Invitation: Chess960 Tournament: A Creative Game with Familiar Rules

KRKA Novo mesto Chess Club and Rudolfovo invite you to a free Chess960 blitz tournament organised as part of the Rhythm of Life project. The event will take place on Friday, 25 September 2026, at the Miran Jarc Library in Novo mesto and is open to beginners and experienced chess players alike.

When familiar rules get a new starting point

What happens when familiar chess rules are combined with a different starting position

every time? The result is Chess960 – a variation of chess in which adaptability and strategic thinking play a particularly important role.

Unlike classical chess, the starting position of the pieces in Chess960 is determined randomly. Players cannot rely primarily on memorised openings; instead, they must carefully assess the position and find original solutions from the very first move.

Tournament information

• Date: Friday, 25 September 2026

• Registration confirmation: by 5:50 p.m.

• First round: 6 p.m.

• Venue: Miran Jarc Library Novo mesto, Rozmanova ulica 28

• Number of participants: maximum 40

• Entry fee: participation is free

  
  

The tournament is open to everyone – beginners, chess enthusiasts and experienced players.

Nine rounds of blitz chess are planned, with a time control of five minutes plus a three-second increment per move. A new starting position will be drawn for each round, and players will have one minute before the game begins to analyse it and develop their strategy.

Games from the top boards will also be broadcast live on Chess.com and Lichess.org.

Registration

Participation is free, but the number of places is limited to 40 due to venue capacity.

Register for the tournament

Join us for an evening of creative thinking, new strategies and exciting chess challenges.

More about the project: projects.nib.si/rhythmoflife.

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101305421.