Southend Easter Chess Festival
17 April-21 April 2025
Let’s play chess!
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5th Southend Rapid
Thursday 17 April 2025
Six rounds, R1 at 10:30 am, finish by 6:00 pm.
Three sections:
FIDE: Open, FIDE and ECF U1700*, ECF: U1400
* Entrants must be U1700 in both lists
Rate of play:
25 mins + 5 seconds per move. (G25+5)
Minimum Prizes each section: £80 / £40 / £20
Also Live games (see next column).
The Rapid U1400 has been FIDE rated in the past, but through 2023-24 FIDE had carried out an in-depth review of their rating system, which concluded a few days before Southend 2024 and resulted in many players receiving a hike in their FIDE rating, many of them Rapid ratings, and the baseline FIDE rating was lifted to 1400. This means what it says, there is now no such thing as a FIDE U1400 rating. After consideration, the organisers of the Southend Easter Chess Festival took the decision to retain the rating bands as they are, but accept that the U1400 will not be FIDE rated, just ECF rated.
Those who participated in the Rapid in 2024 will recall that the facilities available that day were less than ideal in that, as was notified to us by the college only a few days before the Festival that the college would still be in full swing, the Thursday of the Rapid being the last day of term. The biggest restriction was that the cafeteria area was off-limits until late afternoon. We offered our sincere apologies for this state of affairs at the time.
The confluence of the end of term and the Southend Easter Chess Festival only happens once every four years. Forewarned, we shall know that when it next occurs, alternative arrangements for the start and finish dates of the Festival will be needed. The good news is that there will be no repeat of that situation in 2025 and all facilities that regular competitiors, friends and families are used to will be available, together with yElena’s acclaimed catering. The Festival will be the sole occupants, apart from the ever-helpful college staff.
Southend Easter Chess Festival
17 April-21 April 2025
Southend Adult Community College,
Ambleside Drive, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 2UN
Organised by Giant Chess
Chief Arbiter: Adam Raoof
Minimum Prize Fund £2,700
Closing dates for entries
Congress – 10.00 pm Thursday 17 April 2025
NB Parents or Guardians
We are NOT able to provide supervision for children or vulnerable adults. Parents or guardians should therefore provide their own arrangements for supervision at ALL times.
Live Games
When you follow the link above, in the Games tab, select the event from the dropdown and within each event options in the Rounds dropdown ‘All rounds’ or select individul rounds.
67th Southend Easter Chess Congress
Friday 18 April – Monday 21 April 2025
Four 7-Round sections
FIDE Open
Minimum Prizes: £450 / £250 / £150; Rating £110
FIDE and ECF U1900
Minimum Prizes: £300 / £200 / £100; Rating £70
ECF U1600
Minimum Prizes £145 / £100 / £50; Rating £30
ECF U1300
Minimum Prizes £145 / £100 / £50; Rating £30
Rate of play G90+30 – All moves in 90 minutes, plus 30
seconds a move from the start.
Southend Masters
In addition to the Festival there will also be taking place in the College, the Southend Masters title norms tournament.
Keep up to date with Congress news on our Blog – select Blog from the main menu at the head of each page, or find the latest blogs below. Why not subscribe for automatic updates, directly to your inbox; just enter your email address at the bottom of this page and hit Subscribe – it won’t cost you a penny!
Latest from the Blog
Ian’s Gallery
As a counterpoint to Yuri’s excellent Gallery, specialising in documenting the developing story of this year’s Festival, I have added my own Gallery highlighting a couple of jewels in the City of Southend crown; local interest only a few minutes’ walk from the Festival venue. Ian’s Gallery Southchurch Park is close by 5-10 minutes’ walk…
Yuri’s Gallery
We are delighted to add the pictorial record of arbiter Yuri Krylov, as he builds images from this weekend’s events. You can find Yuri’s splendid images HERE Or scan the QR code below to get the link on your device:
Festival off to a great start
The 2025 Southend Easter Chess Festival began on Maundy Thursday with a vibrant Rapid, the 5th in the series of Southend Rapids, with a record entry of 68, beating the previous record of 64 in 2022. All the details are on chess-results.com – just click this link. We are delighted this year to have 30…
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Southend Easter Chess Festival 