The inaugural pilot of the Total Chess World Championship Tour begins in Budapest on November 10, bringing together leading international players across three formats of competitive chess.

The event, running until November 21, is organised by Norway Chess and approved by the International Chess Federation (FIDE). It will test a combined championship format covering fast classical, rapid and blitz chess.

The tournament aims to identify an overall champion based on performances across the three disciplines. Unlike conventional world championship events that focus on a single time control, the format will assess players’ ability to compete across different speeds of play.

The Budapest pilot features 24 players, including world number one Magnus Carlsen. Other participants include Fabiano Caruana, Vincent Keymer, Wesley So and Alireza Firouzja.

India is represented by Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa and R Vaishali. The field also includes players from Europe, Asia and North America.

The competition begins with nine rounds of blitz on November 10. The results will determine the seeding for the fast classical stage, which features 10 rounds over five days from November 11.

The rapid and blitz stages will follow as part of the overall competition. The combined results will determine the winner of the pilot championship.

The event is being held at Budapest’s Anantara New York Palace Hotel. It serves as an initial showcase for a larger international tournament series planned for 2027.

The organisers have described the pilot as the first step towards a recurring global championship that brings together different formats of elite chess in a single competition.