Biggest chess tournaments in 2026 and how you can bet on chess

A game that traces its origins back to 6th-century India, chess is the ultimate battle of wits. It’s the classic board game that sees two opponents deploy their most intricate strategies to come out as the winner by capturing all of their opponent’s pieces.

The intellectual nature of the game means it has become a thrilling spectator sport, with grandmasters battling it out to be named the world’s best in chess. The excitement around the nail-biting action has led to chess betting becoming one of the fastest-growing Esports betting options.

Read on to find out more about how to bet on chess at Stake.com. As well as information on the game’s biggest names, the hottest tournaments, and more, before getting started placing chess bets at Stake Sportsbook.

Who are the major players in professional chess?

Chess rankings change regularly depending on recent performance, but the current top ranked players in the world include:

• Magnus Carlsen (Norway) - Has won over 20 elite tournaments, including 5 world chess championships.

• Hikaru Nakamura (USA) - FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championship 2022 winner.

• Fabiano Caruana (USA) - FIDE Candidates 2018 winner

• Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) - FIDE World Chess Olympiad 2022 gold medal

• Vincent Keymer (Germany) - FIDE World Blitz Team Championship 2024 gold medal

• Alireza Firouzja (France) - Grand Chess Tour 2022 winner

• Wei Yi (China) - Tata Steel Masters 2024 winner

• Wesley So (USA) - The Sinquefield Cup 2025 winner

• Anish Giri (Netherlands) - Tata Steel Masters 2023 winner

• Arjun Erigaisi (India) - 2022 Indian Championship

What are the major chess tournaments in 2026?

Every year, the best players compete in tournaments to earn prize money and improve their FIDE ELO ratings. The higher their rating, the better their chance of being invited to major tournaments. The following are some of the biggest chess tournaments taking place in 2026:

• 2026 FIDE World Championship - Javokhir Sindarov won the FIDE Candidates Tournament to earn the right to challenge the reigning champion Gukesh Dommaraju in the World Chess Championship. The match is played over 14 games, and the date and location will be announced later in the year.

• Norway Chess - This annual tournament takes place between 25 May and 5 June in Oslo, Norway. 6 players will compete in a double round-robin, with invitations based on current ELO rating.

• Sinquefield Cup - This annual closed event is held at the Saint Louis Chess Club in Missouri, United States. In 2026, it will take place between 8 and 21 August.

• Esports World Cup 2026 - This annual tournament features the biggest games in the world of Esports, and since 2025, it has also included an elite chess tournament. The 2026 EWC will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between 11 and 15 August, and will offer a $1.5 million prize pool. Magnus Carlsen has already qualified, having won the previous tournament.

• Grand Chess Tour Finals - The Grand Chess Tour (GCT) is a circuit of major chess tournaments: Super Rapid and Blitz Poland, Super Chess Classic Romania, Super Rapid and Blitz Croatia, Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz, and the Sinquefield Cup. At the end of the tour, the top 4 players receive invitations to the finals, which are held between 21 and 28 August.

• Chess Olympiad - This biennial international chess tournament features national teams from 200 countries. This year, we’ll see the 46th Chess Olympiad held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, between 15 and 28 September.

• Total Chess World Championship - The first Total Chess World Championship takes place in 2026 between 3 and 15 October. It features the 3 main chess formats of classical, rapid and blitz and will include a group stage and knockout stage.

Professional formats and schedule of chess tournaments

• Closed tournament - Most elite chess tournaments are closed, whereby players receive invites, usually based on current player rankings.

• Open tournament - An open chess tournament works in the same way as open tournaments in other sports like tennis and golf, where anyone can enter, provided they register and meet membership requirements. This gives amateurs the chance to compete against some of the best players in the world.

• Classical rules - Classical rules give players more time to make their moves, with a standard format of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game. Standard FIDE rules apply.

• Rapid rules - Rapid rules give each player between 10 and 60 minutes, and if a player makes an illegal move, 1 minute of time is added onto their clock. It’s possible to win on time if an opponent runs out of time.

• Blitz rules - This is an even faster version of chess, where each player has 10 minutes or less to complete all moves. Typically, the format uses 3 minutes per player with no increment time, or 5 minutes per player, with 2-second increments for each completed move. An illegal move results in an instant loss. Players can also win if their opponent runs out of time.

• National tournaments - Tournaments such as the Chess Olympiad feature national teams rather than individual players. Teams typically consist of four players, with one in reserve, and each player earns points for their team by competing and winning against opponents.

How to bet on chess and types of chess bets you can place

Betting on chess at Stake is simple enough. If you’re a complete beginner to wagering, check out our esports betting guide, and follow these steps:

1. Sign up or log in to your Stake.com account using your secure passkey or password.

2. Make sure you have sufficient balance and then search for chess or use the menu to find all live and upcoming chess matches to bet on.

3. Choose the outright tab or select a match to see the betting options.

4. Add any bet to your bet slip, then enter your stake, check the potential payout and confirm to place it.

There are various ways to bet on events at Stake. Popular chess betting markets include:

• Outright: Outright betting is often called futures betting and refers to when you place a bet on the person or team you think will triumph in a tournament.

• Match winner: Match winner betting is also known as moneyline betting. This is where you choose who you think will win an individual game.

• Opening moves: This is a much more in-depth bet. Here, you can bet on what you think a player will open with, including the Russian defence, the English opening, and the Queen’s Pawn.

• Number of moves: How many moves do you think it will take before a player triumphs? Bet on the over/under for total moves played.

How to live stream and bet live on chess

What makes Stake the best online platform for chess betting is that you can even watch some of the biggest games for free with our extensive event coverage. Find upcoming live events and bet in-play on upcoming fixturesat chess tournaments. For more information, see our live streaming guide.

Ways to deposit funds to start betting on chess

Once you’ve signed up to Stake or logged into your existing account, you can make deposits and withdrawals using a variety of popular payment methods and currencies. We support many local currency payments and crypto options at Stake. We also support seamless crypto integration with Swap Connect and Mesh, making it even easier to add funds to your account.

If you have any questions while using Stake, our Help Center is the best place to find articles and guides. What’s more, you can contact the customer support team at any time.

Betting tips and strategies for chess betting

1. Understand the basics of the game - Chess is a complicated game to master, but it’s relatively easy to learn the basics, and you should at least understand the rules of the game before you play. Make sure you understand the major chess formats and how the rules differ too. You can find plenty of guides and videos online, and our free live streams are also a great way to learn.

2. Check recent form - Before making your picks, check to see how the top players have recently been performing. Some players, like Magnus Carlsen, are difficult to bet against, but even the best of the best suffer from poor form from time to time. Look at recent performances in elite competitions to get an idea of how each player might perform at an upcoming tournament.

3. Look at our picks and predictions - We’ve got lots of useful how-to guides to help you get started on betting, and we also share our expert analysis and predictions of major tournaments, including the Esports World Cup predictions.

4. Make the most of all available markets - We’ve got lots of chess betting markets, including outright winner, match winner and number of moves. Make the most of all of these to find the best value. Make sure you look at our guides on how to understand odds and how to compare odds to ensure you’re getting the best odds each time you bet.

What sports promotions and VIP club benefits are available on Stake?

Stake is home to a massive variety of betting options on major events, including the biggest chess tournaments. We also offer lots of fun sports betting promotions to help you enjoy every bet. With our VIP Club, you can even earn rewards for placing bets and levelling up your account. Find out how to unlock regular rakeback, reload bonuses and your own VIP host in our VIP FAQ page.