Top players of German chess will be visiting Dortmund this summer for the Sparkassen Chess Trophy. In the open tournament, German national players will compete against international grandmasters for a prize fund of €20,000.
The current number one in the German women’s rankings Dinara Wagner will be competing in parallel in an international women’s tournament at the Alte Schmiede cultural centre.
The International Dortmund Chess Days will take place from 1st to 9th August 2026 in the heart of the Ruhr region. The 53rd edition will once again feature a chess festival for players of all levels, with A-Open and B-Open tournaments.
As in previous years, organiser IPS e.V. expects more than a dozen strong grandmasters to compete in the A Open of the Sparkassen Chess Trophy 2026.
Defending champion GM Matthias Blübaum [Foto: Dariusz Gorzinski] has already confirmed his participation. He caused a success not only in Dortmund with his victory in 2025. He had previously been crowned European Champion in 2025. Shortly after the Sparkassen Chess Trophy, he qualified for the upcoming World Championship Candidates Tournament by finishing second in the FIDE Grand Swiss. The Grandmaster from Bielefeld does not want to miss out on returning to Dortmund and has confirmed his participation in the A-Open.
GM Surya Ganguly will also be back in action. The Indian player finished third last year and will be looking to make another push for the Sparkassen Chess Trophy in 2026. Further title holders will be announced in the coming weeks and months.
Prize giving at the A Open 2025 with Ganguly third from right [photo Michelle Lassak]
“Due to the expected number of title holders in the field, the A-Open will once again be particularly attractive not only for spectators, but also for up-and-coming players chasing title norms,” emphasises tournament director Patrick Zelbel.
The B-Open of the Sparkassen Chess Trophy is played over eight rounds in the morning for players with a rating of up to 2050, so that in the afternoon they can watch the grandmasters play live. Grandmaster Artur Yusupov, former world number 3 and popular commentator and chess coach, will be on hand as usual to provide live commentary.
Legendary GMs Artur Yusupov and Rafael Vaganian
The international women’s tournament with four players attracted a lot of attention last year. The promotion of female chess players continues to be close to the heart of the organiser, Initiative Pro Schach e.V., so that another strong international tournament is planned for 2026.
IM Dinara Wagner is certain to compete there. She won the Sportland.NRW Cup at the Chess Trophy in 2023, earning herself a GM norm in Dortmund. Last year, she came third in a strong field of participants. She achieved particular success at the blitz event in 2025, which she won. Her opponents for 2026 will be announced in the spring.
In addition to long-standing main sponsors Sparkasse Dortmund and the City of Dortmund, the Alte Schmiede cultural centre and IntercityHotel Dortmund are once again participating as partners. Bezirksmarketing Huckarde is also supporting the event, which promotes the Huckarde location with 400 participants.
“We are delighted to build on the framework conditions of recent years. Participants and spectators can expect a friendly chess festival with catering, live commentary and top-class chess under one roof. In addition, they can stay at our partner IntercityHotel in the heart of the city and use the hotel’s city ticket for local transport in Dortmund,” says Christian Jochmann, Managing Director of IPS e.V., looking ahead to the Sparkassen Chess Trophy 2026.
Detailed information about the tournament, registration and venue can be found at www.sparkassen-chess-trophy.de. Registration is now open. Spectators are welcome to attend in person.
