46th Ghent Open International Chess Tournament

Koninklijke Gentse Schaakkring Ruy Lopez

Like last year, the 2025 Ghent Open will take place at the Sint-Barbara College in Ghent.

In 2024, the church was available as a chess hall for the first time. The many positive reactions we received show that this was a successful initiative.

The church will therefore be available for this tournament as well.
CHESS FESTIVAL GHENT 2025
3 Tournaments
Open FIDE rated
Just like last year, a FIDE rated tournament will be organized again this year. Five days, two rounds per day, one round on the last day.
Unrated
The unrated tournament is the classic tournament as it has been organized for years. Play chess for fun without worrying about the rating. Five days, two rounds per day, one round on the last day.
Open 55+
The unrated senior tournament for players born before 01/01/1971. Five rounds, one round per day.

Open FIDE rated

R1: 19.07.2025 > 14:00 - 18:00
R2: 19.07.2025 > 19:00 - 23:00
R3: 20.07.2025 > 13:00 - 17:00
R4: 20.07.2025 > 19:00 - 23:00
R5: 21.07.2025 > 13:00 - 17:00
R6: 21.07.2025 > 19:00 - 23:00
R7: 22.07.2025 > 13:00 - 17:00
R8: 22.07.2025 > 19:00 - 23:00
R9: 23.07.2025 > 11:00 - 15:00

Prize-giving 23.07.2025 - 17.00 h.
9 Round Swiss - 90 min + 30 sec/move
Bye = 1/2 pt (max. 2 during the first 5 rounds)

Entree fee* **: € 50 - Youth players (born after 01.01.2005): € 30 - (W)FM: € 30 - (W)GM, (W)IM, Belgian (W)FM: free

(*) + € 5 upon registration and payment after 16/07/25
(**) incl. reception and tournament bulletins

Arbiter: International Arbiter Marc Bils

How to register for the tournament?

• Click on register in the menu to complete the registration form on the registration site.
• Pay the entree fee on our bank account IBAN BE48 7374 2629 4027 - BIC KREDBEBB with clear mention of the participant's name.
• Paying on site at registration is also possible but a € 5 surcharge will be invoiced.
• Registration on 19.07.25 from 11.00 till 13.00 h., players who have booked a room must register in the homes and in the tournament hall before 13.00 h.

Extral conditions

Only a select number of (W)GM's will be given free accommodation (breakfast included) in a student home. No further conditions will be granted.

Prize money

Open unrated

R1: 19.07.2025 > 14:00 - 18:00
R2: 19.07.2025 > 19:00 - 23:00
R3: 20.07.2025 > 13:00 - 17:00
R4: 20.07.2025 > 19:00 - 23:00
R5: 21.07.2025 > 13:00 - 17:00
R6: 21.07.2025 > 19:00 - 23:00
R7: 22.07.2025 > 13:00 - 17:00
R8: 22.07.2025 > 19:00 - 23:00
R9: 23.07.2025 > 11:00 - 15:00

Prize-giving 23.07.2025 - 17.00 h.
9 Round Swiss - 90 min + 30 sec/move
Bye = 1/2 pt (max. 2 during the first 5 rounds)

Entree fee* **: € 50 - Youth players (born after 01.01.2005): € 30 - (W)FM: € 30 - (W)GM, (W)IM, Belgian (W)FM: free

(*) + € 5 upon registration and payment after 16/07/25
(**) incl. reception and tournament bulletins

Arbiter: International Arbiter Marc Bils

How to register for the tournament?

• Click on register in the menu to complete the registration form on the registration site.
• Pay the entree fee on our bank account IBAN BE48 7374 2629 4027 - BIC KREDBEBB with clear mention of the participant's name.
• Paying on site at registration is also possible but a € 5 surcharge will be invoiced.
• Registration on 19.07.25 from 11.00 till 13.00 h., players who have booked a room must register in the homes and in the tournament hall before 13.00 h.

Extra conditions

Only a select number of (W)GM's will be given free accommodation (breakfast included) in a student home. No further conditions will be granted.

Prize money

Open 55+

Open non-rated senior tournament for players born before 01/01/1971

R1: 19.07.2025 > 14:00 - 18:00
R2: 20.07.2025 > 14:00 - 18:00
R3: 21.07.2025 > 14:00 - 18:00
R4: 22.07.2025 > 14:00 - 18:00
R5: 23.07.2025 > 11:00 - 15:00

Prize-giving 23.07.2025 - 17.00 h.
5 Rounds Swiss - 90 min + 30 sec/move
Bye = 0 pt

Entry fee* **: € 30 - (W)GM, (W)IM, Belgian (W)FM: free

(*) + € 5 upon registration and payment after 16/07/25
(**) incl. reception and tournament bulletins

How to register for the tournament?

• Click on register in the menu to complete the registration form on the registration site
• Pay the entree fee on our bank account IBAN BE48 7374 2629 4027 - BIC KREDBEBB with clear mention of the participant's name
• Paying on site at registration is also possible but a € 5 surcharge will be invoiced.
• Registration on 19.07.25 from 11.00 till 13.00 h., players who have booked a room must register in the homes and in the tournament hall before 13.00 h.

Prize Money

Prize money according to the number of players, rating prizes for < 1700, 1700-1849 and 1850-1999.

General info

The Ghent Open 2025 is an organization of the Royal Ghent Chess Club Ruy Lopez in collaboration with the City of Ghent.
Prize money
FIDE rated: € 5.700
Unrated: € 1.425

Total prize money: € 7.125

The total prize money of € 7.125 is based on 250 players and is adapted percentagewise according to the total number of participants paying entry fee, excl. 55+ (FIDE > basis=200, unrated > basis=50). More info in the FAQ.

In the event of a tie, prizes will be shared. The prize money is not cumulative.
Additional prizes
• The chess club participating with the highest number of main club members, is granted € 100 (excepting KGSRL).

• The team of which 5 main club players obtain the highest number of points, receives € 100. The second team, € 50.

• The winner of the chess problem competition is awarded € 25.

• Each round, the player scoring the best Elo performance receives a bottle of Cava (max. 1 bottle pro player).

• Chess clubs with at least 5 participating players (paying) will receive a credit on the payment card (€ 5 per participating player of this club) as a bonus.
No smoking
A general smoking ban applies to Sint-Barbaracollege as well as the student home Ter Linden.
Accommodation
Rooms are provided in the renovated student home Ter Linden

Room and breakfast
4 nights
€ 200 > single room
€ 300 > double room (on request, limited availability)
Reservations can be made till 14-07-2025.
Former winners
Number of participants and winners of the past 45 editions of the Ghent Open.
Regulations
The rules for the 3 tournaments (FIDE rated, unrated and 55+).
Save the date
The solutions to the 2 chess problems on the 'Save the date' flyer

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I be absent for a round?

Yes, in the open tournaments you will receive half a point each for a maximum of 2 byes requested in advance until round 5. A bye in the 55+ tournament does not result in points.

How much is the prize money if more or less than 250 paying players participate in the tournament?

Prize money will be adjusted pro rata to the number of paying participants in the FIDE rated (basis=200) and unrated tournament (basis=50). Example 1: there are 210 paying players participating in the FIDE rated tournament, the 2nd prize in the "main prizes FIDE rated" category will be: (€1.000 x 210)/200 or € 1.050. Example 2: 65 players participate in the unrated tournament, the 1st prize in "main prizes unrated" is (€ 400 x 65)/50 or € 520.

Can I play against a clubmate?

This is avoided if possible during the first three rounds (two rounds for 55+), but it is possible later in the tournament.

When will the pairings for the next day be available?

Each evening, the pairings will be posted in the tournament hall. These can also be consulted on our website around midnight.

What in case of disputes?

Disputes will be settled by an appeals committee consisting of 3 arbiters.

I booked a room in home Ter Linden. What is the procedure?

A room reservation is only final once payment has been received. Payment to KGSRL account number: BIC KREDBEBB - IBAN BE48 7374 2629 4027. Please include the names of all players you are paying for. The accommodation will be confirmed by e-mail after receipt of payment.

Every player who requests accommodation must report to the tournament hall as well as to the student home on the first day of the tournament. This is very important! Players who only register in the student home will not be paired for the 1ste round of the tournament. Players who only register in the tournament hall may lose their reserved room after 1 p.m. Both registrations must be made before 1 p.m.

What is included in my stay?

A daily breakfast buffet is included in the price (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday morning). All rooms have beds with mattress protectors, sheets, blankets, pillows and private bathroom.

Why do I have to pay a deposit?

The deposit is also a protection against loss of keys and will be refunded after the tournament if the room is left clean.

Can I extend my stay?

Yes, but it is only possible to arrive one day earlier (Friday 18 July from 18:00) or stay one day longer (Wednesday 23 July, room to leave on Thursday 24 July at 11:00). Participants wishing to stay longer in Ghent should seek accommodation on their own initiative.

What if I have to cancel for certain reasons and have already booked and paid for a room?

Paid room reservations cancelled before 07 July 2025 will be fully refunded, cancellations before 11 July for 75% and cancellations before 15 July for 50%. No cancellations will be refunded from 15/07 onwards. All refunds, if any, will be deposited only after the Open Tournament. Refunds must be requested by e-mail.

When should I leave my room?

Each player must leave their room no later than July 23 before the prize-giving ceremony, unless the room is reserved until Thursday morning, in which case the room must be left on Thursday by 11am.

Is parking provided nearby?

Home Ter Linden has a few parking spaces. There is a large underground parking on Sint-Pietersplein, opposite home Ter Linden. Both parking lots are paying.

I paid for the room but I haven't received a confirmation email yet?

We will confirm the room as soon as the money is in our possession. If you have not received confirmation more than 10 days after your payment, please contact us by email.

I wish to stay in Ghent, but not in a student home.

For the period of the Ghent Open, the organisation only offers accommodation with breakfast in the student home Ter Linden at a very democratic price. All other accommodation options are available on the website of the city of Ghent. However, you have to arrange this yourself.

Contact

Address

Sint-Barbaracollege
Savaanstraat 33
B-9000 GENT

Phone number

Available early July

E-mail

Schaakhuis Caïssa - KGSRL
Abrahamstraat 46
B-9000 Gent
Ondernemingsnummer
0411.954.149
RPR Gent
www.kgsrl.be
info@kgsrl.be - caissa@kgsrl.be