Dear participant,

 

Welcome to the 36th Leuven Open. We expect you on Saturday, November 8th at Keizersberg Abbey, Mechelsestraat 202, Leuven.

Please register at our registration desk in the tournament hall between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM. The first round begins at 7:30 PM.

The participant lists (A-series; B-series) and all other information can be found on our website. We were unable to admit all interested parties to the tournament. There is a waiting list.

For the first time, we will play in two series. The A-series is for players with a FIDE rating of 1800 or higher. The B-series is for players with a FIDE rating below 1900 and unranked players. We will use the FIDE rating from November 2025. For Belgian and Dutch players, we will use the national rating if no FIDE rating is available. These criteria will be applied without exception.

 

Only players with a rating between 1800 and 1899 may choose the series they play in. They can change their choice until Tuesday, November 4th, by sending an email to chess@leuvencentraal.be. After that, all requests will be rejected.

If you cannot attend the first round and would like a bye, please notify chess@leuvencentraal.be by 6:00 PM on November 8th. Some players have already done so. You can verify this on the participant list ( A-series; B-series; first column). For other rounds, you can request a bye during the tournament. Doing this earlier is greatly appreciated. You can withdraw a previously requested bye during the tournament. Byes must be requested and withdrawn before the pairings take place, shortly after the last game of each round.

On-site registration on November 8th is mandatory for any player who does not take a bye in the first round. Players who do not register in time and do not take a bye for the first round will not be paired in the first round. If these players remain silent during the first round, they will not be able to participate in the tournament and will not receive a refund.

 

If you get a bye in the first round, you will be paired for round 2 at the end of round 1. For round 2, you simply take your place at your board, without any special registration.

 

If you are unable to participate in the tournament, please notify us as soon as possible so a replacement can be contacted. If you cancel your registration before October 31st, your registration fee will be refunded; after that, only if we find a replacement.

 

Notify the organizers (chess@leuvencentraal.be) immediately if you are suddenly unable to play for any reason (due to urgent circumstances, illness, etc.). This way you avoid a forfeit. Your opponent usually prefers to play a chess game rather than win by forfeit.

Photos may be taken during the tournament for publication on our website. Please let us know if you do not want a specific photo or other visual material of you published.

The limited number of parking spaces at Keizersberg Abbey will be reserved for the organization. There is a paid parking lot nearby (Parking Vaartkom – 6 euros per day, a ten-minute walk). Free parking is available in some streets in Wilsele, north of the venue. An overview of (paid) street parking can be found on this map and on the website of the City of Leuven.

There is a bus stop near the venue. For more information, use the De Lijn route planner or Google Maps.

A range of hot meals, as well as sandwiches and snacks, will be available during the tournament.

Kind regards,

Chess Club Leuven Centraal