Initiative Pro Schach e.V.

♟️ About Initiative Pro Schach e.V.

Initiative Pro Schach e.V. (IPS) is a German chess association founded in Dortmund on February 27, 2019. Its statutory purpose is to promote chess through events connecting sport, education, culture, art, science, and chess history. In August 2019, IPS successfully applied to take responsibility for the historic International Dortmund Chess Days, with the City of Dortmund remaining a key partner. The association is currently based in Lünen, North Rhine-Westphalia, while its principal chess activities take place in Dortmund. IPS is best known as the organizer of the Sparkassen Chess Trophy – International Dortmund Chess Days, a tournament tradition that dates to 1973. Since taking over the festival, the association has combined high-level international chess with large open tournaments, title-norm opportunities, women’s chess, youth development, live commentary, digital broadcasts, and cultural side events. The tournament works closely with Sparkasse Dortmund, the City of Dortmund, German chess organizations, local partners, and other institutions. In recent years, the festival has been staged at the Kulturzentrum Alte Schmiede in Dortmund-Huckarde. Christian Jochmann is the current Chairman and Managing Director of Initiative Pro Schach e.V. International Master Patrick Zelbel serves as Second Chairman and Tournament Director, having taken primary responsibility for the tournament formats since 2024. In 2026, IPS organized the 53rd International Dortmund Chess Days from August 1–9. The festival again filled both Open sections to capacity, staged an international women’s tournament, and concluded with Norwegian GM Elham Amar winning the A-Open and Song Yuxin of China winning the women’s competition.

📜 Foundation and Development

Initiative Pro Schach was created by nine founding members in February 2019. They included Carsten Hensel, Andreas Jagodzinsky, Christian Jochmann, Stefan Koth, Dr. Michael Negele, and other figures connected with chess in Dortmund and North Rhine-Westphalia. Later that year, IPS presented a new concept for the International Dortmund Chess Days. The organization received the rights to operate the event independently from 2020 onward. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the planned 2020 edition to be postponed. The relaunched festival finally took place in 2021. IPS introduced a broader event concept that combined elite chess, open competition, youth tournaments, digital broadcasting, and cultural programming. Consequently, the historic Dortmund tournament developed into the modern Sparkassen Chess Trophy.

🏛️ Organization and Leadership

The association’s current leadership reflects a mixture of tournament management, competitive chess expertise, media work, and technical event production. Christian Jochmann succeeded Stefan Koth as Managing Director in 2024 and is also identified in current official documentation as Chairman of IPS. He has longstanding experience in club and regional chess in the Dortmund and Lünen area. IM Patrick Zelbel is Second Chairman and Tournament Director. A Dortmund native, Zelbel first played in the Dortmund Open as a child and later completed his International Master norms there. Since 2020, he has also played a central role in media and communications for the tournament. Andreas Jagodzinsky remains involved in sporting organization. He has served as tournament director since 2020 and has extensive experience in German chess administration. Meanwhile, Sebastian Hensel manages event technology and logistics.

🌟 Sparkassen Chess Trophy – International Dortmund Chess Days

The International Dortmund Chess Days began in 1973 and have hosted many of the world’s strongest players during their long history. Under IPS, the event operates as the Sparkassen Chess Trophy while retaining the historic Dortmund Chess Days identity. The 53rd International Dortmund Chess Days took place from August 1–9, 2026 at Kulturzentrum Alte Schmiede. The program consisted of the A-Open, B-Open, and International Women’s Tournament. The A-Open comprised nine rounds and offered FIDE title-norm opportunities. The B-Open ran for eight rounds. Both sections were FIDE and DWZ rated, while the combined advertised prize fund for the Open tournaments was €20,000. Interest was particularly strong in 2026. The A-Open reached its capacity limit first, followed by the 200-player B-Open, which was also officially declared full before the tournament began.

🏆 2026 Tournament Results

Norwegian Grandmaster Elham Amar won the 2026 A-Open with 7.5/9. He entered the final round as sole leader and secured the title with a draw against GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly. Amilal Munkhdalai of Mongolia finished second on seven points, while Polish GM Kacper Piorun placed third. German national-team players Dmitrij Kollars, Matthias Blübaum, and Rasmus Svane were also among the strong field. The parallel International Women’s Tournament was won by Song Yuxin of China. Polish IM Klaudia Kulon finished second, while Natalia Buksa and German international Dinara Wagner completed the four-player field. In the B-Open, Max Pick took first place after the final round.

♟️ Women’s Chess, Youth and Festival Activities

IPS has increasingly incorporated women’s chess into the Dortmund program. The 2026 International Women’s Tournament brought together Song Yuxin, Klaudia Kulon, Natalia Buksa, and Dinara Wagner. In addition, IPS cooperated with the German Football Museum for the event “Spielmacherinnen auf dem Schachbrett” on August 4, 2026. The four women competed in a public blitz tournament, combining chess with a broader cultural setting. The festival also included daily live commentary by GM Artur Yusupov, additional rapid chess organized with Dortmund chess partners, online broadcasts, analysis, and spectator activities. Therefore, IPS continues to develop the Dortmund Chess Days as a festival serving professional players, ambitious club competitors, and the wider chess public. Preparations for the 54th International Dortmund Chess Days in 2027 were already underway following the conclusion of the 2026 event.