Chess.com has unveiled the Naroditsky Memorial Rapid and Blitz tournament, serving as a tribute to the late American chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky.
Organised by the Charlotte Chess Center Foundation, the event will run from July 3rd to 5th, 2026 at the Marriot City Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
According to the official blog post, up to 300 players can register to compete in the Naroditsky Memorial Rapid and Blitz tournament alongside grandmasters and creators.
Several highly ranked chess players will attend the event, including Wesley So (rank eight), Leinier Domínguez Perez (rank 14th), Hikaru Nakamura (rank second), and more.
Additionally, 10 content creators will also participate, including Levy ‘GothamChess‘ Rozman, Andrea and Alexandra Botez, Dina Belenkaya, and other popular Chess influencers.
Players will compete to secure a share of a $50,000 (~£37,405) prize pool, which will be distributed across the Masters and Challengers divisions of both the Rapid and Blitz tournaments.
Players can submit an interest form through the Charlotte Chess Center website. Entry to the Challengers section will cost $250 (~£187), and the Masters section costs $350 (~£261), though Grandmasters will receive free entry. Standard and VIP passes for spectators will open registration closer to the event.
The tournament also marks the launch of the Naroditsky Memorial and Fellowship Fund. The campaign aims to raise $4m (~£2.9m) to support two initiatives. The first seeks to establish the Naroditsky Memorial Blitz & Rapid Championship as an annual tournament. The second is the Naroditsky Fellowship, a scholarship program which aims to support young and talented chess players in the US.
Tournament Schedule and Formats
The event will feature multiple tournaments throughout the weekend, each with its own format.
Rapid is a medium-speed format that will kick off the event on July 3rd and will unfold through a seven-round Swiss format. The Masters section awards 150 U.S Chess Federation Grand Prix points and is a FIDE Circuit event. Time control is 10 minutes, with five seconds added after each move.
Blitz is a fast-paced format that will take place on July 4th, featuring an 11-round Swiss format. The time control is three minutes, with two seconds added for every move made. The top 10 players from the Masters division will qualify for the Blitz Final on July 5th.
The Blitz Final will pit the remaining players against one another in a single round-robin format, using the same time control rules. The winner of the Masters Blitz Final will receive $6,000 (~£4,490) in winnings.
July 5th will also host the Creator Invitational, where Chess influencers will go head-to-head in a single round-robin format. Time control format is the same as Blitz, with three-minute matches where two seconds are added for each move.
