Events

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

♟️ Oceania Youth Chess Championships 2027 🌏 29 September – 3 October 2027 | Melbourne, Australia Hobsons Bay Chess Club (HBCC) is proud to host the Oceania Youth Chess Championships 2027, bringing together talented young chess players from across the Oceania region. We anticipate welcoming 300–400 players from up to 13 Oceania federations for an exciting international chess event in Melbourne's west. 📍 Tournament Information Dates: 29 September – 3 October 2027 Venue: Bacchus Marsh Grammar – Woodlea Campus, Victoria, Australia Host: Hobsons Bay Chess Club (HBCC) Eligibility: Junior players up to Under 20 (born in 2007 or later, subject to age-category requirements) Rating: FIDE-rated championships 🏆 Three Championships in One Event Championship Time Control Rounds Classical 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment Refer to regulations Rapid 10 minutes + 2 seconds increment 7 Blitz 3 minutes + 2 seconds increment 9 Registration covers entry to all three championships – Classical, Rapid and Blitz, subject to tournament regulations. 📅 Indicative Tournament Schedule The championships will take place from 29 September to 3 October 2027, featuring Classical, Rapid and Blitz competitions. The event program includes registration, accreditation, an Opening Ceremony, tournament rounds, and a Closing Ceremony and Prize Giving. Date Time Activity Wed, 29 Sep 2027 8:00 – 9:00 AM Registration and accreditation     9:00 – 9:30 AM Opening Ceremony     9:30 – 10:00 AM Players' briefing     10:00 AM Classical Round 1     3:00 PM Classical Round 2 Thu, 30 Sep 2027 9:00 AM Classical Round 3     2:30 PM Classical Round 4 Fri, 1 Oct 2027 9:00 AM Classical Round 5     2:30 PM Classical Round 6 Sat, 2 Oct 2027 9:00 AM Classical Round 7     2:00 PM Classical Round 8 Sun, 3 Oct 2027 9:00 AM Classical Round 9     3:00 PM Rapid Championship – 7 rounds     7:00 PM Blitz Championship – 9 rounds     After completion Closing Ceremony and Prize Giving ⚠️ Important – Schedule Subject to Change The tournament schedule is indicative and provided for planning purposes only. The Organising Committee reserves the right to amend the schedule, including round times, playing sessions, breaks, ceremonies and other tournament arrangements, where necessary due to operational requirements, unforeseen circumstances or other factors affecting the smooth running of the championships. Any amendments will be communicated through official tournament communication channels. Players, parents and accompanying persons are responsible for checking the latest published schedule and tournament announcements. The latest official schedule and any subsequent amendments issued by the Organising Committee will take precedence over previously published versions.   💰 Registration Fees Ticket Category Early Bird (Before 1 August 2027) Standard (From 1 August 2027) Non-Official Player AUD $260 AUD $300 Official Federation Player AUD $130 AUD $170 Official Federation Player tickets are available only to players formally nominated by their respective national chess federations. ✅ What Does Registration Cover? Your registration fee includes: Entry to the Oceania Youth Classical Championship Entry to the Oceania Youth Rapid Championship Entry to the Oceania Youth Blitz Championship Applicable championship registration levy Accommodation, meals and optional transport are not included in the standard non-official player registration fee. Separate arrangements may apply to eligible official federation players. 🌏 Participating Federations The championships welcome eligible junior players from: 🇦🇺 Australia · 🇳🇿 New Zealand · 🇫🇯 Fiji · 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea · 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands · 🇵🇼 Palau · 🇬🇺 Guam · 🇳🇷 Nauru · 🇳🇨 New Caledonia · 🇹🇴 Tonga · 🇻🇺 Vanuatu · 🇰🇮 Kiribati · 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands   🎁 Special Initiatives 🎉 First 300 Players Lucky Draw Players who register early may be eligible for the First 300 Players Lucky Draw. Please refer to the official tournament website for prize details, eligibility and conditions.   🌴 Pacific Island Federation Assistance Scheme To encourage greater participation from Pacific Island nations, HBCC is offering financial assistance to eligible federations. AUD $1,000 assistance per eligible federation Available to the first three qualifying federations Minimum of five registered players per federation Australia and New Zealand are excluded Additional terms and conditions apply   🏨 Accommodation Non-Official Players and Families Discounted accommodation rates will be available through our official accommodation sponsor for interstate and international non-official players and accompanying families. Accommodation is not included in the standard non-official player registration fee. Details of participating accommodation providers, discounted rates, booking procedures and applicable terms and conditions will be announced once confirmed. 📄 Tournament Documents 📘 Tournament Information Pack https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JaA7q6Ga0QUupM8DkRjqoI2gxRfZa7UM 📋 Tournament Regulations https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qLFiKAQYa6GU5Qa8LUpaWdZ_nM5lITpV All participants and parents are encouraged to read the tournament regulations carefully before registering. ♟️ Your Pathway to International Chess The Oceania Youth Chess Championships provide young players with opportunities to: Compete against talented juniors from across Oceania. Gain valuable international tournament experience. Develop their chess skills and pursue international chess achievements. Build friendships with players from different countries. Experience competitive chess at a major continental championship. 📩 Registration and Enquiries 🌐 Official Website: https://oceaniayouth2027.hobsonsbaychess.com/ 📧 Email: major_tournaments@hobsonsbaychess.com  We look forward to welcoming players, families and federations from across Oceania to Melbourne in September 2027! Proudly hosted and organised by Hobsons Bay Chess Club (HBCC).