World Champion and World No. 4 In Action!
The most prestigious chess event in Central Europe will take place from February 25 to March 6 at the Don Giovanni Hotel Prague. The 8th edition of the Prague International Chess Festival has firmly established itself among the world’s top tournaments. Clear proof of this status is the participation of the current – and youngest – World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju (19) and the world number four Vincent Keymer (22). The Festival has earned significant international recognition and also holds a remarkable record.
Dommaraju Gukesh in Masters 2024 Prague. (Photo: Petr Vrabec)
The great work and long-term efforts of the Festival’s traditional organizer, the 1st Nový Bor Chess Club, have been also acknowledged by the prestigious website worldchess.com. “What was already one of the strongest tournaments of early 2026 is now something more. It’s not just elite anymore. It’s a super-tournament,“ praised the renowned global website. And for good reason.
In addition to the World Champion and world no. 9, Gukesh D of India, the elite closed Masters tournament will feature a line-up of top players: world no. 4 Vincent Keymer of Germany, Tata Steel Chess 2026 champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan, Hans Moke Niemann of the United States, Parham Maghsoodloo of Iran, Jorden van Foreest of the Netherlands, Aravindh Chithambaram of India, Nodirbek Yakubboev of Uzbekistan, David Anton Guijarro of Spain, and last but not least David Navara, the current Czech number 2.
V. Keymer, N. Abdusattorov, and H. Niemann in the 2022 Challengers. (Photo: Petr Vrabec)
The Challengers tournament will, among others, feature the world no. 2 in women’s chess Zhu Jiner of China, or an Indian star of women‘s chess Divya Deshmukh. Czech colours will be represented by a promising trio – Václav Finěk, Jáchym Němec, and Štěpán Hrbek – who are all looking forward to the tournament.
“I cordially invite all chess fans to visit our Festival. Don’t miss out the opportunity to see the World Champion in action! Entry to the main hall, where both the Masters and Challengers tournaments will be played, is free. Visitors can also come to our live-straming studios, where prominent grandmasters provide expert commentary in both Czech and English,“ says Festival Director Petr Boleslav.
The Masters tournament will feature Hans Niemann. He joins the line-up as a last-minute replacement for current Czech no. 1 Van Nguyen, who withdrew at his own request just one week before the start of the tournament. “Hans has already played in Prague – in 2022 he competed in the Challengers tournament, and after seeing his recent behaviour on the international scene, we are happy to welcome him back," commented Boleslav on Niemann's inclusion in the line-up.
Gukesh D and the Festival Ambassador, beach volleyball world champion Ondřej Perušič, will attend a press conference for journalists on Tuesday, February 24, at the Don Giovanni Hotel. Fans will also have a unique opportunity to meet both world champions later the same day at the same venue — an autograph session open to the public will take place from 11:00. Save the date!
“Come and get an autograph, a photo, and a unique Festival memory. Autograph cards will also be available for visitors. What better way to tune in to the greatest chess tournament in Central and Eastern Europe than by meeting world champions in person?”
invites Boleslav.
The Futures tournament, featuring ten elite young female players from across Europe, will be held under the patronage of the First Lady of the Czech Republic, Eva Pavlová. A dedicated Chess Women’s Day has been prepared for girls and women and will take place on March 2 at the Grand Hotel Prague Towers. The VIP guest and tournament ambassador is Swedish legend Pia Cramling, who will play a simultaneous exhibition against the Futures players. The programme will also include simultaneous exhibitions and open games with members of the Czech women’s national team.These activities are open to all girls interested in chess, regardless of their performance rating or experience. The admission is free and open to the general public.
The best Czech player of the strong and high-quality Karel Janeček Open tournament will automatically qualify for this year’s Czech Championship. In total, the Festival will offer twelve side tournaments. “We currently have 450 participants registered across all open tournaments, which is a new Festival record,“ emphasised Director Boleslav.
A new addition this year is the PICF Grand Prix, a Festival competition that counts overall results from all tournaments as well as correct solutions of a daily chess puzzle. The winner will receive a VIP experience, including a meeting with the Masters players. Another new feature is the digital PICF Player Card, offering benefits, discounts, and access to all Festival news. The card can be saved directly to Apple/Google Wallet. A chess shop and official Festival merchandise will also be available on site at the Don Giovanni Hotel.
Admission to the Festival is free for all visitors. Rounds will be played daily from February 25 to March 6, starting at 15:00, with the exception of the final round, which will begin at 11:00. Monday, March 2, is a rest day. The main arbiter of the Festival is experienced international referee Pavel Votruba. Matches will be commented live in Czech and English by prominent grandmasters, who will also host special guests in the studio — access is free here as well.