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Most popular chess events
Viewership rankings for chess tournaments — FIDE championships, the Champions Chess Tour, Esports World Cup chess and creator events. Peak viewers, hours watched, air time and prize pools, tracked live from Twitch, YouTube and Kick broadcasts. Open any tournament for its full stats page, or check what's on right now and what's coming next below.
Total chess tournaments
533
All-time Peak Viewers
613 439
Total Prize Pool (Since 2019)
$68 038 116
Recent chess tournaments
FinishedTitled Tuesday October 20, 2026
Titled Tuesday
20.10.2026 – 20.10.2026
Titled Tuesday October 6, 2026
Titled Tuesday
06.10.2026 – 06.10.2026
Freestyle Friday 76
Freestyle Friday Chess
02.10.2026 – 02.10.2026
Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship 2026
Chess.com Community Championships
30.09.2026 – 02.10.2026
Titled Tuesday September 29, 2026
Titled Tuesday
29.09.2026 – 29.09.2026
Upcoming chess tournaments
UpcomingUK Open Blitz Championship 2026 - Women
21.11.2026 – 21.11.2026
21.11.2026 – 21.11.2026
UK Open Blitz Championship 2026
21.11.2026 – 21.11.2026
21.11.2026 – 21.11.2026
WR Women's Chess Tour 2026 - Grand Final - Rapid
22.11.2026 – 22.11.2026
22.11.2026 – 22.11.2026
WR Women's Chess Tour 2026 - Grand Final - Blitz
23.11.2026 – 23.11.2026
23.11.2026 – 23.11.2026
Total Chess World Championship 2026
10.11.2026 – 24.11.2026
10.11.2026 – 24.11.2026
| # | EventHours Watched | DatesHours Watched |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2024 FIDE World Championship 25.11.2024 – 12.12.2024 12 537 768 | 25.11.2024 – 12.12.2024 12 537 768 |
| 2 | FIDE World Championship 2021 26.11.2021 – 10.12.2021 12 334 174 | 26.11.2021 – 10.12.2021 12 334 174 |
| 3 | FIDE World Championship 2023 09.04.2023 – 01.05.2023 11 165 202 | 09.04.2023 – 01.05.2023 11 165 202 |
| 4 | FIDE Candidates Chess Tournaments 2024 04.04.2024 – 22.04.2024 9 661 125 | 04.04.2024 – 22.04.2024 9 661 125 |
| 5 | FIDE World Cup 2023 30.07.2023 – 24.08.2023 8 254 566 | 30.07.2023 – 24.08.2023 8 254 566 |
| 6 | FIDE Candidates 2022 17.06.2022 – 04.07.2022 8 249 857 | 17.06.2022 – 04.07.2022 8 249 857 |
| 7 | Chess.com Pogchamps 3 14.02.2021 – 01.03.2021 6 981 229 | 14.02.2021 – 01.03.2021 6 981 229 |
| 8 | FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 29.03.2026 – 15.04.2026 6 521 160 | 29.03.2026 – 15.04.2026 6 521 160 |
| 9 | Chess World Championship 2018 09.11.2018 – 28.11.2018 5 773 683 | 09.11.2018 – 28.11.2018 5 773 683 |
| 10 | Opera Euro Rapid 06.02.2021 – 14.02.2021 5 215 114 | 06.02.2021 – 14.02.2021 5 215 114 |
Need the numbers behind a tournament? We prepare full event reports — audience size, peak viewers, hours watched, channel breakdowns and sponsor exposure — for organizers and brands.
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What are the most popular chess tournaments of all time?
The top 5 chess tournaments by hours watched are:What are the most popular chess tournaments in 2026?
The most popular 2026 chess tournaments by hours watched so far are:Which chess tournaments are going on right now?
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The following chess events will take place over the next 30 days:
What was the latest chess tournament?
The most recently finished chess tournaments on Chess Watch are:What was the most popular year for chess?
By viewership, 2021 is the record year with a peak of 613,439 concurrent viewers. By prize money, 2025 leads with $18,138,005 awarded across 131 tournaments.How is chess tournament viewership measured?
Chess Watch continuously monitors live chess broadcasts on Twitch, YouTube and Kick. Peak Viewers is the highest concurrent audience observed during the event, Hours Watched is total viewer-hours across all covering channels, and Air Time is total live broadcast hours. Figures come from observed stream data, not estimates.How many chess tournaments does Chess Watch track?
Chess Watch tracks 533 chess tournaments with a combined prize pool of $68,038,116. Every event page shows peak viewers, hours watched, air time and the channels that broadcast it.Can I get a full viewership report for a chess tournament?
Yes. Chess Watch prepares turnkey tournament analytics: audience size, peak viewers, hours watched, platform and channel breakdowns, and sponsor exposure on stream. Use the Contact Us form in the site navigation to request a report for your event.