Kings and Pawns: The Grand Showdown at Prague Chess Festival 2024

Scheduled to take place from February 27 to March 7, 2024, at the four-star Don Giovanni Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic, this festival is entering its 6th edition with a variety of tournaments including Masters, Challengers, Futures, and the Karel Janecek Open Chess Tournament, alongside various side events​​.

The festival will feature a Masters event that draws ten super grandmasters competing in a round-robin format. Notable participants in the Masters tournament include GM Vincent Keymer and GM Praggnanandhaa, with players such as GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, GM Parham Maghsoodloo, GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, GM Gukesh D, GM Richard Rapport, GM David Navara, GM Mateusz Bartel, and GM Thai Dai Van Nguyen also taking part. These participants are among the elite in the chess world, making the Masters event highly anticipated​​.

The Challengers tournament will run concurrently, showcasing a mix of young talents and seasoned grandmasters. The winner of the Challengers event will earn a spot in the next edition of the Masters tournament. This year's Challengers lineup includes notable names like GM Anton Korobov, GM Abhimanyu Mishra, GM Erwin L’Ami, and others, promising fierce competition and the opportunity to see emerging talents on the international stage​​.

Furthermore, the Karel Janecek Chess Open, beginning on February 28th, will feature a 9-round Swiss tournament with a total prize fund of 100,000 CZK, approximately 4,000 EUR. The top seed for the open is GM Sethuraman S.P. from India, with other top seeds including GM Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis from Greece and GM Tomas Polak from the Czech Republic, among others. This open provides a platform for a wide range of players to compete at a high level​​.

The Prague Chess Festival is set against the backdrop of the historic city of Prague, hosted at the Hotel Don Giovanni for the sixth consecutive year, offering participants and spectators alike a beautiful setting to enjoy the royal game​​.

For more detailed information about the event, including schedules, player lists, and more, you can visit the official Prague Chess Festival website and Chess Topics coverage of the event.