The International Dortmund Chess Days 2025 once again promise to be an extraordinary event for chess lovers from all over the world. Registration is now open via the website. A maximum of 200 players can take part in both open tournaments. Last year, both tournaments were fully booked in advance, so it is advisable to secure a starting place early.
This year, too, we are expecting a large number of grandmasters and international champions in the A-Open.
Led by the German national player Dmitrij Kollars and the German 2023 champion Dennis Wagner. Kollars in particular has caused a sensation in the past by defeating World Champion Vladimir Kramnik and winning the No Castling World Masters in 2022 ahead of Viswanathan Anand. Dennis Wagner visited in 2024 and was a guest of press spokesman Patrick Zelbel and commentator Artur Yusupov: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9-FnFhkfuY
Nico Zwirs, last year's winner, has also already registered. After the greatest success of his chess career last year, he will be aiming to reach the top again in 2025. GM Rinat Jumabayev will be making his debut in Dortmund. The Kazakh has already won the Biel Masters MTO, the spring and autumn editions of the Fagernes Open and came joint first in the Open International Bavarian Championship last November.
The participants will include not only established chess greats, but also young talents who are already causing a stir. IM Marius Deuer, one of Germany's greatest young talents, has registered for the A-Open.
The 16-year-old is aiming for the grandmaster title this year, having recently cracked the 2500 rating mark. He was invited to Dortmund back in 2021 (photo of Marius Deuer in Dortmund 2021) and was the youngest participant in the Sportland NRW Cup at the time. The Chess Days now offer the perfect setting for up-and-coming players like him, as the A-Open will offer opportunities for all FIDE title norms. For example, 13-year-old FM Christian Glöckler, who only just missed out on an IM norm last year, is once again registered in the A-Open. The list of participants will be updated at regular intervals until August under the following link: