Biel Festival: Chess960 - Live!

by ChessBase
7/11/2026 – The Biel International Chess Festival begins on Saturday with the ACCENTUS Chess960 rapid tournaments. The results of these tournaments will be used as a tie-break in the chess triathlons in the Masters Tournament and in the Generations Challenge, which features players including Vaishali Rameshbabu. The triathlon-format games will then begin on Sunday. | Photo: Biel Chess Festival archive | Live with commentary from 2 pm
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ACCENTUS Chess960

On Saturday (11 July), the participants in the Masters and the Generations Challenge start playing in the Biel International Chess Festival. The ACCENTUS Chess960 rapid tournament starts at 14:00.

On Sunday (12 July), the Masters and Generations Challenge triathlon then begins. Rapid chess will be played on the first day. After a rest day with a social programme on Monday, the classical games of the qualifying phase of the two tournaments will be played between 14 July (Tuesday) and 18 July (Saturday). The triathlon will continue with blitz chess on 19 July (Sunday). After another rest day on 20 July (Monday), the final rounds of the Masters and the Generations Challenge will follow, with classical games from 21 to 23 July (Tuesday-Thursday). On Friday, 24 July, the programme of the invitational tournaments will conclude with the prize-giving ceremony. 

Live games Chess960 Masters

To select board and round, click on the title above the live board

Live games Chess960 Generations Challenge

To select board and round, click on the title above the live board

Live commentary Chess960

Official commentary Biel Chess Festival

Triathlons: Masters and Generations Challenge

Date 11-24 July 2026
Format Chess triathlons with 6 participants each
System Classical: 5 rounds (first legs) + 3 rounds (final: return games with the top four players). Rapid: 5 rounds (with colours reversed from the classical first legs). Blitz: 10 rounds
Time control Classical: 120' for the first 40 moves, then 30' for the rest of the game, with a 30'' increment per move from move 41. Rapid: 15'+5'' per move. Blitz: 3'+2'' per move
Scoring Classical: win 4 points; draw 1.5 points; loss 0 points. Rapid: win 2 points; draw 1 point; loss 0 points. Blitz: win 1 point; draw 0.5 points; loss 0 points.
Tiebreak The final standings are determined by adding together the points scored in the three sections (classical+rapid+blitz). In the event of a tie, the final standings of the ACCENTUS Chess960 decide the ranking for the prizes. 

Schedule

10 July 20:00 Reception of participants - toast at the Congress Centre
11 July 11:30 Opening ceremony at the Congress Centre
11 July 14:00 ACCENTUS Fischer Random rapid tournament
12 July 14:00 Rapid games of the Masters & Generations Challenge
13 July 14:00 Visit to Omega with the Masters & Generations Challenge participants
14-18 July 14:00 Classical games of the Masters & Generations Challenge
19 July 14:00 Blitz games of the Masters & Generations Challenge
20 July Rest day
21-23 July 14:00 Final rounds of the Masters & Generations Challenge (classical games)
24 July 10:30 Closing ceremony with prize-giving and apéritif at the Congress Centre

Links

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Video

60m English New ideas in the Najdorf_E

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