Pune Grand Slam Chess Festival 2026 takes place from December 24 to December 29, 2026 at EuroSchool Wakad (CBSE) in Pune, Maharashtra, India. Organized by 8×8 Chess Academy, the festival combines three separate FIDE-rated competitions: Classical, Blitz and Rapid.

Each format consists of nine Swiss-system rounds and has its own FIDE Event ID and Chess-Results record. The Classical tournament runs from December 24–28, the Blitz takes place on December 27, and the Rapid tournament concludes the festival on December 29.

The organizer advertises a combined ₹800,000 prize fund and a special package of ₹3,700 for all three formats.

♟️ Event Details

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The festival contains three separate nine-round FIDE-rated tournaments.

♟️ Classical

Chess-Results:
https://chess-results.com/tnr1475481.aspx?lan=1

⚡ Blitz

Chess-Results:
https://chess-results.com/tnr1475495.aspx?lan=1

🚀 Rapid

Chess-Results:
https://chess-results.com/tnr1475486.aspx?lan=1

Swiss-Manager is used for pairings in all three competitions.

Starting lists, pairings, standings and results are published separately for each format through Chess-Results.

🏆 Prize Fund

The organizer advertises a total festival prize fund of:

₹800,000 – approximately $8,420

This amount applies to the Pune Grand Slam Chess Festival as a whole, covering the Classical, Blitz and Rapid programme.

The detailed allocation by place, rating category, age category or individual format has not yet been published in the currently accessible official tournament information.

Players should therefore check the registration page or any later organizer announcement before relying on a specific individual prize amount.

🧩 Sections / Groups

The festival combines three separate FIDE-rated competitions under one event.

Classical Tournament

December 24–28, 2026

Nine rounds of FIDE-rated classical chess using a 90+30 time control.

Blitz Tournament

December 27, 2026

Nine rounds of FIDE-rated blitz using a 3+2 time control.

The Blitz takes place during the Classical tournament period. Players entering both events should therefore follow the organizer’s final daily timetable carefully.

Rapid Tournament

December 29, 2026

Nine rounds of FIDE-rated rapid chess using a 15+5 time control.

The Rapid tournament is held after the Classical competition concludes.

📅 Schedule

The verified competition dates are:

The three tournaments contain 27 rounds in total: nine Classical, nine Blitz and nine Rapid.

The currently available AICF and Chess-Results records confirm the tournament dates and number of rounds but do not publish a complete hour-by-hour schedule.

Therefore, players should use the official registration channel and organizer announcements for exact reporting times and individual round starting times.

📝 Registration

Official registration is available through CircleChess:

https://circlechess.com/registration?id=51182

The organizer advertises the following combined offer:

All Three Formats

This is the published combined package for players entering all three formats.

Individual Classical, Blitz or Rapid entry fees are not shown in the currently accessible Chess-Results information. Players entering only one or two events should verify the applicable amount on the CircleChess registration page before payment.

Registration Contacts

For tournament and registration questions, the organizer publishes the following numbers:

• +91 98903 22231
• +91 91587 22230
• +91 84212 14874
• +91 93265 93309

Because Classical, Blitz and Rapid have separate FIDE Event IDs and separate starting lists, players entering multiple formats should verify that their name appears in each selected competition.

👥 Organizer

Additional tournament contacts:
+91 84212 14874 / +91 93265 93309

📍 Venue

EuroSchool Wakad (CBSE) – Survey No. 81 (Part), Wakad Marunji Road, Wakad, Pune 411057, Maharashtra, India

The tournament is played at the CBSE campus of EuroSchool Wakad, not the separate EuroSchool Wakad ICSE campus.

This distinction is important because EuroSchool operates more than one campus in the Wakad area.

The official EuroSchool address identifies Bhumkar Chowk as the landmark for the CBSE campus.

🚆 How to Get There

EuroSchool Wakad (CBSE) is located on the Wakad–Marunji Road near Bhumkar Chowk in western Pune.

🚗 By Car

Venue address: EuroSchool Wakad (CBSE) – Survey No. 81 (Part), Wakad Marunji Road, Wakad, Pune 411057, Maharashtra, India

When using Google Maps or another navigation service, make sure to select EuroSchool Wakad (CBSE) rather than EuroSchool Wakad (ICSE).

Use Bhumkar Chowk as the main landmark.

Wakad and Bhumkar Chowk are busy parts of the Pune metropolitan area, particularly around commuter periods. Players should leave a reasonable traffic buffer before the start of each session.

🚌 By PMPML Bus

Bhumkar Chowk is a major local public-transport stop close to the tournament area.

Current PMPML services serving Bhumkar Chowk include routes such as:

• 115
• 355A
• 372
• 43

Route 115 provides a connection involving Pune Station, which can be useful for players arriving in Pune by train.

Because Pune bus routes and timetables can change, players should check the current PMPML or journey-planning information shortly before travelling.

🚆 From Pune Junction Railway Station

Pune Junction is the main long-distance railway station for Pune.

Players arriving there can continue toward Wakad and Bhumkar Chowk by:

• App-based taxi
• Taxi
• PMPML bus connection
• Private car

The venue is in western Pune, while Pune Junction is closer to the central/eastern part of the city. Travel time can therefore vary substantially with traffic.

Players travelling with luggage or chess equipment may find a direct taxi or app-based ride the simplest option.

✈️ From Pune International Airport

Pune International Airport is the nearest commercial airport.

The airport and Wakad are on different sides of the metropolitan area, so road travel is required to reach EuroSchool Wakad.

The most straightforward options are:

• Taxi
• App-based ride
• Pre-arranged private transfer

Players arriving on December 24 should allow extra time for cross-city traffic before the opening-day activities.

📍 Bhumkar Chowk

Bhumkar Chowk is the key local landmark for reaching the school.

The official EuroSchool website specifically identifies:

Landmark: Bhumkar Chowk

When asking a taxi or local driver for the venue, mentioning EuroSchool Wakad CBSE near Bhumkar Chowk can help distinguish it from other EuroSchool campuses.

⏰ Arrival Advice

The Classical tournament begins on December 24, during the year-end holiday travel period.

Players arriving from outside Pune should avoid planning a tight connection immediately before their first game.

Those participating in the Blitz on December 27 while also playing Classical should also check the final organizer timetable because both competitions take place on the same day.

ℹ️ Other Information

⭐ Three FIDE-Rated Formats

The festival gives players an opportunity to obtain or change ratings in all three major FIDE time-control categories:

• Standard
• Rapid
• Blitz

Each tournament has its own FIDE Event ID and Chess-Results database.

🆔 FIDE Event IDs

💰 Combined Entry Package

The organizer specifically promotes participation in the complete festival with a ₹3,700 package covering all three formats.

Players should still confirm successful registration in each separate starting list.

🏫 Correct EuroSchool Campus

EuroSchool officially lists two Wakad campuses.

The tournament venue is:

EuroSchool Wakad (CBSE) – Survey No. 81 (Part), Wakad Marunji Road, Landmark: Bhumkar Chowk

It is not the EuroSchool Wakad ICSE campus near Dutta Mandir.

🔗 Official Links

All India Chess Federation – Events:
https://aicf.in/all-events/

Registration:
https://circlechess.com/registration?id=51182

Chess-Results – Classical:
https://chess-results.com/tnr1475481.aspx?lan=1

Chess-Results – Blitz:
https://chess-results.com/tnr1475495.aspx?lan=1

Chess-Results – Rapid:
https://chess-results.com/tnr1475486.aspx?lan=1

EuroSchool Wakad (CBSE):
https://www.euroschoolindia.com/best-schools-in-pune/cbse-wakad/