Karlsruhe is the chess highlight running parallel to the Candidates Tournaments
The grenke Chess Festival will return to the Karlsruhe Congress Centre over Easter (2–6 April 2026) – and the event just keeps growing and growing and growing …
A new milestone was recently reached: more than 3,000 players have already registered several weeks before the start of the tournament. This means that long before the first move is played, the festival has already surpassed its previous records. At the same time, registration numbers are consistently higher than the comparable figures from previous years – a clear sign of the enduring appeal of the Karlsruhe format.
Two tournaments with the option to switch
This year, the festival once again features two major open tournaments taking place side by side under one roof: the grenke Chess Open in classical chess and the grenke Freestyle Chess Open. Both competitions are played over nine rounds in the Swiss system with classical time control and offer identical conditions for the participants. One special feature of the Karlsruhe format remains in place: players can switch from the classical Open to the Freestyle tournament up to round five.
Four World Championship places at stake
From a sporting perspective, the 2026 festival gains an additional dimension: for the first time, the grenke Freestyle Chess Open will serve as a qualifying event for the Freestyle Chess World Championship. The winner of the A Open earns a place in the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2027. In addition, the three best-placed women in the A Open qualify for the first Freestyle Women’s World Championship.
Large prize fund
Financially, the grenke Chess Festival is once again highly attractive.
- €70,000 prize fund in the grenke Chess Open
- €215,000 prize fund in the grenke Freestyle Chess Open, including €60,000 for the winner
Because of the qualification opportunities and the prize fund, the field is not only large but also very strong: Magnus Carlsen, now a 21-time world champion across disciplines, is once again expected in Karlsruhe. Last year he produced a historic result by winning all nine games. Germany’s number one Vincent Keymer has also announced his participation, making the festival an especially significant event for the German chess scene.
Two of the many stars in the field who will attract special attention from chess fans. | Picture: grenkechessopen.de
But it will not only be these two players attracting fans. Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who has enjoyed great success recently, Levon Aronian, Hans Niemann and many other top players are also expected to draw plenty of spectators in addition to the many participants.
--> All registrations to date can be viewed on the tournament website
With its mix of world-class players, a huge field of participants and an open format, the grenke Chess Festival has established itself as the world’s largest open chess festival. The record numbers for 2026 underline this development impressively. While international attention is focused on the Candidates Tournaments, another major chess highlight is taking shape in Karlsruhe at the same time.
Side events
Alongside the sporting competition, the grenke Chess Festival will once again feature an extensive side programme in 2026. Planned activities include simultaneous exhibitions, live commentary on the top games, fan events and opportunities for fans to meet professional players.
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