Southwest Chess - Chess Tournaments, Events, and Meetups around the U.S. Southwest

12/20

OC Mess Hall by Elements of Chess

Elements of Chess

Tustin, CA

Southern Arizona Chess Association

12/20

SACA December Swiss

Tucson, AZ

Utah Valley South Chess Club

12/20

UVSCC Tournament 2 – Electric Boogaloo!

Spanish Fork, UT

12/20

Kings of Chess Tournament

Kings of Chess

Aurora, CO

12/20

Game 40 Challenge

12/20

SDCC Gambito

12/21

Scholastic@ChessPalace Cypress

12/21

Unity Sunday Weekly G/30

Unity Chess Club

Chandler, AZ

12/26 - 12/30

North American Open

130,000 Prize Money

Heritage Event

Link to Tears Of My Chess Opponents : Travel Mug with Lid

Chess Travel Mug with Lid

12/27

Game-in-30 Chess Tournament (Advance registration required)

Brain Powers

12/27

Chess Quad tournaments

Masterpiece Chess Club

Santa Clarita, CA

12/27

Phoenix Saturday Blitz

12/27

Game 30 Challenge

12/27

SDCC Gambito

12/28 - 12/31

2025 World Chess Festival - Hawaii

Honolulu, HI

January 2026

1/1

Annual Blitz Championship

1/1

Monthly Thursday Series

Cornerstone Chess Academy

1/2 - 1/4

2026 Cornerstone Chess Academy Launch

Sunnyvale, CA

1/2 - 1/4

New Years FIDE 2026

1/2

La Palma Chess Club Three Groups (1 Round Per Week)

La Palma Chess Club

La Palma, CA

1/2 - 1/4

$1,500 JANUARY CHAMPIONSHIP 2026

Poison Pawns

Houston, TX

Link to Safety first! Success in chess begins with asking yourself the basic question, “Is the move that I’m considering a safe one?”

Is Your Move Safe?

1/3

Phoenix Monthly Scholastic

1/3

Rising Star January Grand Prix

1/3

Saturday Open

1/3

Monthly Saturday Swiss

1/3

SDCC Gambito

1/4

2026 Winter Chess-Fest

Chess Fest

West Hills, CA

1/4

Unity Sunday Weekly G/30

Unity Chess Club

Chandler, AZ

1/5

IHOP Quick Quad Mondays in January 2026

1/5

Winter Scholastic G/25

Frisco, TX

1/6

DCC Tuesdays

1/6

Temecula Tuesday Tourney

1/7

ChessPalace Wednesday Knights (1 Round each Week)

Link to Celebrate the timeless wisdom of chess with this special 100th-anniversary edition of

Chess Fundamentals: 100th Anniversary Edition

1/7

SPCC Chess Run Wednesday

1/8

Chess Knight Blitz

1/10

Game-in-30 Chess Tournament (Advance registration required)

Brain Powers

1/10

Albuquerque Chess Club January 2026 G/60

Empire Chess

Albuquerque, NM

1/10

Empire Chess Club January 2026 Scholastic g/30

Empire Chess

Albuquerque, NM

1/10

Cedar Park January 2026 Scholastic Tournament

Leander Chess Club

Cedar Park, TX

1/10

Saturday Open

1/10

2026 January ICEA Chess @ West LA

1/10

Kings of Chess Tournament

Kings of Chess

Aurora, CO

1/10

PALS January Chess Tournament

1/10

SDCC Gambito

1/11

SAN DIEGO HIGH SCHOOL TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Link to Best Chess Player For Men Kids Boys Board Game Chess Lover T-Shirt

Chess Shirts

1/11

ChessPalace Amateur Tournament @SteelCraft

1/13

Game Vault Tuesdays

1/13

SMBCC 3 Round Swiss

1/14

Pygmalion Tournament

Pygmalion Chess

1/15

Thursday Cerritos Scholastics

Cerritos, CA

1/16 - 1/19

17th Annual GOLDEN STATE OPEN

Concord, CA

25,000 Prize Money

1/16 - 1/18

2026 World Chess Festival - Disneyland

Atlantic Chess Association

1/16 - 1/18

2nd Annual MLK Day Open

Houston, TX

Southern California Chess Federation

1/17 - 1/19

Dreaming King Open

1/17 - 1/18

NMCO 2026 Senior Championship and Tony Schroeder Memorial Open

New Mexico Chess

Albuquerque, NM

1/17

Arizona Scholastic Chess Festival

1/17

Saturday Open

Link to Best Chess Lover Gift: Compared to flowers or a card, a practical tote bag and makeup pouch set makes a more memorable gift. Perfect for Christmas, birthdays, or any occasion.

Chess Gifts for Women, Canvas Tote Bag

1/17

SDCC Gambito

1/21

Pygmalion Tournament

Pygmalion Chess

1/23 - 1/25

Dallas Frost FIDE

Mad Hatter's House of Games

1/24

2026 TCA Region I Open and Scholastic Championships

Lubbock, TX

1/24

Little Masters

1/24

Summit Chess Monthly Open

1/24

New Year's Extravaganza

The Meadows School

1/24

ChessMates G30 Swiss

1/24

Saturday Open

1/24

SDCC Gambito

1/25

Scholastic@ChessPalace Cypress

1/25

A Hazy Quad of Winter

Sante Fe Chess

Santa Fe, NM

1/28

Pygmalion Tournament

Pygmalion Chess

1/31

2026 Utah State Elementary Championships

Utah Chess Association

Provo, UT

1/31

Game-in-30 Chess Tournament (Advance registration required)

Brain Powers

1/31

Champions Tournament

Make A Move LA

1/31

Saturday Open

1/31

SDCC Gambito

February 2026

2/2

IHOP Quick Quad Mondays in February 2026

2/3

DCC Tuesdays

2/3

SMBCC 4 Round Swiss

2/3

Temecula Tuesday Tourney

2/4

ChessPalace Wednesday Knights (1 Round each Week)

2/4

SPCC Chess Run Wednesday

2/5

Thursday Cerritos Scholastics

Cerritos, CA

2/5

Monthly Thursday Series

2/7

ChessMates G30 Swiss

2/7

PALS February Chess Tournament

2/7

SDCC Gambito

2/8

ChessPalace Amateur Tournament @SteelCraft

2/8

2026 Spring ICEA Free Chess @ The Wende

2/10

Game Vault Tuesdays

2/12 - 2/16

17th Annual SOUTHWEST CLASS CHAMPIONSHIPS (Presidents Day Weekend)

Irving, TX

35,000 Prize Money

Heritage Event

2/12

Chess Knight Blitz

Colorado State Chess Association

2/13

2026 Colorado State Scholastic Blitz Chess Championship

Highlands Ranch, CO

Colorado State Chess Association

2/14 - 2/15

2026 Colorado State Scholastic Chess Championship

Highlands Ranch, CO

2/14 - 2/16

Rising Star Presidents Day Classic

2/14

2026 February ICEA Chess @ West LA

2/14

SDCC Gambito

2/16

President's Day Scholastic

Plano, TX

2/21

Texas Action Championship 2026

Houston Chess Studio

Houston, TX

2/21

Rising Star February Grand Prix

2/21

Summit Chess Monthly Open

2/21

SDCC Gambito

2/22

2025 LA Super City Championships

American Chess Academy

Glendale, CA

2/22

Checkmate for Charity Chess Tournament (G/25)

Checkmate for Charity

2/22

Scholastic@ChessPalace Cypress

2/27 - 3/1

South Texas FIDE

Arizona State University Chess Club

2/28

ASU Spring 2026 Rapid and Blitz

2/28

Knights Leap Ahead

The Meadows School

2/28

SDCC Gambito

March 2026

3/2

IHOP Quick Quad Mondays in March 2026

3/3

DCC Tuesdays

3/3

SMBCC Club Championship

3/3

Temecula Tuesday Tourney

3/4

ChessPalace Wednesday Knights (1 Round each Week)

3/4

SPCC Chess Run Wednesday

3/5

Monthly Thursday Series

3/6 - 3/8

33rd Annual Western Class Championships

Irvine, CA

Heritage Event

3/7

2026 Southern Nevada Scholastic Championship

3/7

Rising Star March Grand Prix

3/7

SDCC Gambito

3/10

Game Vault Tuesdays

3/12

Chess Knight Blitz

3/14

Summit Chess Monthly Open

3/14

Texas Spring Championship

McKinney, TX

3/14

2026 March ICEA Chess @ West LA

3/14

PALS March Chess Tournament

3/20 - 3/22

DFW Spring FIDE

3/20 - 3/22

2026 SuperStates State Championships

Arizona State University Chess Club

3/21 - 3/22

2026 TEXAS SENIOR CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

3/21

ASU Spring 2026 Classical

3/22

Scholastic@ChessPalace Cypress

3/27 - 3/29

2026 National High School (K-12) Championship

Chicago, IL

3/28

ChessMates G30 Swiss

April 2026

4/1

ChessPalace Wednesday Knights (1 Round each Week)

4/1

SPCC Chess Run Wednesday

4/2

Monthly Thursday Series

4/4

Rising Star April Grand Prix

4/6

IHOP Quick Quad Mondays in April 2026

4/7

DCC Tuesdays

4/7

SMBCC 4 Round Swiss

4/7

Temecula Tuesday Tourney

4/9

Chess Knight Blitz

4/10 - 4/12

2026 All-Girls National Championships

Chicago, IL

Women/Girls

4/11

TMS Grand Finale

The Meadows School

4/11

2026 April ICEA Chess @ West LA

4/11

PALS April Chess Tournament

4/14

Game Vault Tuesdays

4/18

2026 April ICEA Chess @ Gardena

4/18

Summit Chess Monthly Open

4/18

Spring Bloom Championship

McKinney, TX

4/18

ChessMates G30 Swiss

4/25

2026 TEXAS QUICK CHESS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

4/26

Scholastic@ChessPalace Cypress

Sheridan Chess Association

May 2026

5/1 - 5/3

2026 WYOMING COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OPEN

Sheridan, WY

9,000 Prize Money

5/1 - 5/3

Houston FIDE

5/1 - 5/3

2026 National Elementary (K-6) Championship

Baltimore, MD

5/2

Rising Star May Grand Prix

5/4

IHOP Quick Quad Mondays in May 2026

5/5

DCC Tuesdays

5/5

SMBCC 4 Round Swiss

5/5

Temecula Tuesday Tourney

5/6

ChessPalace Wednesday Knights (1 Round each Week)

5/6

SPCC Chess Run Wednesday

5/7

Monthly Thursday Series

5/9

2026 May ICEA Chess @ West LA

5/9

PALS May Chess Tournament

5/12

Game Vault Tuesdays

5/14

Chess Knight Blitz

5/15 - 5/17

2026 National Middle School (K-8) Championship

Round Rock, TX

5/16

Summit Chess Monthly Open

5/23 - 5/25

Rising Star Memorial Day Classic

5/31

Scholastic@ChessPalace Cypress

June 2026

6/2

DCC Tuesdays

6/2

SMBCC 4 Round Swiss

6/2

Temecula Tuesday Tourney

6/3

ChessPalace Wednesday Knights (1 Round each Week)

6/4

Monthly Thursday Series

6/5 - 6/7

North Texas FIDE

6/6

Rising Star June Grand Prix

6/10 - 6/14

2026 National Open

Vegas Chess Festivals

6/11

Chess Knight Blitz

6/12 - 6/14

Summer FIDE 2026

Seryozha Gasparyan (GC CLUB)

6/18 - 6/21

1st Annual Grant Chess Open

Irvine, CA

6/20

2026 June ICEA Chess @ West LA

6/28

Scholastic@ChessPalace Cypress

6/28

2026 Summer ICEA Free Chess @ The Wende

July 2026

7/1

ChessPalace Wednesday Knights (1 Round each Week)

7/3 - 7/5

Rising Star Independence Day Classic

7/7

DCC Tuesdays

7/7

SMBCC 4 Round Swiss

7/7

Temecula Tuesday Tourney

7/9

Chess Knight Blitz

7/11

2026 July ICEA Chess @ West LA

7/24 - 7/26

Gulf Coast FIDE 2026

7/31 - 8/2

2026 World Chess Festival - Las Vegas

August 2026

8/1

Rising Star August Grand Prix

8/4

DCC Tuesdays

8/4

SMBCC 4 Round Swiss

8/4

Temecula Tuesday Tourney

8/5

ChessPalace Wednesday Knights (1 Round each Week)

8/8

2026 August ICEA Chess @ West LA

8/13

Chess Knight Blitz

September 2026

9/1

SMBCC ONE NIGHT RAPIDS

9/2

ChessPalace Wednesday Knights (1 Round each Week)

9/8

SMBCC 4 Round Swiss

9/10

Chess Knight Blitz

9/12

Rising Star September Grand Prix

9/12

2026 September ICEA Chess @ West LA

9/27

2026 Fall ICEA Free Chess @ The Wende

October 2026

10/3

Rising Star October Grand Prix

10/6

SMBCC 4 Round Swiss

10/7

ChessPalace Wednesday Knights (1 Round each Week)

10/8

Chess Knight Blitz

10/10

2026 October ICEA Chess @ West LA

November 2026

11/3

SMBCC 4 Round Swiss

11/4

ChessPalace Wednesday Knights (1 Round each Week)

11/7

Rising Star November Grand Prix

11/12

Chess Knight Blitz

11/14

2026 November ICEA Chess @ West LA

11/22

2026 Winter ICEA Free Chess @ The Wende

December 2026

12/1

SMBCC ONE NIGHT RAPIDS

12/2

ChessPalace Wednesday Knights (1 Round each Week)

12/8

SMBCC Unrated Blitz

12/10

Chess Knight Blitz

12/11 - 12/13

2026 National K-12 Grade Championships

Orlando, FL