Overview of notable over-the-board chess events in November 2026

# Upcoming November chess events — quick guide

This brief summarizes the most notable over-the-board chess events in November 2026 highlighted by ChessBase in cooperation with MyChess.events. It lists dates, locations, formats, prize funds and the kinds of players or audiences each event suits.

What's on and why it matters

Several distinct event types are scheduled in November. They include official world senior championships, continental youth championships, open norm tournaments attractive to titled players, a national-scale international festival in Tajikistan, and the final stage of FIDE's World Cadets cycle.

Notable events (selected)

• November 2–15 | Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia
• Event: World Senior Championships (Open 50+, Women 50+, Open 65+, Women 65+)
• Format: 11 rounds of classical chess
• Prize fund: €50,000 total
• Audience: Senior-title contenders and followers of official senior world events

• November 2–13 | Hersonissos, Crete, Greece
• Event: European Youth Championship (European continental event)

• Format: Nine rounds of classical chess
• Audience: Young players qualifying for continental titles and families/spectators attracted to Crete as a destination

• November 4–9 | Bellevue, Washington, USA
• Event: 20th edition of a major American norm tournament
• Format: Nine rounds, FIDE- and US Chess-rated

• Prize fund: $12,500
• Audience: Ambitious titled players and norm seekers

• November 9–17 | Dushanbe, Tajikistan
• Event: President's Cup (returning after an inaugural edition)
• Format: Separate groups for players rated above and below 2200

• November 10–17 | Batumi, Georgia
• Event: Final stage of FIDE's World Cadets Championship cycle
• Categories: U8, U10, U12 (finals)
• Participants: 48 qualified finalists across categories
• Audience: Top cadet qualifiers and federations monitoring the new World Cadets structure

How to use this guide

• Players seeking norms or title opportunities should note the Bellevue norm event and the Dushanbe President's Cup for high-entry, norm-capable fields.
• Youth players and national federations should track the European Youth Championship in Crete and the World Cadets final in Batumi for qualification and preparation timelines.
• Senior players should prioritize the Vrnjačka Banja world senior events for official world titles and a defined prize fund.

Where to get details

Plan travel and registration well in advance: several of these tournaments are continental or world-level and have qualification or selection requirements, capped finalist lists or multiple rating-group formats.