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20 August 2026
4th Queenstar International Rating Chess Championship
International Rating Chess Championship. Ten rounds, five days, players from across the world.
- Dates
- Aug 20–24, 2026
- Venue
- Gampaha, Sri Lanka
- Prize fund
- LKR 2.5M
Queenstar Open International Rating Chess Championship
Building on years of national-level events, the Queenstar International Chess Coaching Academy proudly presents its fourth international championship.
Held 20–24 August 2026 at the Youth Development Center in Gampaha, this edition brings players from across the world together for ten rounds of FIDE-rated classical chess, with blitz and rapid side events alongside.
LKR 2.5M+
cash prize pool & awards
in prizes, trophies, medals & certificates
classical rounds · FIDE rated
At a glance
Everything you need, up front
Categories
Category A (≥1701) & Category B (≤1700 + unrated), plus age groups.
See formatsSchedule
10 classic rounds over five days, with blitz and rapid side events.
View timelinePrizes
LKR 2.5M across category, age-group, team and side-event prizes.
See breakdownVenue
Youth Development Center, Gampaha — 40 min from Colombo airport.
Getting thereFIDE-Rated Classic Event 2026
The main championship brings together some of the strongest players in the region for ten rounds of classical chess, played 20–24 August 2026. With a combined prize pool of LKR 2.5M across the classic and side events, competition runs deep.
The top three finishers in each category take home cash prizes — LKR 200,000 / 150,000 / 100,000 in Category A — and the leading female player receives a special award. Prizes extend well down the table, so there is always something to play for.
FIDE-Rated Blitz Event 2026
Looking for fast, exciting chess? The Blitz event runs on the evening of Thursday 21 August — nine rounds at 3 minutes + 2 seconds. It draws some of the quickest players in the field for a night of high-tension action.
Cash prizes run down to 10th place, with additional awards for unrated and rated categories, the best player from the Gampaha district, and each age group. A separate Rapid event runs across Friday and Saturday evenings.
The Venue — Youth Development Center, Gampaha
The championship is played at the Youth Development Center in Gampaha — an established venue laid out for comfortable long-format play, roughly 40 minutes from Bandaranaike International Airport.
Travelling from overseas? Our player liaison helps with visa invitation letters, accommodation near the venue and airport pickup, so you can focus on your games.
Become a sponsor
We're seeking partners for the 2026 championship — a prestigious event drawing players from around the world and a national media audience. Sponsorship puts your brand in front of a diverse, engaged crowd, locally and internationally.
Packages run from supporter to title, each with its own visibility across the venue, programme, website and broadcast.
From the board
Moments from past editions
Travelling from overseas?
We help international players with visa invitation letters, accommodation near the venue, and airport pickup from Colombo (BIA).
Officially recognised
Endorsed by chess governing bodies
FIDE — International Chess Federation
The World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym, FIDE.
Asian Chess Federation
The continental governing body of the sport of chess in Asia.
Chess Federation of Sri Lanka
The central governing body for the game of chess in Sri Lanka.
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