The 60th Ballarat Begonia Open 2026

Venue: Ballarat Tech School, Federation University 136 Albert Street, Ballarat Central

Round Times:

Rate of Play:

All moves in 90 minutes per player plus an increment of 30 seconds per move from move 1. A forfeit will be awarded if a player is 30 minutes late for a game.

Entry Fees:

GM’s, WGM’s, IM’s and WIM’s: Free Adults: $150 Concession (For those under 18 on 7 March 2026): $130

Prizes:

Box Hill CC Member Prizes: For members of Box Hill Chess Club not winning another prize -
Top Adult $200 Top Female $200 Top Junior $200

Grandmasters and International Masters

GM’s, WGM’s, IM’s and WIM’s are entitled to free entry to the Tournament. They must however, contact the tournament manager at treasurer@ballaratchess.com to register their intention to play before entries close and get their complimentary entry code for TryBooking https://www.trybooking.com/DHYTV

Half Point Byes:

Players may request the Arbiter for up to 2 half point byes in rounds 1 to 5. This must be done in writing prior to the tournament or before the start of the previous round.

Ratings Groups and Unrated Players:

There will be 3 separate sections for players rated under 2000 and a separate section for unrated players. The 3 rated player groups will be determined by dividing the number of rated players under 2000 by 3. The unrated players will not be included in this calculation and will only be eligible for outright prizes and those shown above for unrated players.

General:

The tournament will be rated by both the ACF and FIDE. Draws under 15 moves will not be accepted by the Arbiter.

Sponsorship:

The club appreciates the generous support of PPT Financial, Federation University, Northern Star Chess, Box Hill Chess Club and the Friends of Begonia.

Further Information:

You can call Tournament Manager Kevin Perrin on 0418 533 517, President Peter Stickland on 0408 115 778 or email inquiries to president@ballaratchess.com

Flyer 2026

Mailout

Invitation Letter

The Ballarat Chess Club Inc. is very pleased to advise that the 60th Begonia Open Chess Tournament will be held in Ballarat over the Victorian Labour Day long weekend from 7th to 9th March 2026.
To celebrate our milestone 60th consecutive Begonia Tournament we have increased the prizes in all categories substantially without raising the standard entry fee. The outright prize pool has been increased by over 50% and additional prizes have been added to all categories. We have been able to do this due to higher entries last year and the ongoing support of our sponsors PPT Accounting and Financial, Federation University, Northern Star Chess, Box Hill Chess Club and the Friends of Begonia.
We are expecting a higher entry than the record 236 received in 2025 and have already received commitments from a GM and a WGM. There will be a cap of 300 participants, so we encourage people intending to play to enter as soon as possible.
Attached are a flyer and an information sheet and we invite you to participate. Registration and payment can be completed online at the TryBooking link. This is the only way which you may enter the tournament. More current and historic information about the event can be found on the tournament website at begoniaopen.com . The website will display the entry list as well as results and pairings during the tournament.
We are pleased to confirm that Grandmaster Ian Rogers will again provide his very popular live commentary on games. International Arbiter Dr Peter Tsai will be our Chief Arbiter, and the tournament will be both ACF and FIDE rated.
The Ballarat Tech School, which is part of Federation University, will again be the venue. It is a modern facility located at 136 Albert Street, Ballarat Central. It is just over 2 blocks from Sturt Street which is the main street in Ballarat, making it ideal for obtaining accommodation and meals. There is ample parking adjacent to the venue and free all-day car parks nearby. If you require accommodation, then we encourage you to arrange it as soon as possible since it is always very busy in Ballarat during the Begonia Festival period.
This year’s Flyer features photos of some of the players who have supported our event over its proud 60 year history. These faces will be familiar as some of them have played over 30 times and a couple have made over 40 appearances! We look forward to welcoming them back in 2026 along with many other long-term supporters.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any queries about the event.
Kind regards,
Kevin Perrin, Tournament Manager - 0418 533 517