From 22 to 30 August 2026, the Art Nouveau House of Culture in Skalica comes alive with the eighth edition of the international chess festival Chess Slovak Open®. The 2026 edition is a jubilee one — it marks 70 years of organised chess in Skalica — and it brings the strongest starting field ever assembled in Slovakia, together with the first live chess broadcast on Slovak television.
A star-studded Masters
The closed Chess Slovak Masters tournament features the youngest grandmaster in the history of chess, American GM Abhimanyu Mishra, alongside Czech number one GM David Navara, German grandmaster GM Alexander Donchenko, Ukraine’s GM Anton Korobov, Indian grandmasters GM Leon Luke Mendonca and GM Aditya Mittal, Belgium’s GM Daniel Dardha and the young Ukrainian talent GM Ihor Samunenkov. Slovak colours will be defended by GM Jerguš Pecháč — the youngest grandmaster in Slovak history and a two-time winner of the Skalica festival. The tenth seat in the field is still open: we will reveal the final name in the coming days, so follow our website and social media. Watch the games live with commentary by GM Sergei Movsesian and on the first ever live chess broadcast on Slovak television.
A tournament for you
You do not have to be a grandmaster to be part of the festival:
- Open A (FIDE 2000+) — prize fund 4,600 €, a shot at GM and IM norms, free entry for GM, IM and WGM, and a seat in the same hall as the elite.
- Open B / Kvarteto Cup — no rating limit, open to everyone. The winner earns a place in Chess Slovak Open 2027.
- Blitz, rapid and an evening Chess960 — for those who prefer a faster pace.
A rich supporting programme
Beyond top-level chess you can take on the Sense chess robot, sit an IQ test run in cooperation with Mensa, and attend a coaching seminar for beginners and advanced players alike.
Why come to Skalica
The games are played in the Art Nouveau House of Culture designed by Dušan Jurkovič. Skalica has been a free royal town since 1372 and is easy to reach — an hour from Bratislava and Brno, an hour and a half from Vienna. Between rounds you can enjoy Skalický rubín wine, the Baťa Canal and the cycling trails. The festival is also supported by the international FIDE Open Aid Project.
Register today
The registration deadline is 10 August 2026; after that date the entry fee increases by 20 €. Members of ŠK Skalica receive a discount. Join hundreds of players from nearly twenty countries.