SP Open

♟️ About SP Open

SP Open is an independent chess tournament organization based in São Paulo, Brazil. The project began in 2014 with the objective of creating well-organized competitions in which players from different rating levels could compete for meaningful prizes and strong finishing positions. Its first event, the I SP Open Clássico, took place in April 2014 and attracted 109 players while offering R$10,000 in prizes. The organization expanded quickly. In February 2015, the first Festival SP Open de Xadrez combined the second SP Open Clássico with the inaugural SP Open Juniors school tournament. Together, the two competitions attracted 230 participants. Moreover, later festivals brought hundreds of players from many Brazilian states and helped establish the SP Open name within the São Paulo chess community. Brazilian Grandmaster Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian currently directs SP Open events and serves as the principal public contact. He combines international playing experience with tournament management and has remained closely associated with the organization for many years. Today, SP Open focuses particularly on its expanding SP Open Juniors School Chess Circuit, while maintaining the tournament archive and traditions developed through its earlier classical festivals.

🏆 SP Open Classical and Chess Festivals

The original foundation of the organization was the SP Open Clássico. The first edition took place from April 3–6, 2014. Its format introduced separate rating groups so that club players could compete against opponents of similar strength while still participating in a substantial open tournament environment. The concept proved successful. In 2015, SP Open expanded into a larger chess festival combining classical and school competitions. The second festival, held later that year, reached 313 participants. Then, the third SP Open Festival in March 2016 welcomed 356 players from 13 Brazilian states and distributed R$12,000 in prizes. The classical tournament continued through eight editions, with the eighth SP Open Clássico taking place in 2019. Later festivals also included rapid chess, blitz events, school competitions, and São Paulo state championship tournaments. Therefore, SP Open developed from a single classical competition into a broader tournament platform covering several chess formats and player groups.

🎓 SP Open Juniors School Chess Circuit

The most active current project of SP Open is the Circuito Escolar SP Open Juniors. SP Open introduced its first school tournament in 2015. Then, in 2017, the concept developed into a structured annual circuit. The competition is designed for students from both public and private schools, from the first years of elementary school through secondary education. Players compete in four school-year groups:

• Category A: 1st–3rd years of Elementary School
• Category B: 4th–6th years of Elementary School
• Category C: 7th–9th years of Elementary School
• Category D: Secondary School

Boys and girls compete in the same tournaments, while the organizer awards separate prizes for the leading male and female players. In addition, schools compete for team awards based on both performance and participation. Consequently, the circuit encourages schools to develop chess programs rather than focusing only on individual competitors.

📅 SP Open Juniors 2026

The 2026 SP Open Juniors School Chess Circuit consists of five stages in São Paulo:

• March 14, 2026 – Stage 1
• May 16, 2026 – Stage 2
• June 13, 2026 – Stage 3
• August 8, 2026 – Stage 4
• November 7, 2026 – Stage 5

The events take place at Colégio Augusto Laranja in Moema, São Paulo. Each stage uses six Swiss-system rounds with a rapid time control of 12 minutes plus three seconds per move. The organizer provides chess sets and clocks for all boards. Participation limits have reached approximately 250–260 players per stage, with additional limits for individual schools. Therefore, the modern school circuit has developed into a substantial recurring youth chess competition in São Paulo. National Arbiter Anderson Willians Amaro José serves as chief arbiter for the current circuit, while GM Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian acts as Tournament Director.

🏫 School Chess and Community Development

SP Open uses competition as a way to encourage chess development inside schools. The school circuit allows children to gain practical tournament experience without requiring them to begin directly in adult federation competitions. Moreover, categories based on school year create more balanced competition between students at similar educational stages. The organizer also rewards participating schools. Points earned by leading players contribute toward school classifications, while a separate award recognizes the school with the largest team. Public-school students receive substantially reduced entry fees compared with private-school students. This structure helps make tournament participation accessible to a broader range of families. SP Open also publishes participant lists, results, tournament photographs, regulations, and practical information online. Therefore, parents, teachers, coaches, and schools can follow the circuit through one central platform.

👤 Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian

Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian is a Brazilian Grandmaster and the principal tournament director behind SP Open. Born in São Paulo, he earned the International Master title in 2006 and became a Grandmaster in 2010. He has represented Brazil in major international competitions and remains one of the country’s leading active players. His tournament work with SP Open extends back to the organization’s early years. Historical festival documents identify him among the principal event directors, while modern Chess-Results listings consistently name him as both organizer and tournament director. This combination of elite playing experience and practical tournament organization gives SP Open direct leadership from someone familiar with the expectations of both competitive players and developing juniors.

📜 History and Development

SP Open began with the I SP Open Clássico in April 2014. The organization’s original concept emphasized rating-based sections and prize opportunities for players beyond the highest-rated competitors. The positive response to the first tournament led to rapid expansion. In 2015, SP Open added school chess and created its first full chess festival. Participation continued to grow during subsequent editions, while new events included blitz competitions and larger classical sections. The SP Open Juniors circuit officially developed into an annual series in 2017. From that point, school chess became an increasingly important part of the organization’s activity. The final pre-pandemic SP Open Clássico took place in 2019, completing eight editions of the classical tournament. In recent years, SP Open has concentrated on rebuilding and expanding its school circuit. Events were organized again in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while the 2026 circuit expands to five stages. More than a decade after the first SP Open, the organization therefore continues its original objective of providing accessible, structured, and professionally managed chess competition in São Paulo.