The Biel Chess Festival continues its tradition as a highlight of the international chess calendar, known not only for attracting top grandmasters but also for its pioneering and now widely emulated “Chess Triathlon” format. This unique approach challenges players across the spectrum of competitive chess, demanding versatility and resilience.
At the heart of the Biel festival are two invitational tournaments: the elite Masters section and the competitive Challengers section, each featuring six strong players. Unlike standard events focused on a single time control, Biel requires participants to navigate three distinct disciplines: classical, rapid, and blitz. The ultimate winner is determined by a cumulative points system earned across all three phases.
This multi-faceted structure unfolds through a qualification phase comprising a classical round-robin, followed by a rapid round-robin with colors reversed from the classical games, and concluding with a double round-robin blitz tournament. Points are awarded differently for each format, reflecting the increasing speed of play: a win in classical yields the most points, followed by rapid, then blitz. Draws also contribute valuable half or fractional points depending on the format. It`s a system designed to reward consistency and adaptability, though one might observe, with a hint of technical appreciation, that it perhaps slightly penalizes players whose strengths lie solely in one area.
Adding a further layer of intrigue, any ties in the final standings are broken by a Freestyle Chess (also known as Chess960) opening tournament. This ensures that even if players are equally matched across the triathlon, a test of pure chess skill from unconventional starting positions will decide the champion, promising unexpected twists until the very end.
The rapid section, with its quicker clock times, often provides fertile ground for dynamic games and crucial point swings. Action in the rapid rounds has already begun to shape the standings. For instance, a notable result in the Masters rapid play saw German Grandmaster Frederik Svane defeat Polish Grandmaster Radoslaw Wojtaszek in a closely watched encounter.
The Biel Chess Festival`s triathlon format ensures that fans are treated to a comprehensive display of chess mastery, where strategic depth, quick tactical vision, and nerves of steel are all put to the test. Following the qualification rounds, the top players will advance to a final phase, continuing the battle under classical time controls while carrying forward their hard-won points. This continuous, evolving challenge is what makes Biel a truly unique and compelling event in the chess world.
Marcus Blakely 
Gilbert Pendleton