2021 began with an impressive OTB tournament of the 83rd edition of Tata Steel Chess in January. What’s in store for the coming months for the chess fans? Let’s glimpse through the chess tournaments calendar 2021 and take a note of the major events that have been scheduled for the year.
FEBRUARY 2021
CHAMPIONS CHESS TOUR: OPERA EURO RAPID
Date: Feb 6-14
Venue: Chess24
With two of the initial events over in 2020, the Champions Chess Tour takes the next stride with its Opera Euro Rapid that commenced on Feb 6.
The previous two tournaments were rated among the three most watched events in chess history. The Opera Euro Rapid, the third stage on the tour amounts to a prize pot of $100,000/-
The tournament will have sixteen of the top-ranking players with Magnus Carlsen, the reigning champion at the lead. The top 8 players from the event will be qualified to participate in the March major.
The tour gets its name from the fast and lightweight browser Opera that will be provided to all the players. Opera is the title partner and the Official Browser Partner of the tour.
Champions Chess Tour : The Grand Opening
WORLD CORPORATE CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
Date: Feb 19-21
Venue: Chess.com
Following in close steps on 19th Feb is the online chess tournament of leading global corporations with representatives including those from Fortune 500 companies.
MARCH 2021
CHAMPIONS CHESS TOUR: MAJOR #2
Date: Mar 13-21
Venue: Chess24
The second “major” and the 4th leg of the tour involves 12 players and a prize fund of $100,000.
FIDE CANDIDATES TOURNAMENT (Second half, rounds 8-14)
Date: Spring 2021
Venue: Yekaterinburg, Russia/Tbilisi, Georgia
The second half of the qualification tournament to choose the next World Chess Champion is an eight-player, double round-robin. Top leads like Fabiano Caruana, Ding Liren, Anish Giri, Alexander Grischuk, Kirill Alekseenko, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Maxime-Vachier-Lagrave, and Wang Hao will participate.
The event would be a replay of the 2020 tournament that had to be halted halfway through due to the pandemic. Teimour Radjabov was replaced by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave to confront Ian Nepomniachtchi. The uncertainty of the game still lingers as dates are not yet fixed.
FIDE sets new rules and regulations for Online Chess Tournaments
APRIL 2021
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
Date:
Venue: Minsk, Belarus
The 64 female contestants will vie for an entry into the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2021 that is scheduled for the first half of the year.
CHAMPIONS CHESS TOUR: REGULAR #3
Date: Apr 24-May 2 Venue: Chess 24
The $100,000 prized “regular” and sixth leg of the online chess tour will have 16 players.
MAY 2021
EUROPEAN INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Date: May 22
Venue: Reykjavik, Iceland
The Reykjavik Open was cancelled in 2020 due to the virus and remains uncertain about the final event. It is seen as a qualifier for the World Cup and in case of further delay or cancellation this year, will serve as a qualifier for the 2023 World Cup.
CHAMPIONS CHESS TOUR: MAJOR #3
Date: 23-31
Venue: Chess24
The month of May currently seems to be exclusively occupied with the seventh leg of the Champions chess tour. The final major of the tour wields 12 players and has a prize amount of $100,000.
EUROPEAN WOMEN’S CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
Date: May 31-June 13
Venue: Mamaia, Romania
The championship is a 11-round open and decides the European Women’s Champion 2021. The championship also serves as qualifier for the Women’s World Cup.
JUNE 2021
SUPERBET CHESS CLASSIC ROMANIA
Date: June 3-15
Venue: Bucharest, Romania
The month takes off with the classical tournament that is part of the Grand Chess Tour 2021. Top grandmasters will participate.
PARIS RAPID & BLITZ
Date: June 16-23
Venue: Paris, France
The Grand Chess Tour segments extend to the rapid and blitz tournament that will be held in Paris towards the mid of June.
CHAMPIONS CHESS TOUR: REGULAR #4
Date: Jun 26-Jul 4
Venue: Chess24
The next session of Champions Chess with a prize fund of $100,000 involves 16 players.
JULY 2021
CROATIA RAPID & BLITZ
Date: Jul 5- 12
Venue: Zagreb, Croatia
Yet another of the series of tournaments that are part of the Grand Chess Tour 2021.
FIDE WORLD CUP
Date: Jul 10- Aug 6
Venue: Sochi, Russia
The updated 206-player knockout tournament is scheduled to start by 10th July. The top 50 players will begin from Round 2. Both the two finalists will qualify for the Candidates Tournament. The number of games in the final has been cut down to two from the previous four. The duration will remain the same as the other rounds, and in case of a tie, will be followed by rapid and blitz playoffs.
A parallel Women's World Cup is also planned to be held with 103 players. The prize fund will be $676,000.
AUGUST 2021
CHAMPIONS CHESS TOUR: REGULAR #5
Date: Jul 31 - Aug 8
Location: Chess24
The 9th leg of the tour is a “regular” and has 16 players and prize money of $100,000.
SAINT LOUIS RAPID & BLITZ
Date: Aug 16-28
Location: St. Louis, USA
Part of the Grand Chess Tour 2021 with top players.
SINQUEFIELD CUP
Date: Aug 16-28
Location: St. Louis, USA
A classical segment of the 2021 Grand Chess Tour.
CHAMPIONS CHESS TOUR: REGULAR #6
Date: Aug 28 - Sept 5
Location: Chess24
This “regular” is the 10th leg of the Champions Chess Saga and has 16 players vying for the $100,000 prize fund.
SEPTEMBER 2021
CHAMPIONS CHESS TOUR FINAL
Date: Sept 25- Oct 3
Location: Chess24
Come September and the series of Champions Chess Tour gala culminates in the final episode. The event that has a prize fund of $300,000 will commence by the last week of September. Looks like the prologue and the grandeur of the $1.5 million Tour would consume the entire month - there are no other chess tournaments in September.
OCTOBER 2021
FIDE CHESS.COM ISLE OF MAN GRAND SWISS
Date: Oct 25-Nov 8
Location: Douglas, Isle of Man
One of the qualifying cycles for the World Championship 2021, the FIDE Grand Swiss will be hosted by the British Crown dependency State the Isle Of Man for the second time since the inaugural event in 2019.
The event will be the most expensive and strongest swiss tournament in history, with 164 eminent players and a whopping combined prize money of $550,000.
The inaugural edition of the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss is also scheduled to be held simultaneously with the top 40 players. There will be seven other FIDE nominees as well, and three organizer’s wildcards. The prize money will be $125,000. The finalist will appear for the Candidates Chess tournament.
NOVEMBER 2021
The month will watch two major final tournaments take place in quick succession.
FIDE CHESS.COM ISLE OF MAN GRAND SWISS
Date: Nov 8
Location: Douglas, Isle of Man
114 top male chess players will contest for a prize fund of $425,000. The winner receives a prize amount of $70,000 and title and will qualify for the Candidates Tournament along with the runner-up.
FIDE WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
Date: Nov 24-Dec 16
Location: Dubai, UAE
The ceremonial event to decide the new World Chess Champion will take place in Dubai from November to December. The reigning champion Magnus Carlsen will lock horns with the winner from the Candidates Tournament 2020-2021 for the title and a prize fund of $2 million.
Watch for more updates from the chess kingdom at Mind Mentorz, and mark your calendar for the exciting events that the year has a handful of! Call us at +91 9606847428 for your queries on chess coaching for kids in Bangalore.