Praggnanandhaa, 6 other top grandmasters issue urgent plea as 2026 chess calendar ‘clash’ turns concrete

The letter speaks about ‘serious concern about the scheduling conflict between the 2026 Grand Chess Tour and the Esports World Cup chess events’.

India's R Praggnanandhaa thinks about his next move during a game in Tata Steel Chess India in Kolkata. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

By: Sports Desk

3 min readFeb 11, 2026 06:15 PM IST First published on: Feb 11, 2026 at 06:15 PM IST

Seven of the top chess players in the world, including India’s Praggnanandhaa R, have written an open letter to tournament organisers raising the issue of clashes on the calendar, particularly with the 2026 Grand Chess Tour and the Esports World Cup chess event.

Besides Praggnanandhaa, Levon Aronian, Fabiano Caruana, Alireza Firouzja, Anish Giri, Vincent Keymer and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave have also put their names under the open letter. The letter speaks about ‘serious concern about the scheduling conflict between the 2026 Grand Chess Tour and the Esports World Cup chess events’.

The players wrote that while their intention was not to criticize either event, they were writing the letter to try and resolve the situation.

“Resolving the situation is now the players’ clear and immediate priority,” the letter read. “Players and teams raised this issue with both organizers earlier and received replies, but no scheduling adjustment followed. Discussions have since stalled completely, leaving players with no visibility. With qualification paths already underway, the conflict is becoming concrete.”

Here’s the full letter from the players:

“An Open Letter on the 2026 Chess Calendar Clash to the organizers of the Grand Chess Tour and the Esports World Cup, and to the global chess community,

“We are writing to express serious concern about the scheduling conflict between the 2026 Grand Chess Tour and the Esports World Cup chess events, the Esports World Cup is scheduled for August 6-8 (Last Chance Qualifier) and August 11-15 (Main Event). The Grand Chess Tour has scheduled the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz for August 2-6 and the Sinquefield Cup for August 10-20. These dates directly overlap, making participation in both effectively impossible.

“These are two of the most important tournaments on the calendar. A clash of this scale prevents many of the world’s best players from participating in both competitions. It puts players and teams in conflict with existing professional and contractual commitments, undermines competitive integrity, and deprives fans of the strongest possible fields. Top-level sport should aim to bring the best competitors together – not force them to choose between major stages. Avoiding direct conflicts between flagship events is a basic principle in other professional sports, and chess should strive for the same standard.

“Players and teams raised this issue with both organizers earlier and received replies, but no scheduling adjustment followed. Discussions have since stalled completely, leaving players with no visibility. With qualification paths already underway, the conflict is becoming concrete. Resolving this situation is now the players’ clear and immediate priority. Our intention is not to criticize either event. Both are valuable for chess, and we want to support and play in both. Precisely for that reason, better coordination is essential.

“We respectfully call on the organizers to reopen dialogue and explore any possible adjustments or practical solutions that would allow the strongest possible player participation in both events. Chess, its players, and its audience deserve full-strength competitions on its biggest stages.”