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You are invited to the historic 50th edition of the Annual Keres Memorial Chess Tournament with a guaranteed prize fund of $8,500 across various sections. Please refer to our rewards section for full details. Along with $7500 confirmed cash prizes, all winners earn free admission to our celebration buffet and awards ceremony on the final day worth a total of $1000+!

Event date & time: May 16th to 18th, 2026.
Event begins May 16th, 2026 (Saturday) – 11 am
Location: Richmond Curling Club
5540 Hollybridge Way, Richmond, BC
Main playing area: Main arena (wheelchair accessible)
Concession on-site.

Schedule and round timings:
Sat, May 16th, 2026: Round 1: 11am start; Round 2: 4pm start
Sun, May 17th, 2026: Round 3: 10am start; Round 4: 4:30pm start
BCCF AGM: 3pm or ASAP to be held in the skittles room on Sunday.
Side event: Unrated Open Blitz in the main playing area: 3pm start or asap. 7 rounds (3+2 time control). $20 entry fee; Prize pool will be 70% of event entries
Mon, May 18th, 2026: Round 5: 9:30am start, Round 6: 2:30pm start
Prize ceremony with buffet dinner: 6:30pm to 8:30 pm and social time (optional attendance)

MAIN EVENT DETAILS:

Time Control: 90 mins + 30 secs increment (6 rounds)
Forfeit time = 1 hour from scheduled start time. No draw offers until 30 moves.

Sections:
Premier (FIDE & CFC rated)
U2000 (FIDE & CFC rated)
U1500 (CFC rated)
U1100 (CFC rated)

Tournament Fee:
– Early bird $110 + GST: Until Mar 31st, 2026 – midnight.
– Regular $125 + GST: Until May 15th, 2026 – midnight.
– Play-up fee: $30 if the player is within 100 points range, $50 if player is within 200 points range.
*FREE ENTRY to all players rated 2300+ under any rating system if registered before early bird deadline, normal fee applies thereafter. Entry fee to be deducted from prize money upon winning.
Family Discount: $20 per player from 2nd family member onwards.
No onsite registration. No refunds after registration closes/ for no-shows or withdrawals. Note that a $20 processing fee will apply to all refunds before registration.

Prizes:

Premier Section
Best Premier player: $1375, 2nd place: $825, 3rd place: $450
Best U2200 Player: $450, 2nd place: $275, 3rd place: $125

U2000 Section
Best U2000 Player: $750, 2nd place: $400, 3rd place: $250
Best U1800 Player: $275, 2nd place: $175,3rd place: $120

U1500 Section
Best U1500 Player: $375, 2nd place: $250, 3rd place: $180
Best U1300 Player: $200, 2nd place: $125, 3rd place: $100

U1100 Section
Best U1100 Player: $200, 2nd place: $150, 3rd place: $100
Best U800 Player: $100, 2nd place: $75
Best Unrated Player: $100, 2nd place: $75

All winners to receive a Keres Memorial Trophy and e-Certificate along with cash prizes during a special prize ceremony at the end of the event from a guest of honour.
E-transfer within a week if the winner is unavailable during the ceremony

Hotel & Accommodation Partner:

Sure Stay Best Western, Richmond, 7188 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC V6X 0B

We have a room block secured for May 16th to 17th, 2026, with check out on May 18th at the following rate:
● Rooms with 2 Double Beds at $249.00 + taxes
Rooms are inclusive with:
● Breakfast, Internet, Parking
Shuttle service to and from the airport between 6:00 am and 10:30 pm

We have also reserved a few rooms for extended stays within the period of May 15th to 19th, 2026.

How to Book:
To reserve your room at this discounted rate directly online, click the link below and adjust the length of your stay:
https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.62149.html?groupId=X77AV2P0


Last day to book a room is April 17, 2026.

Contact us at [email protected] for assistance with booking a reservation. Hotels nearby: Vancouver Airport Hotel, Comfort Hotel, Executive Hotel Vancouver Airport, 10-12 min for booking

REGISTER HERE:

Step 1 of 3
Premier and U2000 sections are both CFC and FIDE rated. U1500 and U1100 are only CFC rated.
The CFC (Canadian Chess Federation) represents Canada to the world as a member of FIDE, the international chess body. As a CFC member, you have access to all CFC rated events across Canada, and will obtain national CFC chess ratings. There are two types of CFC ratings: Regular, and Quick. Long story short, all tournaments with long games (60+ min per player) use your CFC regular rating. Tournaments with shorter games (< 60 min per player) use your CFC quick rating. They are different ratings and do NOT overlap. This tournament uses CFC Quick ratings** If not, you have to do it yourself using the following link: https://www.chess.ca/en/players/membership-join/



REGISTERED PLAYERS
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