Chess tournaments in Barcelona: guide and calendar

The Barcelona calendar in numbers

Upcoming competitions

9

Published competitions

24

Figures are computed from the official FIDE calendar and tournaments submitted by organizers. Rounds of the same competition count once.

Summer: the big opens

July and August are the busiest months. The Sant Martí International Open, now past its twenty-fifth edition, is played in July, and at the end of August comes the Sants - Ciutat de Barcelona International Open, also past its twenty-fifth edition, which is split into several groups and finishes with a rapid championship. If you want to play a long international open without leaving the city, these are the two dates to mark.

Autumn: neighbourhood opens and the territorial championship

When the school year starts, tournaments whose rounds are spread over several weeks take over, such as the Vila de Gràcia Open, now in its twentieth edition, the Sant Martí Anniversary Open or the Albert Cubeles Memorial. This format lets you play at a classical pace (usually 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment) without booking time off. In parallel, the Barcelona Territorial Individual Championship is played in several groups.

Short games all year round

Between opens there are rapid and blitz events that return every season, such as the Tres Peons tournaments, now around their tenth edition, plus newer blitz events such as the Vila Olímpica one and closed tournaments, some by rating band, such as the Tancats at the Casal Catòlic in Sant Andreu. If it is your first tournament, a blitz or rapid event is the easiest way to start. Always read the organiser's rules to confirm the fee, the deadline and whether the event is FIDE rated.