The European Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026 and the European Fischer Random (Chess960) Chess Championship 2026 will take place from 4 December (arrival day) to 9 December (departure day) 2026 in Portimao, Portugal, marking the 100th anniversary of the Portuguese Chess Federation.
The European Rapid, Blitz and Fischer Random (Chess 960) Chess Championships 2026 are open to all players from National Chess Federations which are members of the European Chess Union (ECU), without rating or title limitations. There is no limit of number of participants per federation.
The event will commence with the European Rapid Chess Championship 2026 scheduled to take place on 5-6 December. The Rapid competition will be played in 11 rounds, swiss system, with the time control of 15 minutes + 10 seconds increment.
The European Blitz Chess Championship 2026 will be played on 7 December, in 13 rounds (swiss system), with the time control of 3 minutes + 2 seconds increment.
The European Fischer Random (Chess960) will take place on 8 December, and will be played in 9 rounds, swiss system, with the time control of 10 minutes + 5 seconds increment.
Detailed schedule of the event is shown below:
The total prize fund of the events is €40.000, with €20.000 in prizes for the European Rapid Chess Championship 2026, €12.500 prize pool of the European Blitz Chess Championship 2026, and €7.500 in prizes for the Fischer Random (Chess 960) Chess Championship.
The Championships will be held in Portimão Arena, 8500-726 Portimão, Portugal.
Portimão, renowned for its exceptional hospitality, scenic coastline, and modern infrastructure, provides an ideal setting for an event of this magnitude. The city has increasingly positioned itself as a hub for international sporting events, and hosting the European Rapid and Blitz Championship further reinforces its status on the global stage.
The registrations should be made exclusively through the official registration form which must be sent to: europeu@fpx.pt. The registration deadline is 5 November, 2026.
Contact information:
The technical organizer is the Portuguese Chess Federation, under the auspices of the European Chess Union.
Tournament Director: IO Dominic Cross
Contact email: europeu@fpx.pt
Official Website: https://erbcc2026.com/
WhatsApp contact: +351931467291
Detailed information about the event, regulations and full invitation (PDF)
