The Grenke Chess 2026 will be held in Karlsruhe, Germany, from April 2 to 6. The championship includes Freestyle Open and Classical Open tournaments with A, B, and C divisions for different ratings.

Both Freestyle Open and Classical Open events will feature a 90+30 time control over 9 Rounds of Swiss. In case of ties for first place, the winner will be determined by Tiebreaks. The prize fund for the Freestyle tournament is €205,250, and €60,250 for the Classical tournament.

The winner of the Freestyle Open qualifies for the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2027. Top-3 highest-placed female players qualify for the FIDE Women’s Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026.

This championship follows the 2025 edition held in Karlsruhe. Magnus Carlsen won the Freestyle Open without a single loss. The Classical Open was won by Indian IM Aswath S. The Grenke Chess Festival is an annual chess event held in the German cities of Karlsruhe and Baden-Baden, held from 2013 to the present day.

Credit: Stev Bonhage/Freestyle Chess Grenke