Total Chess, Press Release

Hungary, Budapest, August 25 2026 

The world’s biggest names in chess, led by five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen, will gather in Budapest from 10th to 21st November for the inaugural Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot, marking the beginning of an ambitious new chapter in professional chess.

Credit: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

Conceptualised by Norway Chess and approved by FIDE, the Total Chess World Championship Tour introduces a revolutionary global championship format that will culminate in crowning the FIDE World Combined Champion across Fast Classic, Rapid and Blitz disciplines. The Budapest Pilot serves as the first showcase of the Tour’s vision, bringing together many of the world’s best players ahead of the official launch of the multi-city World Championship Tour in 2027.

The elite field features reigning and former World Championship contenders, Olympiad heroes, elite grandmasters and some of the brightest young talents in world chess, representing Europe, Asia and North America.

The confirmed line-up so far includes (ranked by their August 2026 FIDE standard rating):

• Magnus Carlsen (Norway) — World No. 1
• Fabiano Caruana (United States) — World No. 2
• Vincent Keymer (Germany) — World No. 5
• Wesley So (United States) — World No. 6
• Anish Giri — World No. 7
• Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) — World No. 8
• Arjun Erigaisi (India) — World No. 9
• Alireza Firouzja (France) — World No. 10
• Praggnanandhaa R (India) — World No. 12
• Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland) — World No. 13
• Richard Rapport (Hungary) — World No. 18
• Hans Moke Niemann (United States) — World No. 21
• Ian Nepomniachtchi (FIDE) — World No. 24
• Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) — World No. 28
• Haik M. Martirosyan (Armenia) — World No. 54
• Vladislav Artemiev (FIDE) — World No. 65
• Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan) — Women’s World No. 5
• Vaishali Rameshbabu (India) — Women’s World No. 14

With this star-studded line-up of 18 players, the Budapest Pilot reflects the Tour’s commitment to creating one of the strongest recurring fields in world chess. The remaining six players will be announced in September. 

Players will compete across Blitz, Rapid and Fast Classic formats, providing a unique competitive environment that rewards versatility across all three time controls. Results from the pilot will help shape the competitive framework of the Total Chess World Championship Tour, which will feature four premier tournaments in different global cities worldwide beginning in 2027.

The Total Chess World Championship Tour has been created to redefine elite chess through a season-long narrative, bringing together the world’s leading players in a format designed for modern audiences while preserving the competitive integrity of classical chess.

Speaking on his participation, World No.1 Magnus Carlsen said:

“I look forward to playing the Total Chess World Championship in Budapest this year. It’s always interesting to try out new formats.”

Confirming his participation, India’s Praggnanandhaa R, who is also the reigning Norway Chess champion, said:

“It’s an exciting format which challenges players to show their best performance in all three Classical, Rapid and Blitz formats. Looking forward to being part of the first edition.”

Kjell Madland, CEO of Total Chess said:

“The Budapest Pilot represents far more than another elite tournament. It is the first step towards creating a truly global championship ecosystem that celebrates every format of the game while giving fans a season-long journey to follow. Bringing together this calibre of players for our inaugural event is a testament to the belief the world’s best have in the vision of Total Chess.”

About the format

The Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot introduces a ground-breaking competition format designed to identify the world’s most complete chess player by combining Fast Classic, Rapid and Blitz into a single championship. The pilot event will bring together 24 elite players, who will begin the tournament in a group stage comprising four groups of six players each. Every group follows a double round-robin format over five days, with players contesting ten Fast Classical games (45 minutes plus a 30-second increment). Victories earn three points, while draws are worth one point. A nine-round Blitz Swiss tournament held before the competition determines tie-break rankings.

Following the group stage, players progress into knockout brackets based on their finishing positions. Each knockout match is played over two days and tests competitors across all three disciplines—four Blitz games (3+2), two Rapid games (15+10) and one Fast Classical game (45+30)—with weighted scoring rewarding success in longer formats. 

The four highest-ranked players across the Tour qualify for the Grand Final, where semifinals and the championship match determine the inaugural FIDE World Combined Champion. Should a knockout match remain tied, an Armageddon game is used to decide the winner, ensuring every contest produces a definitive result. The format rewards consistency, versatility and excellence across every major discipline of elite chess.

Further tournament details, format, schedule, prize fund and broadcast information will be announced in the coming weeks.

Three disciplines. One champion. One global tour.

The journey begins in Budapest.

For more information, visit: www.totalchess.com

About Total Chess

Total Chess is a global championship platform established to redefine elite competitive chess for the modern era. Developed by Norway Chess and approved by FIDE, the Total Chess World Championship Tour introduces a unified format that crowns the world’s ultimate champion by testing excellence across three disciplines: Fast Classical, Rapid and Blitz. The Tour will bring together the world’s top 24 men and women players to compete across four premier international events hosted in leading global cities. Designed to elevate the sport’s commercial appeal and fan engagement, Total Chess combines world-class competition with innovation, technology and immersive spectator experiences to create a new benchmark for professional chess. 

With a vision to make chess one of the world’s most engaging and commercially sustainable sports, Total Chess aims to expand the game’s global footprint, inspire the next generation of players, and connect millions of fans through a dynamic championship that celebrates intelligence, strategy and sporting excellence.

For more information or press enquiries contact [email protected].