Day one
Rapid
- Time control
- 10 min + 5 sec
- Structure
- Double round robin
- Rounds
- Ten
- Scoring
- Win 2 · draw 1
A Women's Invitational
The Venice Chess Invitational
The Venue
The Gritti Palace
A Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice — on the Grand Canal, opposite Santa Maria della Salute.
The Gritti hosts the Invitational as venue partner. The playing hall, the players' rooms and both meet-and-greets sit under one roof, a few steps from the water.
Arrival guidance and accessibility information will be published closer to the event.
The Tournament
Two days on the water.
A rapid day, then a blitz day.
Prize fund
€100,000
Awarded across all six places, with an appearance fee paid to every player regardless of result. Travel and accommodation at The Gritti Palace are covered in full.
Day two
Blitz
- Time control
- 3 min + 2 sec
- Structure
- Double round robin
- Rounds
- Ten
- Scoring
- Win 1 · draw ½
- DatesSaturday 17 – Sunday 18 April 2027
- FieldSix invited players
- StandingsCombined across both days
- TiebreakArmageddon, for first place
- VenueThe Gritti Palace, Venice
- EntryBy invitation only
The Field
Six players, invited.
Invitations to the world's leading women players are outstanding. Each seat is announced here as it is confirmed.
- 01To be announced
- 02To be announced
- 03To be announced
- 04To be announced
- 05To be announced
- 06To be announced
The Cause
Elite chess is played behind a rope line.
This one isn't.
Children in foster care attend the Invitational as guests of the tournament — not as an audience held at a distance, but in the room.
Both playing days carry a meet-and-greet — half an hour in which the children ask the questions, followed by photographs and autographs with the players they follow.
For a child whose life has largely been arranged by other people's decisions, a chessboard offers something rare — sixty-four squares where every move is theirs. We want them to meet the women who have made a life of it.
Every placement, consent and safeguarding requirement for the children attending is coordinated by our charity partner.
Sixty-four squares where every move is theirs.
Partners
Who's behind it.
Freedom Holding Corp underwrites the prize fund and the players' travel. The Gritti Palace provides the venue.
- Freedom Holding Corp Principal Partner
- The Gritti Palace Venue Partner · A Luxury Collection Hotel
Enquiries
Press & partnerships
For accreditation, partnership, or questions about the children's programme.
Or write to office@venicechess.com