Festival Schedule

Programme in development: The schedule below is being updated as events are confirmed. Activities and timings may change before the festival.

Use the interactive schedule above to explore the festival by day or type of event. You can filter the programme to find tournaments, social events, talks, workshops and other festival activities.

Schedule by Day

Friday, 29 January

• Chess Lounge — Open all day
• 7:00pm — Weekender Round 1
• Traditional Irish Music — Time TBC

Saturday, 30 January

• Chess Lounge — Open all day
• 9:30am — Weekender Round 2
• 11:00am–5:00pm — Board Games in the Festival Room
• 3:00pm — Weekender Round 3
• 7:30pm–9:00pm — Women & Girls in Chess Meet-Up
  • Coffee • Conversation • Community
• 9:00pm–11:00pm — Black & White Night: Festival Social
  • Drinks • Pub Quiz • Social
• Traditional Irish Music — Time TBC

Sunday, 31 January

• Chess Lounge — Open all day
• 9:30am — Weekender Round 4
• 3:00pm — Weekender Round 5
• Weekender Awards Ceremony — Time TBC
• 9:00pm — 9-Round Open Welcome
  • Drinks • Introductions • Meet the Players

Monday, 1 February

• Chess Lounge — Open all day
• 9:30am — Blitz Open Round 1
• 9:50am — Blitz Open Round 2
• 10:10am — Blitz Open Round 3
• 10:30am — Blitz Open Round 4
• 10:50am — Blitz Open Round 5
• 11:10am — Blitz Open Round 6
• 11:30am — Blitz Open Round 7
• 11:50am — Blitz Open Round 8
• 12:10pm — Blitz Open Round 9
• 12:30pm — Blitz Open Round 10
• 12:50pm — Blitz Open Round 11
• 2:00pm — 9-Round Open Technical Meeting
• 3:30pm — 9-Round Open Round 1
• 9:00pm — Show Where You’re From Social
  • Countries • Clubs • Community
• Chess Simul — Time TBC
• Chess Film at Omniplex Sligo — Time TBC

Tuesday, 2 February

• Chess Lounge — Open all day
• 9:30am — 9-Round Open Round 2
• 3:30pm — 9-Round Open Round 3

Wednesday, 3 February

• Chess Lounge — Open all day
• 3:30pm — 9-Round Open Round 4

Thursday, 4 February

• Chess Lounge — Open all day
• 9:30am — 9-Round Open Round 5
• 3:30pm — 9-Round Open Round 6

Friday, 5 February

• Chess Lounge — Open all day
• 3:00pm — 9-Round Open Round 7
• Traditional Irish Music — Time TBC

Saturday, 6 February

• Chess Lounge — Open all day
• 9:00am — Rapid Open Round 1
• 9:45am — Rapid Open Round 2
• 10:30am — Rapid Open Round 3
• 11:00am–5:00pm — Board Games in the Festival Room
• 11:15am — Rapid Open Round 4
• 12:00pm — Rapid Open Round 5
• 12:45pm — Rapid Open Round 6
• 1:30pm — Rapid Open Round 7
• 2:45pm — Women in Chess Foundation Coffee & Cake
  • Coffee • Cake • Conversation • Community
• 4:00pm — 9-Round Open Round 8
• 7:00pm — Woohah Chess Night
  • Chess • Hip-Hop • Music • Games • Social
  • Open to players and the public

Sunday, 7 February

• Chess Lounge — Open all day
• 10:00am — 9-Round Open Round 9
• 9-Round Open Awards Ceremony — Time TBC
• 5:00pm — Festival Farewell at Lough Gill Brewery
  • Pizza • Drinks • Games • Brewery Tours • One Last Get-Together

---

Tournament Timetables

Weekender

5 rounds · 90+30

Date	Time	Round
Friday, 29 January	7:00pm	Round 1
Saturday, 30 January	9:30am	Round 2
Saturday, 30 January	3:00pm	Round 3
Sunday, 31 January	9:30am	Round 4
Sunday, 31 January	3:00pm	Round 5

Blitz Open

11 rounds · 3+2

Round	Time
Round 1	9:30am
Round 2	9:50am
Round 3	10:10am
Round 4	10:30am
Round 5	10:50am
Round 6	11:10am
Round 7	11:30am
Round 8	11:50am
Round 9	12:10pm
Round 10	12:30pm
Round 11	12:50pm

9-Round Open

9 rounds · 90+30

Date	Time	Event
Monday, 1 February	2:00pm	Technical Meeting
Monday, 1 February	3:30pm	Round 1
Tuesday, 2 February	9:30am	Round 2
Tuesday, 2 February	3:30pm	Round 3
Wednesday, 3 February	3:30pm	Round 4
Thursday, 4 February	9:30am	Round 5
Thursday, 4 February	3:30pm	Round 6
Friday, 5 February	3:00pm	Round 7
Saturday, 6 February	4:00pm	Round 8
Sunday, 7 February	10:00am	Round 9

Rapid Open

7 rounds · 10+5

Round	Time
Round 1	9:00am
Round 2	9:45am
Round 3	10:30am
Round 4	11:15am
Round 5	12:00pm
Round 6	12:45pm
Round 7	1:30pm

---

More Activities to Be Announced

The 2027 festival programme is still being developed. Additional activities are planned throughout the ten days, including:

• Simultaneous exhibitions
• Talks and presentations
• Workshops
• Mindfulness by the sea
• Clean Coasts beach clean
• Guided tour of Sligo Town
• Casual chess
• Board games
• Traditional Irish music
• Cinema screenings
• Irish mythology storytelling
• Cultural activities
• Primary and secondary school chess events

Full details and timings will be added as activities are confirmed.

Tournaments Schedule

• Weekender (90+30)
  • Friday, January 29th, 7:00pm: Round 1
  • Saturday, January 30th, 9:30am: Round 2
  • Saturday, January 30th, 3:00pm: Round 3
  • Sunday, January 31st, 9:30am: Round 4
  • Sunday, January 31st, 3:00pm: Round 5
• 9-Round Open (90+30)
  • Monday, February 1st, 2:00pm: Technical Meeting
  • Monday, February 1st, 3:30pm: Round 1
  • Tuesday, February 2nd, 9:30am: Round 2
  • Tuesday, February 2nd, 3:30pm: Round 3
  • Wednesday, February 3rd, 3:30pm: Round 4
  • Thursday, February 4th, 9:30am: Round 5
  • Thursday, February 4th, 3:30pm: Round 6
  • Friday, February 5th, 3:00pm: Round 7
  • Saturday, February 6th, 4:00pm: Round 8
  • Sunday, February 7th, 10:00am: Round 9
• Blitz (3+2)
  • Monday, February 1st, 9:30am: Round 1
  • Monday, February 1st, 9:50am: Round 2
  • Monday, February 1st, 10:10am: Round 3
  • Monday, February 1st, 10:30am: Round 4
  • Monday, February 1st, 10:50am: Round 5
  • Monday, February 1st, 11:10am: Round 6
  • Monday, February 1st, 11:30am: Round 7
  • Monday, February 1st, 11:50am: Round 8
  • Monday, February 1st, 12:10pm: Round 9
  • Monday, February 1st, 12:30pm: Round 10
  • Monday, February 1st, 12:50pm: Round 11
• Rapid (10+5)
  • Saturday, February 6th, 9:00am: Round 1
  • Saturday, February 6th, 9:45am: Round 2
  • Saturday, February 6th, 10:30am: Round 3
  • Saturday, February 6th, 11:15am: Round 4
  • Saturday, February 6th, 12:00pm: Round 5
  • Saturday, February 6th, 12:45pm: Round 6
  • Saturday, February 6th, 1:30pm: Round 7

Non-Tournament Schedule

• Social Events
  • Saturday, January 30th, 7:30pm: Women & Girls in Chess Meet-Up
    • Coffee • Conversation • Community
  • Saturday, January 30th, 9:00pm: Black & White Night: Festival Social
    • Drinks • Pub Quiz • Social
  • Sunday, January 31st, 9:00pm: 9-Round Open Welcome
    • Drinks • Introductions • Meet the Players
  • Monday, February 1st, 9:00pm: Show Where You’re From Social
    • Countries • Clubs • Community
  • Saturday, February 6th, 2:45pm: Women In Chess Foundation Coffee and Cake
    • Coffee • Cake • Conversation • Community
  • Saturday, February 6th, 7:00pm: WooHah Chess Night
    • Chess • Hip-Hop • Music • Games • Social
    • Open to players and the public
  • Sunday, February 7th, 5:00pm: Festival Farewell at Lough Gill Brewery
    • Pizza • Drinks • Games • Brewery Tours • One Last Get-Together
• Simultaneous Exhibitions
  • TBC
• Talks
  • TBC
• Mindfulness By The Sea
  • TBC
• Clean Coasts Beach Clean
  • TBC
• Sligo Town Guided Tour
  • TBC
• Casual Chess
  • TBC
• Board Games
  • TBC
• Cultural Activities
  • Trad Music
    • TBC
  • Cinema Films
    • TBC
  • Irish Mythology Storytelling
    • TBC
  • WooHah Chess
    • TBC
• Workshops
  • TBC
• School Tournaments
  • Primary
    • TBC
  • Secondary
    • TBC