The $100,000 Opera Euro Rapid is the 3rd stage of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour and the 2nd Regular event. World Champion Magnus Carlsen and no. 3 Ding Liren head a 16-player field that includes Skilling Open winner Wesley So and Airthings Masters winner Teimour Radjabov.
A 3-day all-play-all preliminary stage will eliminate half the field before the remaining 8 play a knockout for the $30,000 top prize and Tour points. The top 8 players in the Tour standings after this event will automatically be invited back to the March Major.
Links: Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, chess24: Prelims, Knockout, Reports: Preview, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
The Meltwater Champions Chess Tour started in November 2020 and reached its conclusion in October 2021. The Tour featured monthly tournaments and culminated in a final, where Magnus Carlsen emerged as the winner of the 10-month-long event – and received the world’s first NFT chess trophy!
For the first time in history, the world’s best online chess player has been determined over a full competitive season of online chess—and due to its huge success, Tour 2022 will return in February!
