Prizes & Entry Fees - 2026
Place & Rating Prizes
| Award | Open | Challengers ECF 2050 & below | Major ECF 1900 & below | Intermediate ECF 1750 & below | Minor ECF 1600 & below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place | £350 | £350 | £350 | £350 | £350 |
| 2nd place | £180 | £180 | £180 | £180 | £180 |
| 3rd place | £100 | £100 | £100 | £100 | £100 |
| Rating Prize 1 | £100 (<2300) | £100 (<1950) | £100 (<1800) | £100 (<1650) | £100 (<1500) |
| Rating Prize 2 | £100 (<2200) | n/a | n/a | n/a | £100 (<1400) |
| Rating Prize 3 | £100 (<2100) | n/a | n/a | n/a | £100 (<1300) |
Eligibility determined by rating on 1st March 2026.
Where players finish on equal points, the prizes they are jointly eligible for are added together and shared equally. For example, if two players tie for 1st, the 1st and 2nd place prizes are combined (£350 + £180 = £530) and split equally (£265 each).
Junior & Veteran Prizes
| Award | Amount |
|---|---|
| Best Junior (under 14 yrs) | £100 |
| Best Veteran (65 and over) | £100 |
Eligibility determined by age on 31st December 2025.
These prizes apply across the whole tournament, not per section. The award goes to the eligible player with the most points, with ties broken in favour of the higher section. If players are still tied, the prize is shared equally.
Unrated Players
Except in the Open, no player without a rating may win more than a maximum of £70. However, to be eligible for this prize money, they must have provided written evidence of their playing strength before Sunday 5th April 2026.
SCCU Championship (Open Section)
The Open section incorporates the SCCU Championship. The best-placed eligible player receives the Glenroy Trophy, a £100 cash prize (paid by the SCCU Treasurer), and a British Championship qualifying place. There is only one place on offer, which cannot be awarded to another player should the winner already be qualified.
To be eligible, a player must qualify by birth or residence in a member county, membership of a chess club in or affiliated to a member county, or attendance at an educational establishment in a member county. The SCCU member counties are: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Surrey and Sussex. See the SCCU general rules for full details.
Hertfordshire Trophies
Awarded to the best Hertfordshire-eligible player in each section. To be eligible, a player must be resident in or a member of a chess club in Hertfordshire.
| Section | Trophy |
|---|---|
| Open | Hakansson Cup |
| Challengers (ECF 2050) | Berry Cup |
| Major (ECF 1900) | Davis Cup |
| Intermediate (ECF 1750) | Congress Cup |
| Minor (ECF 1600) | Lee-Johnson Cup |
| Best Junior (under 14) | J Glynne Jones Cup |
Ties for section trophies are broken on sum of progressive scores, then sum of opponents' scores. The junior trophy is broken first on higher section, then progressive scores, then opponents' scores.
Entry Fee
£40
All sections. (GM, IM, WGM, WIM free.)
ECF "Pay to Play" Fees
This is a registered ECF Game Fee event. Players who are not current ECF Members at Gold or Platinum level on the date of entry will have £16.00 (£6.50 for juniors) added to their entry fee.
Bronze ECF members should note that their membership will be upgraded to Gold by the ECF following processing of the congress results for grading. Upgrading prior to the congress – online or via the ECF office – is recommended.