In early December, the Armenian capital will once again become a hub of international chess as the 7th Yerevan Open International Chess Tournament 2025 takes place from 05–11 December 2025 at the historic Tigran Petrosyan Chess House in Yerevan, Armenia. Organized by the Yerevan Chess Federation, the festival features two classical events — Tournament A and Tournament B — plus a strong Blitz Open, all FIDE-rated and run under professional conditions.
With a total prize fund of 12,000,000 AMD plus extra prizes from Chessify and ChessMood, the 7th Yerevan Open offers serious incentive for titled grandmasters, ambitious masters and rising talents alike, while maintaining a welcoming atmosphere in one of the world’s most chess-loving cities.
🗓️ Event Details
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| 🗓️ Dates | 05 – 11 December 2025 |
| 📍 Location | Tigran Petrosyan Chess House, 50 Khanjyan Street, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia |
| ♟️ Tournaments | Tournament A (FIDE ≥2100, limited exceptions below 2100) • Tournament B (≤2100 & FIDE-unrated with I/II rank) • Blitz Open (open to all players of A & B and all FIDE-rated players) |
| 💵 Entry Fee | Tournament A: 30,000–70,000 AMD depending on rating, free for 2400+ and GMs/IMs (2300+ FIDE) • Tournament B: 15,000–40,000 AMD depending on rating/rank • Blitz: GM/IM free; others 4,000–7,000 AMD |
| ⭐ Rating | All events FIDE-rated (Standard for A & B, Blitz rating for the Blitz tournament) |
| ✅ Eligibility | Tournament A: FIDE ≥2100 (organizer may admit a few below 2100) • Tournament B: FIDE ≤2100 and FIDE-unrated players with I or II category • Blitz: open to all participants of A & B and any FIDE-rated player |
| 🎯 Prize Fund | 12,000,000 AMD total across all events, plus independent Chessify (USD) and ChessMood (membership) prizes |
| 🔧 Organizer Fee | All participants (A, B, Blitz) must pay an additional 5,000 AMD Yerevan Chess Federation fee |
🏆 Prize Fund
💰 Tournament A – Main Prizes (AMD)
| Place | Main Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | 2,000,000 |
| 2nd | 1,400,000 |
| 3rd | 1,000,000 |
| 4th | 750,000 |
| 5th | 550,000 |
| 6th–10th | 280,000 each |
| 11th–15th | 200,000 each |
| 16th–20th | 120,000 each |
🎯 Tournament A – Category Prizes (AMD)
| Category | 1st | 2nd |
|---|---|---|
| U2300 | 170,000 | 110,000 |
| U2200 | 100,000 | — |
| Women | 200,000 | — |
| Senior 50+ | 130,000 | — |
💻 Tournament A – Chessify Prizes (USD, Chessify Coins)
| Category | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main | 250 | 200 | 150 | 100 | 50 |
| U2300 | 150 | — | — | — | — |
| Women | 150 | — | — | — | — |
| U18 | 150 | — | — | — | — |
| U16 | 150 | — | — | — | — |
| U14 | 150 | — | — | — | — |
(Chessify prizes are independent of monetary prizes.)
💰 Tournament B – Main & Category Prizes (AMD)
| Prize | Main | Women | U14 | U12 | U10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 350,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 40,000 | 30,000 |
| 2nd | 250,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | 200,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | 150,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | 100,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | 70,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | 60,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | 50,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | 50,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | 50,000 | — | — | — | — |
⚡ Blitz Tournament – Prizes (AMD)
| Prize | Main | Women | U14 | U12 | U10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 300,000 | 30,000 | 40,000 | 30,000 | 20,000 |
| 2nd | 200,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | 130,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | 90,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | 70,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | 50,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | 40,000 | — | — | — | — |
🎓 ChessMood Membership Prizes
ChessMood – Tournament A
| Category | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main | 1-year Essential membership | 6-month | 3-month |
| Women | 6-month | 3-month | 1-month |
| U16 | 3-month | — | — |
| U14 | 3-month | — | — |
| 64th place | 1-month | — | — |
ChessMood – Tournament B
| Category | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main | 6-month | 3-month | 1-month |
| Women | 3-month | — | — |
| U14 | 1-month | — | — |
| U12 | 1-month | — | — |
| U10 | 1-month | — | — |
| 64th place | 1-month | — | — |
ChessMood prizes are independent from monetary prizes.
In case of a tie, all prizes are awarded according to tie-break order.
A player can receive only one prize (the higher one if eligible for multiple).
⏱️ Time Control & Pairings
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Tournaments A & B: 90 minutes for the entire game with 30-second increment per move from move one.
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Blitz Tournament: 3 minutes plus 2-second increment per move from move one.
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System: All tournaments (A, B and Blitz) are 9-round Swiss events.
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Pairing Program: Swiss-Manager, pairings based on FIDE ratings.
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Default Time: 30 minutes from the scheduled start of the round in A & B.
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Tie-break order:
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Cut Buchholz-1
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Buchholz
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Direct encounter
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Most games with Black
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Greater number of wins
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📂 Sections / Groups
| Section | Eligibility | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🏆 Tournament A | FIDE standard rating 2100+ | Organizer may admit a limited number of players below 2100 |
| 🎯 Tournament B | FIDE standard rating ≤2100; FIDE-unrated players with I or II category | Multiple rating / age prizes |
| ⚡ Blitz Tournament | Open to all participants of Tournaments A & B and all FIDE-rated players | Submitted for FIDE Blitz rating |
📅 Schedule
| Date | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Dec 05 | 15:00 | Round 1 |
| Sat, Dec 06 | 10:30 | Round 2 |
| Sat, Dec 06 | 16:00 | Round 3 |
| Sun, Dec 07 | 10:30 | Round 4 |
| Sun, Dec 07 | 18:30 | Blitz Tournament (9 rounds) |
| Mon, Dec 08 | 15:00 | Round 5 |
| Tue, Dec 09 | 10:30 | Round 6 |
| Tue, Dec 09 | 16:00 | Round 7 |
| Wed, Dec 10 | 15:00 | Round 8 |
| Thu, Dec 11 | 10:30 | Round 9 |
| Thu, Dec 11 | 18:30 | Closing Ceremony |
📝 Registration
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Online / Contact: Registration through the Yerevan Chess Federation (see Organizer section).
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Deadlines:
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Tournaments A & B: Registration and lower entry-fee tier available until 26 November 2025.
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Higher entry-fee tier applies for registrations 27–30 November 2025.
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-
Tournament A Entry Fees (by FIDE standard rating):
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Under 2100: 70,000 AMD (until 26.11) • 80,000 AMD (27–30.11)
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2100–2200: 50,000 AMD • 60,000 AMD
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2201–2300: 40,000 AMD • 50,000 AMD
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2301–2400: 30,000 AMD • 40,000 AMD
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Free entry: FIDE 2400+ and GMs & IMs with FIDE rating 2300+
-
-
Tournament B Entry Fees:
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2000 and above: 15,000 AMD • 20,000 AMD
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Under 2000: 20,000 AMD • 25,000 AMD
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Under 1800: 25,000 AMD • 30,000 AMD
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I rank: 30,000 AMD • 35,000 AMD
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II rank: 40,000 AMD • 45,000 AMD
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-
Blitz Entry Fees (FIDE Blitz rating / Title):
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GM / IM: Free
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2100 and above: 4,000 AMD
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Under 2100: 7,000 AMD
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Federation Fee: Every participant (A, B, Blitz) must pay an additional 5,000 AMD Yerevan Chess Federation fee.
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Age Discounts (A & B only):
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10% off for players born between 01 Jan 2011 and 31 Dec 2012
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20% off for players born after 31 Dec 2012
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👥 Organizer
The 7th Yerevan Open is organized by the Yerevan Chess Federation, continuing its tradition of hosting high-level international events in Armenia’s capital.
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📧 Email: info@yerevanchessfed.com
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📞 Tournament Director: IM/IA Norayr Kalantaryan (FIDE ID 13300300), phone +374 93 000 963
🏨 Venue
All events will be held at the Tigran Petrosyan Chess House, 50 Khanjyan Street, Yerevan, a landmark chess venue equipped with dedicated playing halls and central city access.
🚗 How to Get There
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By Air: Arrive at Zvartnots International Airport (EVN); the venue is roughly 20–30 minutes away by taxi.
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By Public Transport / Taxi: Taxis and app-based ride services are widely available in Yerevan; several bus routes and minibuses connect the city center with Khanjyan Street.
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From City Center: The Chess House is centrally located and easily reachable by car, taxi, or a short walk from many central districts.
Step into one of the most vibrant chess scenes in the world and test your strength at the 7th Yerevan Open International Chess Tournament 2025 in the heart of Yerevan!
Organizer
Chess Academy of Armenia is a leading Armenian chess academy and national-level tournament organizer based in Yerevan, Armenia. Over the years, it has become one of the country’s most visible centers for elite and scholastic chess development. As a result, it is closely associated with structured training pathways and official chess programming.
In addition, the academy runs a broad calendar of FIDE-rated tournament activity and training-driven events, spanning classical chess, rapid chess, and blitz chess formats. It also supports Armenia’s widely known Chess in Schools ecosystem through dedicated programming and coordination. Moreover, the academy regularly hosts international youth competitions and memorial events, combining strong playing conditions with consistent event operations.
Furthermore, the academy emphasizes a long-term junior chess program approach, helping students move from fundamentals to rated competition. For example, its in-house sections and club activity provide frequent practical play under formal rules. Consequently, Chess Academy of Armenia remains a key destination for chess training and organized tournament chess in Yerevan.
