Total Chess World Championship Tour

The Total Chess World Championship Tour is an ambitious new competition launched by the organizers of Norway Chess and officially endorsed by FIDE. The tour introduces a fresh competitive format that combines three time controls, fast classical, rapid, and blitz, to crown an entirely new FIDE World Combined Champion.

With a total prize fund of $2.7 million, the tour is one of the best-funded competitive chess circuits in the world. The first three events each carry a $750,000 prize fund, while the four-player final offers $450,000 for the championship crown. The first full season is scheduled for 2027, following a pilot event in late 2026, with four tournaments per year at venues around the globe.

What makes this tour especially notable is its backing from football superstar Erling Haaland. Together with Norwegian business leader Morten Borge, Haaland established Chess Mates, a company that holds a significant ownership stake in Norway Chess. Haaland's involvement brings mainstream sports attention and media crossover to competitive chess, a rare and valuable asset for the game's growth.

The Total Chess format represents an evolution in how chess crowns its champions. By testing players across multiple time controls in a single event, it rewards versatility and consistency rather than specialization. Combined with FIDE's official endorsement and Norway Chess's proven track record as a premium tournament organizer, this tour is positioned to become a major fixture on the professional chess calendar.