The Aeroflot Open 2026 International Chess Festival will take place from 27 February to 6 March 2026 in Moscow. The venue will be one of the most famous hotels of the Russian capital, The Carlton, Moscow, located at Tverskaya Street, 3.
The Aeroflot Open has been held in Moscow since 2002. The 2026 edition of the festival, now in its third decade, will be conducted in a faster standard time control format.
Beginning with the 2026 calendar year, tournaments using a time control of 60 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move (60+30) will be recognised as standard chess events. The Aeroflot Open 2026 will be the first festival approved by the FIDE Qualification Commission to be conducted under the new standard time control.
The festival program will include three events:
Tournament A (Aeroflot Open): an open tournament for players with a FIDE (standard) rating of 2300 or higher as of 1 January 2026;
Tournament B (Aeroflot Open: Children): an open tournament for boys and girls under the age of 13 (born in 2014 or later);
Tournament C (Aeroflot Open: Legends): the lineup of participants for this competition will be composed via personal invitations extended by the Organizing Committee.
The match days: 28 February - 5 March.
The festival features a total guaranteed prize fund of 20,000,000 Russian rubles (including all taxes).
The festival is organised by the Chess Federation of Russia with the support of Aeroflot.
Registration for the Tournament A (Aeroflot Open) is now available on the tournament website.
Photo: Press service of the Aeroflot
The Aeroflot Open has been held in Moscow since 2002. The 2026 edition of the festival, now in its third decade, will be conducted in a faster standard time control format.
Beginning with the 2026 calendar year, tournaments using a time control of 60 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move (60+30) will be recognised as standard chess events. The Aeroflot Open 2026 will be the first festival approved by the FIDE Qualification Commission to be conducted under the new standard time control.
The festival program will include three events:
Tournament A (Aeroflot Open): an open tournament for players with a FIDE (standard) rating of 2300 or higher as of 1 January 2026;
Tournament B (Aeroflot Open: Children): an open tournament for boys and girls under the age of 13 (born in 2014 or later);
Tournament C (Aeroflot Open: Legends): the lineup of participants for this competition will be composed via personal invitations extended by the Organizing Committee.
The match days: 28 February - 5 March.
The festival features a total guaranteed prize fund of 20,000,000 Russian rubles (including all taxes).
The festival is organised by the Chess Federation of Russia with the support of Aeroflot.
Registration for the Tournament A (Aeroflot Open) is now available on the tournament website.
Photo: Press service of the Aeroflot