The Carré Royal Association of Ksibet El Mediouni, in collaboration with Smart Chess Academy and under the auspices of the Tunisian Chess Federation, has officially announced the 2026 Sahel International Chess Festival.
Following the success of its inaugural event, the second edition of the Festival will take place from October 24 to November 1, 2026, at the Hotel El Habib in the coastal city of Monastir, Tunisia.
Sponsored by Chess Mall, the festival features five classical standard-control tournaments structured by FIDE ratings and age divisions: Tournament A “Elite” (Elo 2000+), Tournament B “Ascension” (1700–1999), Tournament C “Progression” (1500–1699), Tournament D “Étoiles montantes” (1499 and below), and Tournament E “Chemin des Sages” (S50 players born in 1975 or earlier).
Played over 9 rounds at a classical time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move, the festival offers an approximate total prize pool of €8,200 alongside dedicated trophies, medals, and special rating category prizes.
In addition to classical play, participants can also look forward to an official Blitz tournament and cultural side events.
Currently top rated players are: GM Stremavicius Titas LTU 2558, GM Ponkratov Pavel FID 2540, GM Sambuev Bator CAN 2441, GM Nijboer Friso NED 2439, IM Carnicelli Valerio ITA 2422, GM Marin Mihail ROU 2413, IM Njili Kamel TUN 2406, IM Kot Emanuel CAN 2384 etc
Festival Director IO Chaher Eddine Miladi and Chief Arbiter IA Mohamed Ali Baktache will oversee the tournament, which is capped at a total capacity of 300 players.
Player registration is open until October 15, 2026, with full details and entry forms available on the official festival website.
