About the 2026 Super Chess Classic Romania
The 2026 Super Chess Classic Romania brings ten of the world's strongest grandmasters to Bucharest from May 12–24 for the first of two classical events on the 2026 Grand Chess Tour. Played over nine rounds at a full classical time control, the Super Chess Classic Romania is one of the season's premier battlegrounds for Tour Points heading into the GCT Finals.
The Field
The 10-player round robin features nine full Tour players and one wildcard. Headlining the 2026 lineup are Fabiano Caruana, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So, Vincent Keymer, Anish Giri, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Javokhir Sindarov, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Jorden Van Foreest, joined by Romanian wildcard Bogdan-Daniel Deac.
--UPDATE: Alireza Firouzja Withdraws from Event -- Find out more here.
Prize Fund
The total prize fund is $475,000—a $350,000 base purse plus a $125,000 Decisive Games Bonus pool that is split equally among every decisive win played in the tournament. With nearly double the prize money of the Tour's rapid and blitz events, every half-point counts.
How to Watch
Every round is broadcast live with expert commentary from GMs Yasser Seirawan, Peter Svidler, and Cristian Chirilă, alongside IM Nazí Paikidze and WGM Anastasia Karlovich. Catch all the action on the Saint Louis Chess Club's YouTube channel and on Twitch.
Format
The Super Chess Classic Romania is a single round-robin tournament. The time control is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 additional minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment starting from move one.
Event Schedule
The Players
Tournament Prize Fund
$475,000Tournament Sponsors
