The Chess Calendar

Prize Fund: €350,000

Zagreb, HR · 29 Jun — 5 Jul 2026

10 players · Rapid and blitz · Rapid and blitz round-robin · 10 players

The Grand Chess Tour 2026 is a series of chess tournaments, which is the eleventh edition of the Grand Chess Tour. It consists of six tournaments with a total prize pool of US$2 million, including two tournaments with classical time control and three tournaments with faster time controls, as well as the GCT Finals in St. Louis.

Prize Fund: $150,000

St. Louis, US · 2 — 6 Aug 2026

10 players · Rapid and blitz · Rapid and blitz round-robin · 10 players

The Grand Chess Tour 2026 is a series of chess tournaments, which is the eleventh edition of the Grand Chess Tour. It consists of six tournaments with a total prize pool of US$2 million, including two tournaments with classical time control and three tournaments with faster time controls, as well as the GCT Finals in St. Louis.

Prize Fund: $180,000

St. Louis, US · 8 — 21 Aug 2026

10 players · Classical · Classical round-robin · 10 players

The Cairns Cup is an annual round robin chess tournament, founded in 2019, for the leading women's chess players held in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States. The tournament was named after St Louis Chess Club co-founder and World Chess Hall of Fame member Dr Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield.

Prize Fund: $350,000

St. Louis, US · 10 — 20 Aug 2026

10 players · Classical · Classical round-robin · 10 players

The Sinquefield Cup is an annual, invitation-only chess tournament in St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 2013. The tournament is one of the strongest in the United States and is part of the Grand Chess Tour.

Prize Fund: $300,000

St. Louis, US · 22 — 27 Aug 2026

4 players · Classical · Classical knockout · 4 players

The Grand Chess Tour 2026 is a series of chess tournaments, which is the eleventh edition of the Grand Chess Tour. It consists of six tournaments with a total prize pool of US$2 million, including two tournaments with classical time control and three tournaments with faster time controls, as well as the GCT Finals in St. Louis.

46th Olympiad · Open

Samarkand, UZ · 15 — 28 Sept 2026

Classical · Classical team Swiss

The 46th Chess Olympiad will be an international chess tournament in Samarkand, Uzbekistan organized by the International Chess Federation. It will take place from September 15, 2026 to September 28, 2026, and is expected to have about 200 participating teams.

Prize Fund: $100,000

St. Louis, US · 10 — 24 Oct 2026

12 players · Classical · Classical round-robin · 12 players

The U.S. Chess Championship is an invitational tournament organized by the United States Chess Federation to determine the country's chess champion. It is the oldest national chess tournament.

Prize Fund: $1,840,000

Goa, IN · 30 Oct — 27 Nov 2026

206 players · Classical · Classical knockout · 206 players

The FIDE World Cup is a major chess event organized by FIDE, the international governing body of chess. The tournament is a knockout classical event with a large international field.

Prize Fund: $2,500,000

Gukesh vs Sindarov

TBD · 15 Nov — 5 Dec 2026

Classical · Classical match

The World Chess Championship is a chess match for the World Chess Championship title. The 2026 match will be played between the defending champion Gukesh Dommaraju and the challenger Javokhir Sindarov, the winner of the Candidates Tournament 2026.

Prize Fund: $1,500,000

Vaishali vs Ju Wenjun

TBD · 1 — 20 Dec 2026

Classical · Classical match

The Women's World Chess Championship is a chess match for the Women's World Chess Championship title. The 2026 match will be played between the defending champion Ju Wenjun and Vaishali Rameshbabu, the winner of the Women's Candidates Tournament 2026.