MAD
2nd Woman: 1 500 MAD
3rd Woman: 1 000 MAD
1st U14: Chessboard + clock
1st Veteran > 50: Trophy
1st Veteran > 65: Trophy
1st Local: 2 500 MAD
2nd Local: 1 500 MAD
3rd Local: 1 000 MAD
1st Local woman: Chessboard + clock

Blitz Marathon · General ranking

1st: 4 000 MAD
2nd: 3 000 MAD
3rd: 2 000 MAD
4th: 1 500 MAD
5th: 1 000 MAD
6th: 800 MAD
7th: 600 MAD
8th: 500 MAD

Blitz Marathon · Categories

1st Moroccan: 1 500 MAD
2nd Moroccan: 1 000 MAD
3rd Moroccan: 800 MAD
1st Woman: 1 000 MAD
1st Veteran > 50: Trophy
1st Veteran > 65: Trophy
1st U14: Chessboard + clock
1st Local: 1 000 MAD
2nd Local: 800 MAD
3rd Local: Chessboard + clock

Grand Simultaneous

Winners: Medals and gifts
Players with draws: Gifts

Your move.

Registration closed

Registration closed on 10 September 2026. See the list of participants and follow the results round by round.

Participants list Live results

player limit: 120
standard fee: 400 MAD
FIDE rated: FIDE

07Participants

Participants list

Starting rank by Elo. The final list is established on October 12, 2026 — this list may still change until then.

International Classical Chess Open

104 players

14 federations

4 GM

10 IM

4 FM

No.	Title	Name	Fed.	Elo	Category
1	IM	IMRathanvel, V S	IND	2489
2	IM	IMMuthaiah, Al	IND	2485
3	GM	GMLibiszewski, Fabien	FRA	2482
4	GM	GMSengupta, Deep	IND	2482
5	GM	GMLarino Nieto, David	ESP	2439
6	IM	IMLadron De Guevara Pinto, Paolo	ESP	2408
7	IM	IMDhulipalla, Bala Chandra Prasad	IND	2404
8	IM	IMEl Adnani, Mokhliss	MAR	2396
9	IM	IMLlaneza Vega, Marcos	ESP	2371
10	GM	GMGolubka, Petro	CAN	2346
11	IM	IMKarim, Ismael	MAR	2339
12	IM	IMMartin Duque, Jesus	ESP	2339
13	CM	CMHadj Kholti, Yasser	MAR	2291
14	IM	IMBuscara, Sevan	FRA	2232
15	CM	CMSentissi, Yassine	MAR	2225
16	FM	FMZrikem, Nassim	MAR	2218
17		Rian, Saad	MAR	2128
18	WFM	WFMFernandez Bustamante, Leancy B. Woman	CUB	2127	Woman
19	FM	FMOuakhir, Mehdi Pierre	MAR	2099
20		Benjelloun, Faycal U16	MAR	2076	U16

International Blitz Marathon

Participants list on chess-results

Registration

Fees, deadlines and process

Standard fee: 400 MADFestival registration fee (Classical Open + Blitz Marathon).
Refundable deposit: 400 / 200 MADReturned upon participation: 400 MAD for FM / WFM / CM / WCM titled players, 200 MAD for local players.
Exempt: FreeGM / WGM / IM / WIM titled players and invited players.

Registration procedure

Fill in the registration form on this site between 15/07/2026 and 10/09/2026, with: FIDE ID, full name, year of birth, city or club — or write to us directly by e-mail.
You receive an acknowledgement within 7 days stating acceptance or placement on the waiting list per the committee criteria.
If accepted, pay the fee by transfer to the association bank account — Bank Of Africa (BMCE Group), account number: 0111 5000 0001 2000 0009 5445 — then send a picture of the receipt to the same e-mail address.
Participant lists are published progressively on chess-results.com. Payments are non-refundable in case of withdrawal; the field is limited to 120 players.

Key dates

15/07 → 10/09/2026

Participation request window

15/09/2026

First list of registered players drawn up

22/09/2026

Payment deadline (first list)

25/09/2026

Waiting-list acceptance notifications

03/10/2026

Payment deadline (waiting list)

12/10/2026

Final list of participants established

08Regulations

Key points of the Open rules

Game system
The FIDE-rated Open is played over 9 rounds, accelerated Swiss system, 90 min + 30 s/move. The latest FIDE rules apply.
FIDE ID & initial ranking
Every player must have a FIDE ID to participate. Initial seeding follows the FIDE ELO list published early October 2026.
Lateness & forfeit
More than 30 minutes late = lost game. Forfeit without notice: not paired next round; two absences = general forfeit. Unjustified absence in the last round bars from the next festival.
Byes
Each player may take a bye (max 2) during the first five rounds, requested in writing before the start of the preceding round. A 0.5-point credit is granted.
Notation & end of game
Continuous algebraic notation is mandatory. At the end of the game, hand the signed original scoresheet to the arbiter and reset the pieces.
Electronic devices & conduct
Phones and communication devices are forbidden in the playing hall (loss of game). No analysis in the playing hall; do not leave the playing area without the arbiter’s permission; silence required; no smoking.
Badges & dress code
Wearing the badge is mandatory (warning, then 100 DH fine for repeat offence under penalty of losing the game). Appropriate clothing required in the hall and at the closing ceremony.
Photography
Spectators may take pictures (with flash) only within the first 15 minutes of each round.
Appeals committee
A five-member appeals committee is set up before the tournament. Appeals are submitted in writing with a 300 DH deposit (returned if upheld), no later than one hour after the round.
Prize allocation
Prizes are neither shared in case of a tie nor cumulative. If entitled to several prizes, a player receives the highest one (order: general ranking, national, woman, age, local).

Tie-breaks (descending order)

Buchholz Cut-1
Buchholz
Number of wins
Direct encounter
Initial ranking

Special clauses — Blitz

The Open rules apply to the Blitz Marathon: 11 rounds at 3 min + 2 s/move, same tie-breaks, prizes by general ranking. The chief arbiter’s decisions in the Blitz are final.

Participation implies full and unreserved acceptance of the official rules. The organizers may amend them in case of force majeure.

Grand simultaneous on Uta Hamam square in Chefchaouen, 2025 edition

The city

Chefchaouen, the Blue Pearl

Chess × Culture × Heritage

Since 1983 the festival has brought the medina to life: rounds at the Youth Center, the grand simultaneous on Uta Hamam square, the award ceremony at the historic Kasbah.