Open International Bavarian Chess Championship

History

The Open International Bavarian Chess Championship, known in German as the OIBM, is a Swiss open played every autumn in the Tegernsee valley south of Munich. The first edition, in 1997, was won by Gerald Hertneck. For many years it was played in Bad Wiessee, and it now takes place at the Gut Kaltenbrunn estate on the northern shore of the lake, in Gmund.

It draws one of the largest fields of any tournament in Germany, more than 500 players in recent years, with professionals at the top and club players of every level below them. The 2025 edition was won by Amin Tabatabaei with 8/9, a point clear of the field. Jan-Christian Schröder’s win in 2022 made him the first German winner since 2011.

How it works

Who plays. It is open to anyone with a rating, so grandmasters, juniors and amateurs share one tournament. In 2024 the 554 players included 13 grandmasters, 13 international masters and 47 FIDE masters, from 30 countries.

The format. Nine rounds of classical chess over nine days, paired as a Swiss. Accelerated pairings are used in the early rounds, so the top seeds meet each other sooner than in a plain Swiss. Players on the same score at the end are separated by tiebreaks, which have decided several recent editions.

What is at stake. The overall title and prize money, with further prizes for rating classes. For ambitious juniors and title hopefuls, a field this strong also offers norm chances: Roven Vogel completed his grandmaster title at Tegernsee in 2023.

Last checked 9 November 2026, after the 29th edition (won by Krishnan Sasikiran on tiebreak). Winners from 2021 on are checked against the final standings and reports; earlier years come from published winner lists.