5th Prague International Chess Festival in Don Giovanni Hotel Prague shall not live by serious tournaments alone. Visitors can attend various side events during the festival, such as accompanying tournaments, a simultaneous exhibition, and a book launch party, or see a theatre play and football match. 

For the first time, the festival shall hold side tournaments in Don Giovanni Hotel Prague virtually every morning. Visitors can attend tournaments in many different types of chess, such as rapid, blitz, Fischer random chess, bughouse, or Basque chess. Except for tournaments, organizers also planned a Children’s Day for 22nd June, from 9:00 to 13:00. The youngest chess fans can attend competitions in practical skills, chess history knowledge, but also proficiency, imagination, or wits. The same day, the same place. At 16:00, a book launch party starts, introducing a Czech book Šachový diář aneb šachy hrou! by authors Kamila Steinová and international master David Kaňovský, including an autograph session afterward. Solving competition, carefully and thoroughly prepared by an Israeli IM Yochanan Afek (who will also assess results), is scheduled for 23rd June, starting at 9:00. “The only free day, 26th June, will have an unusual refreshment for us, holding a tournament in minifootball. Prague Pražačka site will see six-member teams assembled from tournament participants including GMs and representatives of the Czech Inn Hotels partner,“ reveals Petr Boleslav, the tournament director. 

Footbal event 2020

An event that will surely attract many visitors is undoubtedly a timed simultaneous exhibition of the legendary Hungarian GM Peter Leko against all six talented Futures players. The event will take place on 26th June at Divadlo D21 in Prague, starting at 15:00. On the same day, Divadlo D21 will host a premiere of an original chess play A Czech Gambit. The play is written by a New Zealand theatre producer Russell Armitage and is based on memories of recently deceased Czech-American GM Lubomír Kaválek. The play is directed by Petr Chmela and the stage will offer showtime to Hasan Zahirović, Stela Chmelová, Michal Kraus, Barbora Kostkanová, and Lukáš Černoch.  

A thematic tournament open for any visitor to attend will be dedicated to the favourite opening of Peter Leko and is scheduled for 27th June in Don Giovanni Hotel, starting at 9:00. The last event waiting for both visitors and participants is the award and closing ceremony held on 30th June from 17:30. More information on side events. 

The festival also has a great innovation, which is an improved and more sophisticated method of choosing the best game of the round thanks to the voting system D21 provided to the organizers by Czech billionaire Karel Janeček. „Mr. Janeček has also become the main partner of the Open category, which will hence bear his name,“ said Petr Boleslav. In last years of the festivals, the best games were assessed and chosen by the committee, but now anyone can vote after entering the festival’s website. The games that are assessed are from the Masters and Challengers categories. The best match will be awarded the Lubomír Kaválek Prize. The unique voting system D21 provides everyone with three votes per round and you even have one vote for the least attractive game. 

The best chess tournament in Czechia will take place from June 21 to 30 at the four-star Hotel Don Giovanni in Prague, with the opening ceremony scheduled for June 20, as well as the draw for all categories. Participation is free of charge for all visitors. 

"Thanks to our partners, Karel Janeček, Czech Inn Hotels, Komerční banka and Ernst & Young we can invite the stars of the chess world to our tournament," says tournament director Petr Boleslav.