Invitation to the 13th Lebu Open

by André Schulz
7/14/2026 – For those making a last-minute decision: the 13th International IRT Chess Tournament gets underway in Lebu next Wednesday. Over five days (15–19 July), seven rounds will be played in the Swiss system. The region on Chile's Pacific coast offers stunning natural scenery, while seafood lovers will also find plenty to enjoy. | Photo: La Virgen, Boca Lebu by Valentina Pérez Garbayo.
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XIII International IRT Chess Tournament Lebu 2026 (Chile)

From 15 to 19 July, the city of Lebu, Chile, will host its 13th major chess festival. Seven rounds Swiss will be played over five days, the time control is 90 minutes per player with a 30-second increment per move.

The tournament is organized by Club de Ajedrez Gregorio Altamirano of Lebu, headed by its president, Cristian Rossel Moraga.

Around 70 players have registered for the Open, most of them from the host country, including several titled players. The leading contenders for the tournament victory are Grandmaster Pablo Salinas of Chile, International Masters Lucas Coro of Argentina and Cristian Vásquez of Chile.

In addition to the classical Open, a blitz tournament will be held during the festival.

Lebu is a beautiful municipality in southern Chile and the capital of Arauco Province in the Biobío Region. The area is known for its natural coastal scenery, the impressive Cave of Benavides, once used as a refuge during the struggle for independence, and its Plaza de Armas, which features several unique national historical monuments. The town is also of economic importance, as around 30% of Chile’s fish catch is handled there.

The name Lebu comes from the river of the same name and is derived from Mapudungun, the language of the indigenous Mapuche people. Mapudungun is a language isolate, meaning that it is not known to be related to any other language in the world. Alongside Spanish Jesuits, several German linguists made important contributions to the study of the language.

Impressions from the report "Lebu: The Experiences of a Remote Community" by Valentina Pérez Garbayo.

Morhuilla

Millaneco

Playa Larga, Millaneco

The tournament is intended not only to promote chess in Lebu, but also to raise the profile of the town and the surrounding region as an international tourist destination. For this reason, the Municipality of Lebu provides generous support for the event.

One note of clarification: the listed prize amounts may be misleading because they are preceded by a dollar sign. The prizes are in Chilean pesos (CLP), not US dollars. As a rough guide, 1,000 CLP is equivalent to about €0.95.

Announcement by the Chilean Chess Federation...

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Topics: Lebu Open
André Schulz started working for ChessBase in 1991 and is an editor of ChessBase News.
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