Tournaments: Masters · Queen Masters · Open A · Open B
The Chess Slovak Masters 2026 was the closed, invitation-only grandmaster tournament of Chess Slovak Open® 2026, played on 22–30 August 2026 at the House of Culture, Skalica. Ten grandmasters met in a 9-round round-robin with an average rating of 2603, and the tournament was eligible for GM and IM norms.
Masters 2026 at a Glance
- Dates: 22–30 August 2026
- Venue: House of Culture, Skalica, Slovakia
- Format: closed invitational tournament — 10 players, 9-round round-robin, classical time control
- Average rating: 2603
- Norms: GM and IM norm eligible
- Masters prize fund: €3,900
- Total festival prize fund: €15,000
Final Standings
Aditya Mittal and Abhimanyu Mishra finished on 5.5/9 with identical tie-breaks and shared the title; Daniel Dardha, also on 5.5 points, was third on tie-break. None of the three lost a game.
| # | Masters 2026 — final standings | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1.–2. | GM Aditya Mittal (IND, 2593) | 5.5 |
| 1.–2. | GM Abhimanyu Mishra (USA, 2630) | 5.5 |
| 3. | GM Daniel Dardha (BEL, 2601) | 5.5 |
| 4. | GM Anton Korobov (UKR, 2609) | 5 |
| 5. | GM Leon Luke Mendonca (IND, 2631) | 4.5 |
| 6. | GM David Navara (CZE, 2619) | 4.5 |
| 7. | GM Jerguš Pecháč (SVK, 2536) | 4 |
| 8. | GM Alexandr Fier (BRA, 2566) | 4 |
| 9. | GM Alexander Donchenko (GER, 2633) | 3.5 |
| 10. | GM Ihor Samunenkov (UKR, 2616) | 3 |
Source: chess-results.com · Results 2026 · Closing report
How Players Entered the Masters
The Masters was not open for registration: all ten players took part by invitation of the organiser. The winner of Open A earned the right to participate in the following year’s Masters.
Organisation and Playing Conditions
Chess Slovak Open® 2026 was the 8th edition of the festival and marked the 70th anniversary of organised chess in Skalica. The tournaments were played in Skalica’s historic House of Culture. The Art Nouveau building’s massive walls help maintain a naturally comfortable indoor temperature even during the summer. Games were broadcast live, with commentary by GM Sergei Movsesian.
The Rest of the Festival
Alongside the Masters, Chess Slovak Open® 2026 included six more tournaments: Queen Masters (closed women’s round-robin), Open A (FIDE 2000+), Open B / Kvarteto Cup (no rating limit), Blitz (23 August), Chess960 / Fischer Random (26 August) and Rapid (29 August).
Getting to Skalica
- By plane: Vienna (VIE), Bratislava (BTS) or Brno (BRQ)
- By train or bus: practical gateways are Hodonín (Czech Republic), Kúty and Bratislava
- By car (approximate): about 1 h 15 min from Bratislava or Brno, about 2 h from Vienna
For accommodation in Skalica, see Where to Stay During Chess Slovak Open 2026.
Chess Slovak Open® 2027
The next edition takes place on 21–29 August 2027 at the House of Culture, Skalica.
Questions? info@chessslovakopen.sk | +421 905 410 990