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The Sligo chess and culture festival is by far the best tournament that I have played in. If you are looking for a place that combines serious chess, the friendliest people, beautiful beaches and vibrant culture then this tournament will certainly not dissapoint you. No matter your playing level, 1200 or 2500, or as in my case somewhere in between, everybody is treated as an professional. I played here twice now and I hope to return many more times.

Bart van den BosseTwo-Time Sligo Festival Player

I have been playing chess tournaments in different parts of the world since my childhood and the Sligo event is the best chess tournament I have ever played in my life.

The organization is superb with everything working to perfection. From the live streaming to the room conditions (ample space, absolute silence, wooden chess boards all connected to streaming, etc.). The hotel venue is 4 stars with very comfortable rooms, nice and helpful staff, and reasonable prices.

The atmosphere at the tournament is fantastic. It’s very friendly and great for kids and families with social activities during the festival. You will have the chance to meet people and make friends from different parts of the world. The traditional Irish friendliness and the Irish way of life is a bonus.

The tournament will give you the opportunity to play competitive chess and rub shoulders with masters, titled chess players, and strong locals. Thanks to the friendly atmosphere it is not strange that a strong master looks and analyses the game with you over a pint of beer. I remember GM Alex Baburin analysing a rook ending of one of my games, where I learned a lot about rook endings!

So, if you want to play competitive chess, have fun, make friends and enjoy the striking and breathtaking beauty of the Western coast of Ireland… this is your tournament.

CM Dr. Juan Ramón Rodríguez-FernándezOne-Time Sligo Tournament Player

I would say by far this is the most professional weekender I’ve been to. I’ve been to tournaments all over the world, in three different continents, and this is by far the nicest weekender I’ve ever seen. The players get treated with great respect, the conditions are lovely, the hotel was very nice, and everything’s really nice.

FM Jonathan Pein2023 Master Section Winner

My experience at Sligo Festival 2025 was excellent. First of all, it was a huge added value that all the games were streamed, allowing my clubmates in Spain and my Twitch followers around the world to follow my games live and support me throughout the event. I was impressed by how easy the organizers made it for content creators like me to broadcast and share the tournament experience.

The playing conditions were excellent: a spacious venue with plenty of natural light and a professional environment that helped me focus and perform at my best on the board. Having a comfortable and pleasant hotel nearby was another huge plus. All the facilities offered were of high quality and really contributed to maintaining optimal performance round after round.

I love Sligo; it has a unique charm, beautiful beaches, and stunning scenery. After the tournament, I took the opportunity to visit Dublin, where I enjoyed sightseeing and connecting with the local culture of a country that was once my home.

Beyond the competition, one of the most memorable aspects was the people: I made many new friends, both among the players and members of the organizing team. This reaffirms that events like the Sligo Festival not only promote excellence in chess, but also foster community and connection between people.

WCM Adriana Palao2025 1st Place Woman

(The) Sligo Tournament should be the measuring stick on how to host chess tournaments in Ireland.

Vladimir MabhenaThree-Time Sligo Tournament Player

First-class organisation, strict anti-cheating measures, and everyone on the committee was very helpful. Colm O’Muireagain was a pleasant and efficient arbiter. And of course, Craig DuBose ran the tournament so well and as the marketing promised, made everyone feel like a professional chess player.

Denis O’ConnellThree-Time Sligo Tournament Player

The best tournament in Ireland at present. Lots of little extras made it a great tournament… All fantastic. The reduced rate hotel rooms were also very much appreciated. Tournament and hotel staff were 10/10.

Niall O’SheaThree-Time Sligo Tournament Player

The tournament was the most professional one we have attended in Ireland so far. The playing area was a pleasure to be in. Plenty of space and natural light. The name tags with the players country flag were a lovely touch with many taking them home as souvenirs. We absolutely loved the live boards and the Diana Mirza commentary. So accessible for all to see. And especially the fact that these were recorded for viewing by the players later. The Chessable pens came in very handy! There was also fresh water and drinking glasses available for all. The tournament was run on time. I’m sitting here now looking at the professional photos taken during the games and they are amazing. Definitely the best tournament so far!
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Daire BarnsParent

(My favourite aspect of the tournament was) space, space and space! (Also,) The good organisation, name cards, timely pairings, multiple helpers (Sandra etc.), good arbiter, phone policy and how it was dealt with. Multiple prizes including ladies prizes and grading prizes.

John LoughranOne-Time Sligo Tournament Player

The most obvious thing was the very spacious playing area. I must empathize on this because I have been playing in so many tournaments where tables are long, having 4-5 boards each, and players are packed so tight that if you want to leave your seat during while your opponent is thinking, you are forced to disturb your neighbours unless you happen to be seated in the end of those long tables. Sometimes there are even tournaments where they would actually have enough space, but even so the tables are placed unnecessarily close to each other. And this is especially important to me since I am one of those players who like to have a little walk after almost every time making a move.

Another thing was the fact I asked you about (and you told me you didn’t quite know how you had managed to do it) was the huge amount of beginners in the tournament, rated below 1000 or unrated. It’s a big problem in Finland, and as far as I know, a universal problem that despite so many people play chess online, it’s very difficult to get them to play in OTB tournaments. Hats off for that achievement! And the beginners were not only kids – during the social event on Saturday I was talking with two guys aged in their 30s or 40s, who were playing in their first rated tournament ever and both were excited and eager to talk about their games and opening choices, in a way that reminded me of myself when I started playing “official” chess as a teenager.

A third one was the fact that the tournament ran so smoothly. By this I mean that there was hardly ever noisy afterwards analysis – I remember one case where two players had to be shushed, and even they were by no means particularly loud. In an average tournament it usually happens several times that people start talking after their game, not whispering, but talking just with their normal voice, even ignoring shushing around them. Most typically old men in their 70s, occasionally kids… but in your tournament, despite the big amount of participants, this didn’t happen. Quite amazing, I have to say.

A third one was all the “extra” you had in this tournament, including the social event, live commentary, players being interviewed after their games etc. “Everyone is treated like a pro” on your event site certainly doesn’t feel like too much exaggeration!

Mikko NikulaOne-Time Sligo Tournament Player

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