THE GRAND
THOUSAND PLAYER
CHESS EVENT (TUSENMANNA)
April 18th 2026 Avicii Arena, Stockholm
AN OPEN CHESS TOURNAMENT FOR EVERYONE
– REGARDLESS OF SKILL LEVEL, AGE OR EXPERIENCE!
ABOUT
The major public chess tournament Tusenmannaschacket was held regularly at Stockholm City Hall since the 1970s. Now, the Stockholm Chess Federation is reviving the tournament as part of what is going to be one of the most remarkable chess festivals in history: Chessparty 17-18 April at Avicii Arena.
HANDICAP SYSTEM
The tournament uses a time handicap system to balance differences in player strength. Experienced players get less time, while less experienced players enjoy extra time – everything to ensure that as many as possible are willing to take part.
WHERE:
Avicii Arena
WHEN:
Saturday April 18 2026
SCHEDULE:
On-site registration: Saturday April 18th, 09:30-10.00
Qualifying rounds: 10:30–14:00 PM
Semifinals: 15:00 AM–19:00 PM
Final: 20:00–21:30 PM
TOURNAMENT FORMAT:
Groups of 8 players with 7 rounds played (round-robin).
The winner of each group advances to semifinals (4 groups) played over 7 rounds.
The winners of the semifinals advance to the final.
Players who don’t advance to finals have access to all Chessparty’s exclusive events and activities.
RATING CLASSES (ELO):
A: +2300
B: 2299–2000
C: 1999–1700
D: 1699–1400
E: Övriga
TIME HANDICAP:
1–23, 3–21, 6–18, 9–15, 12–12 minutes.
ENTRY FEE:
490 kr – Adults (from 17 years)
290 kr – Children
GM play free of charge*
*Grandmaster play free of charge by accepting Chesspartys special ”Play a GM”-conditions, meaning that You as a GM must participate in the event ”Play a GM” taking place Saturday 10.00-10.30 PM and 14.30-15.00 (the GM choses one of these 30-min slots).
CHESSPARTY DAY PASS INCLUDED:
The fee includes an exclusive CHESSPARTY 2026 day pass with access to all of Chessparty’s attractive chess events, such as GothamChess LIVE show & Judit Polgár, Henrik Carlsen lecture with Magnus Carlsen, Anna & Pia Cramling, Andrea Botez, Nils Grandelius, meet and greet with celebrities, concerts, shows, multiple chess tournaments, great lectures, chess lessons at all levels, Chess EXPO, play a GM and much, much more!
PRIZE FUND:
1st prize: 50,000 SEK
2nd prize: 30,000 SEK
3rd prize: 20,000 SEK
4th prize: 10,000 SEK
Semifinal 2nd and 3rd place
receive exclusive (non-monetary) prizes.
NB! If an invoice is not provided by winners taxes/salary costs/taxes will be deducted from prizes.
REGISTRATION:
Register by purchasing your ticket on the link below and choose the Thousand Player tournament ticket option.
Chessparty Tusenmanna
HANDICAP SYSTEM
The tournament uses a time handicap system to balance differences in player strength. Experienced players get less time, while less experienced players enjoy extra time – everything to ensure that as many as possible are willing to take part.
WHERE:
Avicii Arena
WHEN:
Saturday April 18 2026
SCHEDULE:
On-site registration: Saturday April 18th, 09:30-10.00
Qualifying rounds: 10:30–14:00 PM
Semifinals: 15:00 AM–19:00 PM
Final: 20:00–21:30 PM
TOURNAMENT FORMAT:
Groups of 8 players with 7 rounds played (round-robin).
The winner of each group advances to semifinals (4 groups) played over 7 rounds.
The winners of the semifinals advance to the final.
Players who don’t advance to finals have access to all Chessparty’s exclusive events and activities.
RATING CLASSES (ELO):
A: +2300
B: 2299–2000
C: 1999–1700
D: 1699–1400
E: Övriga
TIME HANDICAP:
1–23, 3–21, 6–18, 9–15, 12–12 minutes.
ENTRY FEE:
490 kr – Adults (from 17 years)
290 kr – Children
GM play free of charge*
*Grandmaster play free of charge by accepting Chesspartys special ”Play a GM”-conditions, meaning that You as a GM must participate in the event ”Play a GM” taking place Saturday 10.00-10.30 PM and 14.30-15.00 (the GM choses one of these 30-min slots).
CHESSPARTY DAY PASS INCLUDED:
The fee includes an exclusive CHESSPARTY 2026 day pass with access to all of Chessparty’s attractive chess events, such as GothamChess LIVE show & Judit Polgár, Henrik Carlsen lecture with Magnus Carlsen, Anna & Pia Cramling, Andrea Botez, Nils Grandelius, meet and greet with celebrities, concerts, shows, multiple chess tournaments, great lectures, chess lessons at all levels, Chess EXPO, play a GM and much, much more!
PRIZE FUND:
1st prize: 50,000 SEK
2nd prize: 30,000 SEK
3rd prize: 20,000 SEK
4th prize: 10,000 SEK
Semifinal 2nd and 3rd place
receive exclusive (non-monetary) prizes.
NB! If an invoice is not provided by winners taxes/salary costs/taxes will be deducted from prizes.
REGISTRATION:
Register by purchasing your ticket on the link below and choose the Thousand Player tournament ticket option.
Chessparty Tusenmanna
When you purchased your ticket, please register your player profile here:
https://eventreg.netfair.com/tusenmanna
https://eventreg.netfair.com/tusenmanna
REGISTERED GRANDMASTERS (GM)
GM Alexei ShirovSpain
Best Elo: 2755 Latest Elo: 2610 Birthday: 1972 
GM Jonathan WesterbergSweden
Best Elo: 2557 Latest Elo: 2467 Birthday: 1994 |
GM David HowellEngland
Best Elo: 2712 Latest Elo: 2668 Birthday: 1990 
GM Axel SmithSweden
Best Elo: 2516 Latest Elo: 2436 Birthday: 1986 |
GM Jon Ludvig HammerNorway
Best Elo: 2705 Latest Elo: 2606 Birthday: 1990 |
HISTORY
Tusenmannaschacket (The Thousand-Man Chess Tournament) began in 1967 as a promotional competition initiated and sponsored by the newspaper Dagens Nyheter. The tournament continued until 1990, featuring 1,000 players divided into 100 groups of ten. It was regularly held at the Stockholm City Hall—a true public festival where retirees faced children and amateurs played against professionals. When the sponsor withdrew, the possibility of organizing the event disappeared. However, thanks to a financial contribution from Erik Penser, Tusenmannaschacket returned to the Blue Hall in 1997 and continued for about 10 years. As of today (2026), it has been over 15 years since the competition was last held.
Source: Swedish Chess Federation.
Tusenmannaschacket (The Thousand-Man Chess Tournament) has a rich history spanning several decades, with its heyday during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.
KEY YEARS AND MILESTONES:
HISTORICAL WINNERS:
Over the years, many of Sweden's leading chess players have participated. Some documented top placements include:
KEY YEARS AND MILESTONES:
- 1967: The Starting Signal. The competition was founded on the initiative of the newspaper Dagens Nyheter and the Stockholm Chess Federation.
- The 1970s: Establishment. The tournament became a regular tradition in the Blue Hall at Stockholm City Hall. A notable example is 1977, when the event drew massive crowds to the City Hall.
- The 1990s: Continued Success. The high-profile tournament was still held in the Blue Hall. In 1998, Grandmaster Ralf Åkesson emerged as the winner.
- The 2000s: Decline and Hiatus. Events were held in 2006 and 2007, among other years. However, in 2008, difficulties in reaching the goal of 1,000 participants were reported. Due to waning interest, the competition was subsequently discontinued.
- 2019: A Smaller Sequel. In an effort to keep the tradition alive, "100-mannaschacket" (The Hundred-Man Chess Tournament) was organized as a direct successor.
- 2026: The Grand Revival. After a hiatus of nearly two decades, the competition is now being revived in full scale on April 18, 2026, at Avicii Arena.
HISTORICAL WINNERS:
Over the years, many of Sweden's leading chess players have participated. Some documented top placements include:
- Ralf Åkesson: Winner in 1998.
- Pia Cramling: Group winner in 1998 (tied for first place in her group with a perfect 9/9 score).
TUSENMANNASCHACKET - The Grand Thousand Player Chess Event
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E-post: [email protected]
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