How the rounds work
5 rounds · Swiss system · seeded by rating. Round 1 pairs the top half against the bottom half; after that, the arbiters pair players on equal points.
El Gouna Chess Club · First tournament
Chess
by the Sea
Hosted at
Thirty-two El Gouna residents, sixteen boards, one afternoon at Makani.
- DateSaturday 26 December 2026
- Time3:00 – 8:00 PM
- VenueMakani Beach Club, El Gouna
32of 32
places leftConfirmed once the entry fee is received
01 · The tournament
Five rounds. Every game counts.
A Swiss-system rapid tournament: everyone plays all five rounds, paired each round against a player on the same score. No one goes home after one game.
Time control
Rapid, 10 minutes each plus 5 seconds per move. Games take about half an hour.
Officiated
Three international arbiters oversee every round, the pairings and the final standings.
Who can play
32 players, El Gouna residents only. All levels welcome — tell us your rating or your level and we seed you fairly.
02 · The Grandmasters
Play the masters.
Two invited Grandmasters take part on the day, joined by three to four honorary VIP guests — Egyptian Grandmasters ranked among the top players in the world.
The top five finishers play the Grandmasters in an exhibition after the final round.
Grandmaster names to be announced.
03 · Prizes
Cash prizes for the top five.
- 1stFirst place
- 2ndSecond place
- 3rdThird place
- 4thFourth place
- 5thFifth place
04 · The day
Saturday, 26 December.
- Player check-in
- Welcome and opening
- Rounds 1–3
- Break — meet the Grandmasters
- Rounds 4–5
- Prize-giving and photos
- Top five play the Grandmasters
- Close
Timings are a guide; the arbiters may adjust between rounds.
05 · The venue
Makani Beach Club.
Under the bamboo roof, on the wooden deck, by the sea in El Gouna.
06 · About the club
El Gouna Chess Club.
A new community chess club for the people of El Gouna, hosted at Makani Beach Club. Chess by the Sea is its first event — the start of a place to play, learn and meet other players in town.
Follow along for future club days and tournaments.
07 · Register
Take your seat.
Four short steps, then pay the entry fee by InstaPay. Your place is confirmed once we receive the fee. After 32 confirmed players, new entries join the waitlist.
- You
- Residence
- Chess
- Confirm
- Pay
Your reference
CBTS-0000
Write this in the InstaPay note so we can match your payment.
InstaPay address
Or mobile number
Account name
Note / reference
- Open InstaPay → Send money → Payment address (IPA).
- Paste the address, enter the entry fee, add your reference in the note.
- Confirm with your IPN PIN, then take a screenshot of the success screen.
♔
Thank you, .
Your registration is Pending
We check every payment against our InstaPay account. Once it arrives, your place is confirmed and we'll message you on WhatsApp.
Questions? WhatsApp .
Good to know
Who can register?
El Gouna residents only.
When is my place confirmed?
When your entry fee has been received. Until then your registration shows as Pending.
What if the 32 places are full?
You can still register; you join the waitlist in order of registration and we contact you if a place opens.
Refunds
Refund policy to be announced.
I'm a beginner — can I play?
Yes. Seeding uses your rating or the level you choose, so the first round pairs you fairly.