More than 450 chess players from 41 countries are set to arrive in Jerusalem this month for two major international championships, culminating in a $250,000 prize tournament offering the largest first prize ever awarded at a chess competition in Israel.
The Jerusalem Open Rapid Chess Championship will take place November 17-18 at the Ramada Hotel, with registration already closed after reaching capacity. Dozens of additional players remain on the waiting list.
2025 Jerusalem Masters
(Photo: Israel Chess Federation)
The competition will feature leading international grandmasters, including three-time World Blitz Chess Champion Alexander Grischuk, former FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov and Ukrainian European champions Roman Dehtiarov, 18, and Anastasiia Hnatyshyn, 16. All 15 of the tournament's highest-rated registered players are from abroad.
Among the Israeli competitors is eight-year-old Noam Rafaeli of Ness Ziona, a national champion in his age group who began playing at four. "I expect to win and finish in first place," he said.
The Open will offer 45,000 euros in prize money, with its top two finishers qualifying for the Jerusalem Masters, scheduled for November 23-26.
The Masters will feature 12 players, including American grandmasters Wesley So and Hans Niemann, India's Arjun Erigaisi, two-time world championship challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi and Vietnam's Lê Quang Liêm. Five Israeli players will also compete.
The tournament's $250,000 prize fund includes a $101,000 award for the winner, exceeding the first prize at the most recent World Blitz Championship in Qatar by $1,000.
Organized by the Culture and Sport Ministry, Jerusalem Municipality and Israel Chess Federation, the events come as Israel faces continued challenges hosting international sporting competitions.
"The arrival of world-class chess players is a significant vote of confidence in Israel and in our ability to host international sporting events at the highest level," said Israel Chess Federation chairman Dr. Tzvika Barkai.