The Wightlink Isle of Wight International Chess Tournament takes place from 18-23 February 2025 in the Isle of Wight, UK.
The event includes a 9-round Masters tournament, a 6-round U2000 tournament, a 5-round Weekend Congress and the X 3 Blitz tournament.

The Island will host elite chess players from across the globe in a six day, nine round tournament. Ryde is a sea side town with many hotels and Airbnbs, currently you can get rooms near the venue for £55PN with breakfast. If traveling by car you are never more than a 45 min drive from the venue. Newport has many more hotels and is around a 20 min drive away.

The Wightlink Isle of Wight Masters has a £4,000+ prize pool and norm chances, aiming to attract a large number of Grandmasters and other titled players. Players over 1600 FIDE are eligible to enter. All boards are DGT and broadcast live.

The Visit IOW "Holiday" U2000 will also see a strong field competing over six rounds, Tues - Fri. This is not a norms event but it is a fantastic opportunity for junior and casual players to gain experience playing in a longer competition over the February half term break. Most boards will be DGT Smart Board.

The event culminates with the five round Wightlink Congress, which is a perfect bolt on for players taking part in the U2000 tournament. We should have around x40 DGT boards for this and most players will get a chance to use them.

Players will also have the chance to compete for additional cash and DGT prizes with three separate Blitz events. The Friday afternoon session being perfect for people finishing the U2000 and early enough for anyone arriving for the Congress. These will be 100% on DGT Smart Board.

The event welcomes junior players. There is a viewing platform looking over the main playing area and a café where parents can wait but there is also a large theatre nearby with live screens and commentary. One parent must remain within the school grounds. We have side events to occupy parents.

International Arbiter, Shohreh Bayat, is once again is in charge and we already have an excellent line up of players including 40 Masters. All games will be FIDE and ECF Rated. There will be a large number of Smart Boards (100) providing most players the opportunity to play and have their games broadcast live on chess.com and Lichess.

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WightLink Isle of Wight