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Chess tournaments in Switzerland 2026/2027

This calendar lists 59 announced chess tournaments in Switzerland: classical Swiss-system opens, rapid and blitz weekends and FIDE-rated events. Dates come from the official calendar of the Swiss Chess Federation (SSB) and from clubs that run their tournaments on Chessmates. It updates automatically every day; tournament names stay in the organiser's language, usually German or French.

Deutsch · Français · Italiano · English

Chess by region: Zurich · Bern · Basel · Geneva · Lausanne · St. Gallen · Winterthur · Lucerne · Ticino · join a club

Across the border: all chess tournaments in France.

October 2026 · 14 tournaments

November 2026 · 20 tournaments

December 2026 · 8 tournaments

January 2027 · 5 tournaments

February 2027 · 2 tournaments

March 2027 · 3 tournaments

April 2027 · 2 tournaments

May 2027 · 4 tournaments

June 2027 · 1 tournament

Where can I find every chess tournament in Switzerland?

In this calendar: 59 upcoming tournaments from the official Swiss Chess Federation calendar and from clubs on Chessmates, grouped by month and updated daily.

Can beginners play in a chess tournament?

Yes. Open tournaments accept every level, and many have categories or rating groups. Rapid and blitz tournaments finish in a single day and are a good first step into tournament chess.

Do I need a FIDE ID to play?

Only for FIDE-rated tournaments; if you don't have one yet, your club or the organiser can arrange it. Unrated tournaments and club events need no FIDE ID.

Do I need to speak German or French?

No. Swiss tournaments welcome players from every language region and from abroad, and the game itself needs no translation. Announcements are often in German or French, but registration is online or by e-mail, and English is widely understood.

Formats: open, rapid, blitz and team chess

Most tournaments on the list are individual Swiss-system opens: anyone can enter, pairings follow the score, and depending on the event you play classical games (90 minutes or more per player) over a weekend or across several evenings. Rapid tournaments (15–30 minutes per player) and blitz (3–5 minutes) finish in a day and are a good way into tournament chess. Team competitions such as the Swiss Team Championship (SMM) run through the clubs: to take part, join a club near you.

Taking part: registration and requirements

Opens accept players of every strength, and many have categories or rating groups so you face opponents of a similar level. FIDE-rated tournaments usually require a FIDE ID or national rating card; your club or the organiser can arrange one. You register through the organiser's announcement (linked on every tournament), often with a deadline a few days before the start. Entry fees, time controls and tips for visiting players are in the guide to chess tournaments in Switzerland. Information without guarantee: the official announcement always takes precedence.

Organising a chess tournament?

Clubs run their tournaments directly on Chessmates: announcement, registrations, automatic Swiss-system pairings via bbpPairings (the same official FIDE engine Swiss-Manager uses) and push notifications for players, free of charge. Tournaments run on Chessmates appear automatically in this calendar and in the app. More on the page for clubs, or write to David directly: david@chessmates.live.