From 22 to 30 August 2026, Skalica becomes the centre of Slovak chess. On Saturday, the international chess festival Chess Slovak Open® 2026 was ceremonially opened in the representative halls of the House of Culture — and it opens with a piece of history. With an average ELO of 2603, the closed Masters tournament is the strongest-ever chess event held on Slovak soil.
Opening ceremony and drawing of lots
The festival kicked off with Saturday’s opening ceremony, which included the drawing of starting numbers for the closed Masters and the women’s Queen Masters. The atmosphere in the hall was superb — the light-hearted moment of the evening came courtesy of top seed Alexander Donchenko of Germany, who literally leapt off the stage in a burst of energy during the drawing.
This year’s festival is also one of remembrance and respect: the event is dedicated to the memory of GM Ján Plachetka, the first Slovak grandmaster in history and a long-time ambassador of chess in Skalica.
World-class elite on the Slovak chessboard
Ten grandmasters face off in the nine-round closed Masters. The field is headed by German number one Alexander Donchenko (2633), followed closely by Indian talent Leon Luke Mendonca (2631) — winner of the Skalica festival back in 2020, when he was just thirteen — and Abhimanyu Mishra (USA, 2630), the youngest grandmaster in the history of chess. Czech fans will be delighted by the participation of long-time Czech number one David Navara (2619).
The field is completed by Ukrainian supertalent Ihor Samunenkov (2616), who earned the grandmaster title at just fourteen, the experienced Anton Korobov (Ukraine, 2609), Belgian international Daniel Dardha (2601), Indian hope Aditya Mittal (2593) and four-time Brazilian champion Alexandr Fier (2566). Slovak colours are carried by the home crowd’s favourite, two-time Skalica festival winner GM Jerguš Pecháč (2536).
| # | Player | Country | ELO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM Alexander Donchenko | Germany | 2633 |
| 2 | GM Leon Luke Mendonca | India | 2631 |
| 3 | GM Abhimanyu Mishra | USA | 2630 |
| 4 | GM David Navara | Czechia | 2619 |
| 5 | GM Ihor Samunenkov | Ukraine | 2616 |
| 6 | GM Anton Korobov | Ukraine | 2609 |
| 7 | GM Daniel Dardha | Belgium | 2601 |
| 8 | GM Aditya Mittal | India | 2593 |
| 9 | GM Alexandr Fier | Brazil | 2566 |
| 10 | GM Jerguš Pecháč | Slovakia | 2536 |
Queen Masters: women’s elite from six countries
Alongside the Masters runs the closed women’s Queen Masters — ten players from six countries with an average ELO of 2173 and the chance to score a WIM norm. The top seed is Ukrainian grandmaster WGM Anastasiya Rakhmangulova (2321), while WIM Alena Mrvová and WFM Ema Walter fly the Slovak flag.
An opportunity for the whole chess community
The festival is far more than a showcase of foreign grandmasters. In the open tournaments Open A (FIDE 2000+) and Open B, local players, talented juniors and seasoned veterans play in the same hall, side by side with the world’s elite. The programme is rounded off by blitz and rapid side events and an evening Fischer Random tournament.
Live broadcast with commentary by Sergei Movsesian
For all fans who cannot cheer in person in Skalica, a top-quality online service is ready. All games of the Masters and the main open tournaments are broadcast live, and the key battles on chesstournaments.eu are exclusively accompanied by the expert live commentary of festival ambassador GM Sergei Movsesian.
The festival at a glance
- Dates: 22–30 August 2026
- Venue: House of Culture, Skalica
- Average ELO of the Masters: 2603 (10 grandmasters)
- Total festival prize fund: €15,000
- Live broadcast and results: chesstournaments.eu / chessslovakopen.sk
The battle for the title of Skalica’s chess king has just begun — we wish all players good luck and great games!