Sections

FIDE & ECF Rated OPEN

1st £500; 2nd £250; 3rd £120; 4th £80; best performance prize of £50.

Entry fee £40 (£56 incl. pay to play fee – see Notices section below).

FIDE & ECF Rated U2000

1st £500; 2nd £250; 3rd £120; 4th £80; best performance prize of £50.

Entry fee £40 (£56 incl. pay to play fee – see Notices section below).

FIDE & ECF Rated U1700

1st £500; 2nd £250; 3rd £120; 4th £80; best performance prize of £50.

Entry fee £40 (£56 incl. pay to play fee - see Notices section below).

ECF Rated U1500

1st £380; 2nd £185; 3rd £90; 4th £60; best performance prize of £35.

Entry fee £30 (£46 incl. pay to play fee - see Notices section below).

No player may win more than one prize. All place prize money will be shared equally between tied players.

The method for allocating best performance prizes can be found in the Terms and Conditions.

Discounts: GMs / IMs free, FMs half price.

Late Entries: Entries may be accepted on the day (cash only) subject to availability and payment of a £10 surcharge.

Playing Schedule (Open, 2000 & U1700):

A ½ point bye may be taken in rounds 1–4.

Time Control: All moves in 90 minutes plus 30 second increment per move from move 1. Re-pairing will take place 30 minutes after the start of a round. Players will be defaulted 30 minutes after the scheduled start of a round.

Playing Schedule (U1500 & U1200):

A maximum of two ½ point byes may be taken in rounds 1–5.

Time Control: All moves in 50 minutes plus 10 second increment per move from move 1. Re-pairing will take place 15 minutes after the start of a round. Players will be defaulted 15 minutes after the scheduled start of a round.

Note: Re-paired games in the U1500 and U1200 sections will be rated as Rapid because of the reduced time control.

Assigned Ratings

Players’ ECF standardplay ratings from the September 2026 list will be used for determining allocation to sections, tournament pairings, and best performance prizes (x5).

Players without an ECF standardplay rating will have a rating assigned to them by the organiser based on any other rating information they have, such as their FIDE standardplay rating, their ECF rapidplay rating, or a rating from another national federation. Any rating so assigned will be at the organiser’s discretion, and the organiser’s decision is final. Such players are encouraged to check their section eligibility before entering the tournament.

The Open, U2000 and U1700 Sections will be both FIDE and ECF rated. The U1500 and U1200 will be ECF rated.

University Accommodation

Visitors can now book overnight ensuite accommodation in the exclusive guest block at The Courtyard Residence on University of Hull campus.

Use the link below to secure 10% off the £49.50 per night room only rate with promotional code event25

Find out more and book online for September 2026

To see the full range of accommodation available you must enter your booking dates first. Please check to make sure that the words ‘event25’ appear in the last box (it should be pre-filled) as this gives you access to the special price we have negotiated. Rooms are available at this price for the nights of Thursday 5th to Sunday 8th September. You are also recommended to tick the full room info box.

They are nice ensuite rooms with shared kitchen and lounge and just two minutes’ walk from the playing venue. For those who choose the room only option, breakfast may be purchased from the café at the University library or Wetherspoons at the Students Union (both under five minutes’ walk from the accommodation). In addition there is a supermarket on campus, just a minute’s walk from the accommodation block. There are also competitively priced rooms in the University guest house adjacent to the University (Main Campus, 19 - 21 Salmon Grove, Hull, HU6 7SX)

There is free on-site campus parking available after 17.00 on the Friday. The closest is just four minutes’ walk from the playing hall. This is the multistorey car park, near number 16 on the campus map which you can find by clicking here. There are a small number of parking spaces immediately outside the playing hall which we would prefer to save for players with mobility problems. Access to these may be gained by contacting Douglas Vleeshhouwer ()

There are cafes and bars on site and a large pub just outside the University entrance (which also has some accommodation). Ten minutes’ walk away, Newlands Avenue has a number of bars, cafes and restaurants.

The University is between two and three miles from Hull Paragon (Central) station and can be easily reached by bus (12/14 minutes). During the day there are three buses an hour, two an hour in the evening. Routes 103, 105, x47. Buses run until around 23.30. For those not wishing to stay in the vicinity of the University there are hotels close to Hull Paragon Station and the City Centre.

The following hotels are close to the bus route and a short walk to the bus station

Notices

Pay-to-Play: There is an additional pay to play fee for players who are not Gold or Platinum ECF members of3 £16.00 (juniors £6.50). Entrants who are not under 18 years of age on Friday 25 September 2026 should pay the £16.00 adult pay to play fee.

The Open, U2000 and U1700 Sections will be both FIDE and ECF rated. The U1500 and U1200 will be ECF rated.

Prizes may be changed subject to numbers of entries.

The 4NCL reserves the right to transfer players between sections at any time.

All pairings will be made using Swiss-Manager FIDE Swiss pairing rules.

The submission of an entry form and payment of the entry fee denotes acceptance that all decisions made by the Chief Arbiter during the tournament are final.

The 4NCL reserves the right to refuse any entry without explanation.

Parking Instructions

Please print the campus map out and bring with you. The congress is being played in the Canham Turner Conference Centre..

By car you should enter the site by the north entrance (see campus map - link above). The road which runs along the front of the University is Cottingham Road. If you are driving east turn left onto Cranbrook Avenue This is at a set of traffic lights with a catholic church opposite at the Cranbrook Avenue turning. Drive along Cranbrook Avenue and then left onto Inglemire Lane (this is at a small roundabout with a post office on your left) . The North entrance is soon on your left.

Once through the north entrance the car park (multistorey) is 200 yards on your left. Building (near 16 on the campus map). This is a very short walk to the Canham Turner building (number 14 on the campus map).

Do not enter by the main University entrance on Cottingham Road or we might never see you ...

Postcode HU6 7DF.

How to Get There

Click here for information about travel to and from the Canham Turner Conference Centre.

Disclaimer

The 4NCL accepts no responsibility for any damage, theft or accident to the person or property of anyone attending this event.