Grand Chess Tour

Publication date: 4 November 2025

The Grand Chess Tour is one of the most prestigious chess tour series. Besides, it unites several major international tournaments under a unified brand. First launched in 2015 by leading grandmasters and chess patrons, the tour gathers the planet’s top players. Furthermore, it ranks among the key events in the FIDE calendar, albeit formally conducted as an independent commercial series.

2026 Grand Chess Tour

The 2026 Grand Chess Tour will take place in multiple countries and cities as usual. Furthermore, the series comprises 4–5 stages, ranging from classical tournaments to rapid and blitz competitions. At each stage, participants accumulate points toward the overall tour standings, with the season’s winner decided by total score. Besides, the tour spans several months, typically from May to December.

Based on tradition, we can expect the cycle to include tournaments that have been a regular part of it in recent years. These include:

Tata Steel Chess Tournament (Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands) – traditionally held in January.

GRENKE Chess Classic (Germany) – usually held in the spring.

Norway Chess (Stavanger, Norway) – traditionally held in late May – early June.

Sinquefield Cup (St. Louis, USA) – usually held in the summer or early fall.

Participants and Favorites

Each year, the Grand Chess Tour invites the world’s best players — world champions and top grandmasters. Among the main favorites and recurring participants are

• Magnus Carlsen (Norway): Multiple stage winner and co-founder of the tour.
  
• Alireza Firouzja (France): Young super-grandmaster and leading contender in blitz.
  
• Hikaru Nakamura (USA): Star of rapid and blitz chess, consistently strong in these formats.
  
• Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia): Participant in World Championship matches and leader in classical tournaments.
  
• Fabiano Caruana (USA): Versatile and one of the most consistent tour participants.
  

Tournament History 

The Grand Chess Tour (GCT) was founded in 2015 as an alternative to isolated commercial tournaments. Moreover, its purpose was to merge them into a series with a unified rating and prize fund. Over the years, the tour featured between 4 and 7 stages, welcoming the world’s top grandmasters.

Record holders include Magnus Carlsen and Wesley So, who have won the overall standings multiple times.

Grand Chess Tour Winners Over the Past Three Years

2027 Grand Chess Tour 

Details about the next season will be released closer to the conclusion of the 2026 season. Generally, the geography and format remain unchanged, with minor adjustments to stages and cities.

For more information, visit the official Grand Chess Tour website.

Follow the latest dates of chess tournaments and other events in our Sports events calendar.

GET YOUR BETTING OFFER

Sandra Andreevskaya

I write about sports, marketing, and betting. I manage the sports calendar and articles, making information clear and useful for...

32 articles

Author profile