Record £34,000 prize pot announced as entries open for 2026 British Chess Championships in Coventry

by Press release
2/20/2026 – Entries are open for the 2026 British Chess Championships, which will return to Coventry from 1 to 9 August at the University of Warwick. The event will feature a record £34,000 prize fund, a significantly increased women’s prize fund and an expanded festival programme. Organised by the English Chess Federation, the nine-day championships are expected to attract more than 1,000 players across all age groups. | Photo: Chess in Schools and Communities
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Press release by the English Chess Federation

Entries are now open for the 2026 British Chess Championships with record prize money, an expanded festival programme and a major boost for women's chess confirmed ahead of the event's long-awaited return to Coventry this summer.

Players will compete for a total prize fund of £34,000 at the city's University of Warwick, the largest prize pot in the Championship's history, while the Women's Championship prize fund has more than doubled.

The English Chess Federation has also announced a broader programme of festival events, including additional training opportunities for junior players and a wider range of social events alongside the main competitions.

More than 1,000 chess players from across the UK, including the nation's leading grandmasters and emerging young talents, are expected to take part in a series of tournaments and wider chess activities across the nine-day event.

The 2026 British Chess Championships will be hosted at the University of Warwick from August 1 to 9, and will feature competitions across all age groups, from under-8s to seniors.

University of Warwick

University of Warwich | Photo: HKU International Affairs Office

The event in Coventry will be the 112th British Chess Championship, continuing a tradition that has run almost uninterrupted since 1904.

Coventry last hosted the Championships in 2015, when Grandmaster Jonathan Hawkins won his first British title and Akshaya Kalaiyalahan claimed the women's championship. The city previously staged the event in 1970.

Last year's event was held in Liverpool. Grandmaster Michael Adams won his ninth national title at the age of 53 in a sensational three-way playoff finish.

Councillor Abdul Salam Khan, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Events at Coventry City Council, said:

We are absolutely delighted to welcome the British Chess Championships back to Coventry.

Hosting such a prestigious national event highlights our city's growing reputation for major sporting competitions.

The event will attract visitors from across the country, bringing real benefits to our local economy while inspiring young people in Coventry to get involved in chess. We look forward to showcasing our city to players and visitors this summer.

Alex Holowczak, Director of Events for the English Chess Federation, said:

The English Chess Federation is inviting anyone who wants to experience the thrill of playing in a chess tournament to the University of Warwick this summer.

The Championships are the highlight of the British chess calendar and they include events for everyone. The event's growth year-on-year demonstrates the popularity of chess and its wider sporting importance in culture and sport.

Britain has a crop of chess players it can be proud of, particularly among the younger age groups, and many will go on to make this country proud on the world stage. This year, the prize fund for the Championship is a record £34,000, with prizes for the Women's Championship more than doubling, and we expect a record number of entries.

The University of Warwick is the perfect venue: it has an excellent chess pedigree, having hosted the Championships successfully in 2015, and has one of the largest and most successful university chess clubs in the country.

We look forward to an event in Coventry that will be viewed around the world.

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