Bavaria's 340-Player Open Headlines a Packed October in Europe

The Chess Tournament Calendar is tracking 332 events across Europe in October 2026, spanning the usual mix of weekend rapids, club opens, and longer classical swisses. At the top of the field by player count sits the 29. Offene Internationale Bayerische Schachmeister in Gmund am Tegernsee, Germany, which runs October 31 through November 8 with 340 players registered, comfortably the largest gathering on this month’s list.

Italy’s long-running lakeside open also draws a big crowd. The 48th International Chess Open Citta di Arco takes place in Arco, Trentino from October 3 to 11 with 209 players signed up, making it the second-largest event tracked this month.

Croatia’s island scene gets its turn too. The 5. OPEN ARSENAL HVAR 2026 runs October 19 to 25 in Hvar with 156 players registered, while Spain’s XXIII Calvia Amateur Open in Mallorca, set for October 10 to 18, has drawn 104 entrants so far.

Germany’s Rhineland has its own weekend tradition returning. The Wormser Nibelungenopen 2026, A-Turnier runs October 8 to 11 in Worms with 60 players registered, and it comes paired with a B-Turnier section on the same dates for 55 more competitors.

Sarajevo offers something for stronger players. The GM MIX SWISS 16-21 October BIH Chess Legend Zlatko runs October 16 to 21 at Hotel Saraj with 64 players registered, alongside a second identically dated section drawing 55 more.

Rapid chess gets its own showcase in the Netherlands. The Rotterdam FIDE Congress runs October 9 to 11 with 69 players registered, organized jointly by Chess England and Chessmates International.

Romania rounds out the month with two contrasting entries. The Bucharest Chess Classic - U2400 runs October 2 to 4 with 53 players registered, while the Trofeul Cavalerii Marii Negre in Navodari stretches from October 28 into November with 75 entrants so far.

For a sense of how a similarly packed slate actually played out, last month’s piece looked at how Barcelona’s Sants Open and a Romanian rapid fared in August. October’s calendar suggests another busy stretch, with entries still open in several of these events as organizers finalize their fields.