Chess Calendar 2022 - The Biggest Upcoming Chess Events
2022 started brightly with a number of exciting chess events, from Tata Steel Chess to the FIDE Grand Prix series. The second half of the year promises to be even more exciting, as it features several high-status events, including the FIDE Candidates Tournament and the Chess Olympiad.
We've prepared a list of the most important international chess tournaments running from May to December 2022.
May 2022
Superbet Chess Classic | May 5th - 15th
The first event of the 5-event $1.4 million Grand Chess Tour, the Superbet Chess Classic started early in May. Ten world-class players competed in a round-robin format for a prize fund of 350,000$.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave emerged as a winner after defeating Wesley So and Levon Aronian in the playoffs.
Rapid & Blitz Poland | May 17th - 24th
The second GCT tournament starts almost immediately after the first. Rapid & Blitz Poland features a strong field of 10 players competing in three days of rapid (25+10) and two days of blitz (3+2). The prize fund is $175,000.
Chessable Masters | May 18th - 26th
The 4th event of the $1.6 million 2022 Meltwater Champions Chess Tour will kick off toward the end of May. With Carlsen having won the first 2 regulars and Duda triumphing in the first Major, the intrigue in the Chessable Masters will be high!
Norway Chess | May 30th - June 11th
One of the strongest chess tournaments in the world! The 2022 edition of Norway Chess features a strong 10-player field led by the world champion Magnus Carlsen, who is bidding for a 5th Norway Chess title and a 4th in a row.
June 2022
Prague International Chess Festival | June 7th - 17th
The 4th edition of the Prague Chess Festival will be the first major event of June. The tournament will have three sections: Master, Challengers, and Futures.
World School Individual Championships 2022 | June 10th - 17th
Held in Panama City, the championship features 12 sections in Open and Girls for each age category: Under 17, Under 15, Under 13, Under 11, Under 9, and Under 7.
Candidates Tournament | June 16th - July 7th
Ian Nepomniachtchi, Teimour Radjabov, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Alireza Firouzja, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Richard Rapport, and Ding Liren will compete in a 14-round event to decide who earns the right to face Magnus Carlsen in the 2023 World Chess Championship match.
World Senior Team Championship 2022 | June 19th - 30th
Postponed from 2021 to 2022 due to the pandemic, the World Senior Team Championship for teams in 50+ and 65+ age categories will take place in Acqui Terme, Italy.
Russian Championship Higher League | June 25th - July 6th
The top 5 Open and Women’s players form the Russian Higher League, where the winners qualify for the Russian Chess Championship Superfinals.
July 2022
US Junior and Girls Championship | July 5th - 15th
The Saint Louis Chess Club will host the US Junior and Girls Championships, the winners of which will qualify for the US Championships.
Meltwater Champions Chess Tour (4/6) | July 10th - 17th
The 4th of 6 Regular events on the Meltwater Champions 2022 Tour is planned to be held in July.
Biel International Chess Festival | July 9th - 23rd
The 55th edition of the Biel Chess Festival features a grandmaster tournament where the players compete in classical, rapid, and blitz chess. A Chess960 event will act as the tiebreaker in case of equal points.
Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Trophy | July 16th - 24th
Vladimir Kramnik and Vishy Anand will be joined by Krishnan Sasikiran and Daniel Fridman in a no-castling chess event to headline the traditional Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Trophy. There will also be a strong 8-player German Grand Prix and several open tournaments.
Super United Croatia Grand Chess Tour Rapid & Blitz | July 18th - 26th
The 3rd leg of the 2022 Grand Chess Tour will be held in Zagreb with a total prize fund of $175,000.
World Chess Olympiad | July 28th - August 10th
The World Chess Olympiad has been held biennially since 1950. The only exceptions were the years 2020 and 2021 due to the Pandemic. This year, the Olympiad will take place in Chennai, India, with around 300 teams participating in the Open and Women’s sections.
August 2022
Meltwater Champions Chess Tour (Major 2/3) | August 12th-20th
This is the 2nd Major on the 2022 Tour, which will also feature 6 Regular events and another Major event.
European Women’s Chess Championship | August 20th - 31st
The 2022 European Women’s Championship will take place in Prague, Czech Republic. The champion will qualify for the FIDE Women’s World Cup.
Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz | August 26th - 30th
The 4th tournament of the 5-event $1.4 million Grand Chess Tour will take place in the STL chess club. The 10 participants will compete in 3 days of rapid chess (25+10) followed by 2 days of blitz (3+2) for a $175,000 prize fund.
September 2022
Sinquefield Cup | September 1st - 15th
The final event of the Grand Chess Tour will also be held in Saint Louis, USA. Sinquefield Cup is traditionally the only classical chess tournament of the Tour featuring a $350,000 prize fund.
World Youth Championships 2022 | September 5th - 18th
The 2022 World Youth Championship will be held over the board for the first time since 2019. The event will feature 3 age categories (U14, U16, and U18) in open and girls sections.
Russian Chess Championship | September 11 - 23
The National Championship of Russia traditionally features a very strong field led by several 2700+ grandmasters. The 2022 championships will take place in Cheboksary.
Asian Games | Postponed
This major Asian sporting event takes place every 4 years, and the 2022 edition will again feature chess as one of the mind sports. The event was supposed to be held this September in Hangzhou, China, however, the OCA Executive Board has announced the postponement of the event.
Meltwater Champions Chess Tour (5/6) | September 17th - 25th
The 5th out of 6 regular events of the 2022 Meltwater Champions Tour will start in mid-September.
October 2022
European Chess Club Cup | October 2nd - 10th
The annual European Chess Club Cup is a 7-round event for open and women’s teams that have previously competed in European national leagues. The Cup will take place in Mayrhofen, Austria.
US Chess Championships | October 4th - 20th
The 12-player US Open and Women's Championship are the best-funded national championships in the world. Traditionally featuring a very strong line-up, the 2022 open championship will become even stronger thanks to the participation of Levon Aronian.
Russian Rapid and Blitz Championships | October 13th - 20th
Some of the best Russian players will compete for the national rapid and blitz titles both individually and in team competitions.
Meltwater Champions Chess Tour (6/6) | October 14th - 21st
The final regular event of the Meltwater Champions Tour will take place in October.
World Amateur Championship 2022 | October 20th - 30th
Planned to take place in Malta in October, the World Amateur Championship will allow around 150 participants who do not have a published FIDE rating of 2300 or greater for at least one year prior to the registration deadline of the event.
European Women’s Rapid & Blitz Championship | October 23rd - 26th
Female players from all over Europe will gather in Kyiv, Ukraine, to compete for the European rapid and blitz chess titles.
November 2022
Meltwater Champions Chess Tour (3/3) | November 11th - 20th
The 3rd and final Major of 2022 will begin in November to bring an end to the 2022 Meltwater Champions Chess Tour.
World Senior Championship 2022 | November 15th - 28th
The World Senior Chess Championships for 50+ and 65+ players are planned to be held for the first time since 2019.
Russian Rapid Grand Prix Final | November 30th - December 4th
The top performers of the traditional Rapid Grand Prix series will compete in a knockout tournament in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.
December 2022
Russian Cup Final | December 4th - 13th
Open and Women’s knockout tournaments featuring the top players in the Russian Cup series of events.
View the calendar of the biggest OTB chess tournaments of 2023.
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