Entry: MEMBER ONLY EVENT $30 (members). Add $15 late fee for entries after Tuesday 29 September Free entry for titled players (includes GM/WGM/IM/WIM/FM/WFM/CM/WCM). Must enter by Tuesday 29 September Rating: FIDE / ACF Classical Rating Eligibility: Australian Citizens or Permanent Resident OR FIDE ID for players registered with a non-Australian Federation. Format: Top 8 qualified players during the year - 8 player round robin over 7 weeks              Remaining Players - 7 round swiss. Contact: NA Steven Hogan tournaments@hobsonsbaychess.com Chief Arbiter: TBC Schedule: Tuesdays 7:30 PM. Round schedule provided below. Format: 7 rounds. 90 minutes + 30 seconds per move (1 round per week). Notation is mandatory for all moves. Two half point byes are available in the Reserves Championship between rounds 1 to 5. Must be notified to the Chief Arbiter by 5pm Wednesday following the previous round to bye@hobsonsbaychess.com. No Byes in Club Championship Trophies & Cash Prizes Cash Prizes below $1,000 Prize Pool Club Championship Winner - $700 Reserves Championship Winner - $300 Cash Prize Rules: Eligibility rating is as at start of Round 1 One prize per player (highest value) Ties split prize money equally Rating prizes are “Under” cut-offs (e.g., U1600 means <1600) Tournament Rules: Here

We’re excited to announce that registrations for HBCC Junior Chess Coaching are now open for 2026 Term 4! Building on the fantastic momentum from our redesigned coaching framework, our dynamic coaching team—featuring five top-performing players from the HBCC Open section—is ready to welcome your young players back for an amazing final term of the year! These experienced competitors bring strong playing credentials, modern training methods, and firsthand tournament experience, ensuring students continue to receive high-quality instruction that connects theory with practical play. Reminder: Our venue for chess coaching remains at Hobsons Bay Chess Club @ Altona. Being based here makes it super easy for coaching students to jump straight into our ongoing Rookies and Junior tournaments! We welcome all returning Term 3 students and eager new faces to join our vibrant chess community for Term 4 2026! PS: Timings mentioned are indicative only. Class timings will differ based on group scheduling or coach availability for one-on-one sessions. See our Coaching Terms and Conditions here.  

Tournament is catered for beginners, juniors and rookies (including adults) below ACF 1500 or FIDE 1700.  Venue: Hobsons Bay Chess Club, 108 Queen Street Altona Rating: FIDE/ ACF Classical Rating Contact/CA: FA Kuanysh Batyrbekov tournaments@hobsonsbaychess.com  Deputy Chief Arbiter: NA Joemar Lacson Arbiters: NA Krishna Bodke, NA Nancy Arora, NA Uma Ramalingam, NA Elisa Watson Entry: $45 (members only price) $65 (non-members) Divisions: 8-player Round Robin for the 2026 Junior Club Championship (no "byes" allowed). List of qualifiers available here (still ongoing subject to the results of the Koshnitsky R&J). Regular Swiss format for the Rookies & Juniors Reserves Championship (only club member Juniors are eligible to win the Reserves title, adults can play and win monetary prizes).  To register as member: https://portal.hobsonsbaychess.com/member/memberships  Early Bird ends strictly 1 week in advance: 10th October 2026 (SATURDAY), Late Entry $75 with no exceptions.  Last Day to Register: 15th OCTOBER 2026 (THURSDAY) for R&J Reserves, preliminary R1 pairings to be distributed on 16th OCTOBER (Friday). Last day to register for the Junior Club Championship is 10th October 2026 (qualifiers must be club members). Schedule: 6:00 PM - Tournament starts Format: 7 rounds, 60 minutes + 30 seconds per move (1 round per week), with 2 weeks' break in September (school holidays) Notation is mandatory Two Half Point byes available per player between Rounds 1 to 5. Must be notified at least one day in advance of the round. Eligibility:  Unrated  (rating by Close of tournament registration) or ACF below 1500 (rating by Close of tournament registration) or  FIDE rating below 1700 (rating by Close of tournament registration) Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident OR FIDE ID (registered with home country chess federation) Non Citizen or PR holder are required to register your FIDE ID with your home country. No exception on this.  Trophies/ Medals + Cash Prizes Cash prizes are as below First Prize Rating Group 1: $200 Second Prize Group 1: $100 Third Prize Group 1: $50 Rating Group 2 Winner: $50 Rating Group 3 Winner: $50 (based on number of entries) Rating Group 4 Winner: $50 (based on number of entries) Tournament Rules - please view here