Last year, we launched a tournament that was intended to be much more than just another rapid event on the chess calendar. Vlastimil Hort is a true legend for several generations of Czech chess players, and Don Giovanni is the perfect place for us all to come together in his honour!
Tournament director Petr Boleslav
Hotel Don Giovanni was not chosen as the venue by chance. It was here that Vlastimil Hort regularly stayed during his visits to Prague. The hotel therefore became one of the places closely associated with the later years of his life and his returns to the Czech capital.
Our hotels became a second home for Vlastimil Hort whenever he returned to Prague. We had the honour of knowing him not only as a chess legend, but above all as a wonderful person and a dear friend. I am delighted that we have established a tradition that will carry his name forward and commemorate, year after year, a remarkable man who will not be forgotten!
Jaroslav Svoboda, owner of CZECH INN HOTELS, the hotel group to which Don Giovanni belongs
The Vlastimil Hort Suite in the Hotel Don Giovanni | Photo: Nils Rohde
Vlastimil Hort was one of the finest Czechoslovak chess players. For many years, he ranked among the world’s leading players, represented Czechoslovakia and later the Czech Republic, and became a prominent figure who had a remarkable ability to bring chess closer to the wider public. Above all, the Vlastimil Hort Tournament is intended as a celebration of chess and of a man who represented the game at home and around the world for decades.
Seven Rounds of Rapid Chess
This year’s tournament will take place on Saturday, 21 November 2026 at Hotel Don Giovanni Prague. It will be played over seven rounds using the Swiss system, with a time control of 15 minutes per player plus a 10-second increment for each move. The tournament will be FIDE/Elo-rated.
Player registration will take place from 8.00am to 8.45am. At 9.00am, the wife of the legendary grandmaster, Mrs Brigitte Hort, will officially open the tournament in person with an introductory address. The first three rounds will be followed by a one-hour break, with the remaining four rounds beginning at 1.00pm. The closing ceremony and prize-giving are scheduled for 5.15pm, when Mrs Hort, together with the organisers, will present the awards to the leading players.
Jaroslav Svoboda, Brigitte Hort and Petr Boleslav | Photo: Organiser
More than CZK 15,000 in Prizes
In 2026, the leading players can look forward to a significantly larger prize fund. The tournament winner will receive CZK 4,000, the runner-up CZK 3,000 and the third-placed player CZK 2,000, with cash prizes also awarded for further places.
Separate prizes of CZK 500 will be awarded to the best senior player aged 65+, the best female player and the best junior player under the age of 15. Books by Grandmaster Vlastimil Hort will once again form part of the tournament’s traditional non-cash prizes.
Mrs Brigitte Hort is once again making a personal financial contribution to this year’s prize fund. She will also donate an item from Vlastimil Hort’s collection as a special prize.
Vlastimil Hort Tournament 2026
Saturday, 21 November 2026
Hotel Don Giovanni Prague, Vinohradská 157a, Prague 3 – Žižkov
The entry fee is CZK 200, payable on site during registration. Players may register in advance by email at petr.boleslav@gmail.com no later than 18 November 2026.
Special accommodation rates are also available for tournament participants.
The tournament is organised by Czech Inn Chess.
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