Prague International Chess Festival 2025: Schedule, format, live streaming, & ticket details

The Prague International Chess Festival 2025 will take place from February 26 to March 8.

The Prague International Chess Festival is an annual tournament held in the heart of the Czech Republic’s capital. The 2025 edition will feature top grandmasters competing in the Masters, Challengers, and Futures categories. The tournament has established itself as a premier event on the chess calendar.

This year’s Masters section will see some of the world’s strongest players, including Wei Yi, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, and Anish Giri, battling for the title. The event also holds significance for Czech chess fans, with homegrown talents like David Navara and Thai Dai Van Nguyen in action.

Indian Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu arrives in Prague fresh off a thrilling win at Tata Steel Chess 2025, where he edged out World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju in a tense tiebreak to take the title. Vincent Keymer had a solid run in Wijk aan Zee, finishing among the top contenders, while Anish Giri and Wei Yi had their share of ups and downs. With several players carrying momentum from Tata Steel, the Prague International Chess Festival promises some exciting battles ahead.

Also Read: ⁠FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship: Full list of winners

When and where will the Prague International Chess Festival 2025 be held?

The Prague International Chess Festival 2025 will take place from February 26 to March 8 at the Don Giovanni Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic.

Who is the defending champion of the Prague International Chess Festival?

The defending champion of the Prague Masters section is Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan, who won the 2024 edition.

Also Read: Full list of chess Grandmasters from India

Prague International Chess Festival 2025: Format

The Prague International Chess Festival features three main sections: the Masters, Challengers, and Futures tournaments. The Masters and Challengers follow a 10-player round-robin format, where each player competes against every other player once. Players receive 1 point for a win, 0.5 points for a draw, and no points for a loss. In case of a tie, the final standings will be determined based on tiebreak rules.

The time control consists of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the remainder of the game, with a 30-second increment per move starting from move one.

Also Read: ⁠FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship: Full list of winners

Where & how to watch the live streaming of Prague International Chess Festival 2025?

The Prague International Chess Festival 2025 will be live-streamed on the official website of the festival and platforms such as Chess.com and Chess24. Viewers in India can follow the coverage on ChessBase India’s YouTube channel.

Where to buy tickets for Prague International Chess 2025?

Tickets for the Prague International Chess Festival 2025 can be purchased on the official website of the event.

Prague International Chess 2025: Full list of participating players

Masters:

1. Wei Yi (CHN)
2. Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (IND)
3. Liem Le (VIE)
4. Vincent Keymer (GER)
5. Aravindh Chithambaram (IND)
6. Anish Giri (NED)
7. David Navara (CZE)
8. Sam Shankland (USA)
9. Thai Dai Van Nguyen (CZE)
10. Ediz Gurel (TUR)

Also Read: Top five greatest Indian chess players of all-time

Challengers:

1. GM Nodirbek Yakubboev
2. GM Ma Qun
3. GM Jonas Buhl Bjerre
4. GM Ivan Salgado
5. GM Stamatis Kourkoulos
6. GM Marc’Andria Maurizzi
7. IM Divya Deshmukh
8. IM Vaclav Finek
9. IM Richard Stalmach
10. FM Jachym Nemec

Prague International Chess 2025: Detailed Schedule and Timings (IST)

• February 26, Wednesday – Round 1, 7:30 PM IST
• February 27, Thursday – Round 2, 7:30 PM IST
• February 28, Friday – Round 3, 7:30 PM IST
• March 1, Saturday – Round 4, 7:30 PM IST
• March 2, Sunday – Round 5, 7:30 PM IST
• March 4, Tuesday – Round 6, 7:30 PM IST
• March 5, Wednesday – Round 7, 7:30 PM IST
• March 6, Thursday – Round 8, 7:30 PM IST
• March 7, Friday – Round 9, 3:30 PM IST
• March 9, Sunday – Closing Ceremony

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