♟️ About SP Open

SP Open is a chess tournament organizer based in São Paulo, Brazil. The organization began with a goal to introduce a competitive format that gave players across several rating levels realistic opportunities to compete for prizes and leading positions. In April 2014, SP Open launched its first classical tournament. The event attracted 109 players and distributed R$10,000 in prizes. This successful debut helped establish the SP Open name within the Brazilian chess community and created a foundation for larger festivals and specialized competitions.

In February 2015, the organization held its first SP Open Chess Festival. The program combined the second SP Open Classical tournament, which attracted 131 players, with the first SP Open Juniors school tournament, which welcomed 99 students. Therefore, the festival brought together 230 participants across adult and scholastic competitions. SP Open continued to expand in the following years. Its second festival attracted 313 participants, while the third edition welcomed 356 players from 13 Brazilian states. Moreover, the organization held eight editions of the SP Open Classical tournament through 2019. Grandmaster Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian directs the events and plays a central role in their development, planning, and communication.

🏆 School Chess Circuit and Events

SP Open launched its school tournament program in 2015 and developed SP Open Juniors into a structured school chess circuit in 2017. The circuit serves elementary and secondary-school students from public and private schools. Players compete in categories based on their school year, while schools can also earn points toward team awards. In addition, the events encourage young players to develop concentration, confidence, fair play, and tournament experience. The 2026 SP Open Juniors School Chess Circuit includes five stages at Colégio Augusto Laranja in São Paulo. Each stage uses separate school-year groups and a rapid Swiss format. SP Open also publishes registration information, participant lists, results, photographs, and practical instructions through its official website and social-media channels. Consequently, parents, schools, teachers, and players can follow the circuit and prepare for each stage through one central source.