{"id":15591,"date":"2026-09-23T09:28:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T09:28:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/?p=15591"},"modified":"2026-09-23T09:28:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T09:28:25","slug":"total-chess-world-championship-tour-announces-six-more-stars-for-budapest-pilot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/en\/2026\/09\/23\/total-chess-world-championship-tour-announces-six-more-stars-for-budapest-pilot\/","title":{"rendered":"Total Chess World Championship Tour announces six more stars for Budapest pilot"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Total Chess, Press Release<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Hungary, Budapest, September 2023 2026\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Total Chess World Championship Tour, the FIDE-approved global event conceptualised by Norway Chess, has announced six more leading international chess players who will compete in the official pilot event in Budapest from <\/span><b>10\u201320 November 2026<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The field of 24 players for the Pilot event is now complete. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-15593 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TCWCT_full-lineup-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Full player line up for Total Chess pilot\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TCWCT_full-lineup-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TCWCT_full-lineup-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TCWCT_full-lineup-150x84.png 150w, https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TCWCT_full-lineup-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TCWCT_full-lineup-317x178.png 317w, https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TCWCT_full-lineup.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Credit:<\/strong> Tor Nilssen &amp; Kjetil V. Tveito, Lennart Ootes, Anna Shtourman and Michal Walusza \/ FIDE and Norway Chess<\/span><\/p>\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The latest additions to the field are <strong>Levon Aronian, Liem Le, Jorden van Foreest, Abhimanyu Mishra, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Andrew Hong<\/strong>, further strengthening an elite line-up featuring some of the biggest names in world chess.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They join a field led by World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, alongside World No. 3 Fabiano Caruana and a host of leading players from across the global chess community.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Hosted at the iconic Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel, the pilot will showcase the unique Total Chess format, bringing together Fast Classic, Rapid and Blitz in a single championship. The event serves as the official pilot ahead of the inaugural global Total Chess World Championship Tour season in 2027.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Expressing his eagerness to compete in this format, <strong>World No. 20 Levon Aronian <\/strong>said:<\/span><\/p>\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 [&quot;blockquote&quot;,{}]\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>\u201cAs one of the more experienced players in chess, I\u2019m excited to be part of this new and innovative format. Bringing Fast Classic, Rapid and Blitz together creates a very different challenge for players. I\u2019m looking forward to seeing how the Total Chess World Championship Tour develops and what it can bring to the future of elite chess.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Kjell Madland<\/strong>, CEO of Total Chess World Championship Tour, said:<\/span><\/p>\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 [&quot;blockquote&quot;,{}]\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>\u201cThe addition of these six exceptional players makes an already outstanding field even stronger. Their experience, personalities and different approaches to the game reflect exactly what Total Chess is about. It brings the very best of chess together across formats and creates a championship that can engage a new generation of fans. Budapest is an important first step as we build towards the global tour in 2027.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 3 []\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Total Chess World Championship Tour is designed to determine the <strong>FIDE World Combined Champion<\/strong>, bringing together performance across the three principal formats of elite chess &#8211; Fast Classic, Rapid and Blitz.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Budapest pilot will provide the first competitive showcase of the concept before the Tour launches its inaugural global season in 2027, with elite events planned across leading international cities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Budapest field brings together <strong>24 elite players<\/strong>, representing a diverse mix of established world champions, leading contenders, rising stars and some of the most exciting young talent in the game.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Players confirmed (ranked by their September 2026 FIDE standard rating)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Magnus Carlsen (Norway) \u2014 World No. 1<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Fabiano Caruana (United States) \u2014 World No. 3<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Wesley So (United States) \u2014 World No. 5<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Vincent Keymer (Germany) \u2014 World No. 6<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) \u2014 World No. 7<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">R Praggnanandhaa (India) \u2014 World No. 8<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Arjun Erigaisi (India) \u2014 World No. 9<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Anish Giri (Netherlands) \u2014 World No. 10<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Alireza Firouzja (France) \u2014 World No. 11<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland) \u2014 World No. 13<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Liem Le (Vietnam) \u2013 World No. 18\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Richard Rapport (Hungary) \u2014 World No. 19<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Levon Aronian (USA) \u2013 World No. 20\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Hans Moke Niemann (United States) \u2014 World No. 21<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) \u2013 World No. 22<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ian Nepomniachtchi (FIDE) \u2014 World No. 23<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) \u2014 World No. 24<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands) \u2013 World No. 30<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Haik M. Martirosyan (Armenia) \u2014 World No. 50<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Vladislav Artemiev (FIDE) \u2014 World No. 65<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Abhimanyu Mishra (USA) \u2013 World No. 96 \u2013 World\u2019s Youngest Grandmaster\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Andrew Hong (USA) \u2013 World No. 152<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan) \u2014 Women&#8217;s World No. 5<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Vaishali Rameshbabu (India) \u2014 Women&#8217;s World No. 16<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>About the format<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot introduces a ground-breaking competition format designed to identify the world\u2019s 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 Classic 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">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\u2014four Blitz games (3+2), two Rapid games (15+10) and one Fast Classic game (45+30)\u2014with weighted scoring rewarding success in longer formats.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Three disciplines. One champion. One global tour.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>The journey begins in Budapest.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">For more information, visit: <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.totalchess.com\/\"><b>totalchess.com<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>About Total Chess<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">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\u2019s ultimate champion by testing excellence across three disciplines: Fast Classic, Rapid and Blitz. The Tour will bring together the world\u2019s top 24 men and women players to compete across four premier international events hosted in leading global cities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Designed to elevate the sport\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">With a vision to make chess one of the world\u2019s most engaging and commercially sustainable sports, Total Chess aims to expand the game\u2019s global footprint, inspire the next generation of players, and connect millions of fans through a dynamic championship that celebrates intelligence, strategy and sporting excellence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Total Chess, Press Release Hungary, Budapest, September 2023 2026\u00a0 Total Chess World Championship Tour, the FIDE-approved global event conceptualised by Norway Chess, has announced six more leading international chess players who will compete in the official pilot event in Budapest from 10\u201320 November 2026. The field of 24 players for the Pilot event is now [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":15593,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15591","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15591"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15591\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15598,"href":"https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15591\/revisions\/15598"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norwaychess.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}