The Charlotte Chess Center Foundation (CCCF) has officially announced the First Naroditsky Memorial Rapid and Blitz (NMRB) tournament, set to take place in the heart of downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, from July 3–5, 2026.
Boasting a guaranteed $50,000 total prize fund, the event will serve as a major hub for both elite professional competition and the wider chess community, awarding coveted FIDE Circuit and US Chess Grand Prix Points.
The three-day festival is uniquely designed to bridge the gap between world-class players, the vibrant online chess creator community, and local enthusiasts. Hosted at the beautiful Charlotte Marriott City Center, the tournament is completely open to players of all ratings, featuring both a Masters section (for players rated 2200+ USCF/FIDE or holding FM/WFM titles) and a Challengers section.
Honoring a Modern Chess Icon: Daniel Naroditsky
The tournament holds a special significance as it is named in honor of Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky. Known to fans worldwide as “Danya,” Naroditsky has uniquely shaped the modern chess landscape. He stands as a rare bridge in the community, a world-class grandmaster capable of battling elite players at the highest levels, combined with an extraordinary gift for chess commentary and education. Through his lucid, high-speed instructional videos, engaging streaming content, and deeply insightful commentary on global events, Naroditsky has demystified grandmaster-level thinking for millions of casual players. Naming this festival after him perfectly reflects its core mission: celebrating high-level chess mastery while keeping the sport accessible, educational, and profoundly entertaining for everyone.
The festival’s structure is built around four main events spread across the weekend:
- Friday, July 3 (Rapid Championship): A 7-round Swiss event played at a G/10+5 time control. The tournament features a $15,000 rapid prize fund, with a $3,000 first prize plus a $500 winner’s bonus.
- Saturday, July 4 (Blitz Championship): An 11-round Swiss event at a G/3+2 time control. Players will compete for a share of a $25,000 blitz prize pool ($6,000 for 1st place plus a $500 bonus). Crucially, the top 10 finishers in the Masters section will qualify for Sunday’s grand finale.
- Sunday, July 5 (The Sunday Finals): Sunday is designed as a spectator-friendly showcase. It features the Creator Invitational, a 10-player single round-robin featuring popular personalities like IM Levy Rozman, WFM Alexandra Botez, IM Sagar Shah, and IM Eric Rosen. This will be followed immediately by the Blitz Finals, where Saturday’s top 10 Masters face off in an elite round-robin to crown the ultimate champion.
All registered tournament players will receive complimentary spectator access to Sunday’s events, allowing them to watch the world’s best players and their favorite content creators live and in person.
Top Players to Watch: GM Hikaru Nakamura 2838 USA, GM Fabiano Caruana 2792 USA, GM Javokhir Sindarov 2777 UZB, GM Wesley So 2772 USA, GM Leinier Dominguez 2732 USA, GM Olexandr Bortnyk 2708 UKR, GM Sam Sevian 2701 USA, GM Awonder Liang 2696 USA, GM Aravindh Chithambaram 2677 IND, GM Grigoriy Oparin 2670 USA, GM Ray Robson 2659 USA etc
The entire event will be staged at the Charlotte Marriott City Center (100 W Trade Street, Charlotte, NC 28202). The host venue, along with nearby partnering hotels like the Omni Charlotte and the Grand Bohemian Charlotte, are offering specialized group rates for attendees.
