Dortmund Chess Festival attracts top players

by ChessBase
7/31/2026 – The 53rd Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting gets underway on Saturday (1–8 August). Alongside a strong open tournament featuring German national team players Matthias Blübaum, Rasmus Svane and Dmitrij Kollars, as well as Biel Open winner Christian Glöckler (pictured), the festival also includes an international women's GM tournament, where Dinara Wagner will defend her title. | Photos: Tournament organisers
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Sparkassen Chess Trophy 2026

International Dortmund Chess Days with a full house and an international women’s grandmaster tournament

On Saturday, the long-established chess festival kicks off its 53rd edition as the Sparkassen Chess Trophy – German national team players among the favourites in the A-Open

Three weeks before the tournament began, all places for participants at the ‘Kulturzentrum Alte Schmiede’ were already fully booked. 400 participants have registered. Numerous accompanying guests and spectators are expected in Huckarde, and the top games will be streamed live around the world.

In sporting terms, the focus is on, amongst other things, the open tournaments with a prize fund of €20,000. Twenty-one grandmasters are registered for the A-Open, all vying for the top places. The hot favourite is defending champion Matthias Blübaum, who this year featured in the World Championship Candidates’ Tournament, comprising the eight most successful players from around the world over the past year. However, his national team colleagues Dmitrij Kollars and Rasmus Svane, as well as the top Czech player David Navara, are also aiming for victory. The organisers, Initiative Pro Schach e.V., attach just as much importance to giving Germany’s most talented young players the opportunity to measure themselves against the elite. Christian Glöckler from Limburg an der Lahn, aged just 14, won the Open in Biel last week ahead of numerous grandmasters and is now more than just an outsider in the Dortmund field.

Numerous young players in the A-Open could prove to be dark horses. Take FM John Heinrich, for example, who heads into the Sparkassen Chess Trophy on the back of a huge success. The 18-year-old recently won the Candidates’ Tournament at the Chess Summit in Dresden, thereby securing his place in next year’s German Individual Championship.

The highlight of this year’s Sparkassen Chess Trophy is the International Women’s Tournament featuring four grandmasters, which gets underway on stage on Sunday. Germany’s number one, Dinara Wagner, will be competing here against three world-class players.

Dinara Wagner won in 2025

The international chess community is particularly keen to see Song Yuxin – the 20-year-old Chinese player is the breakthrough star of the year and has now climbed to 22nd in the world rankings. The other two women Grandmasters are Klaudia Kulon (Poland) and Nataliya Buksa (Ukraine).

The tournament kicks off here on Sunday with the following pairings:

Dinara Wagner - Klaudia Kulon
Natalia Buksa - Song Yuxin

Admission is free at all times. Grandmaster Artur Jussupow will be providing commentary on site every day from 3 pm; catering will be provided and spectators are warmly welcome.

Rafael Vaganian and Artur Jussupov

The B-Open starts daily at 10.30 am, whilst the A-Open and the women’s tournament begin daily at 3 pm. Detailed information on the tournament, venue and results can be found at www.sparkassen-chess-trophy.de.

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