Norway Chess is the promoter behind a new Total Chess World Championship Tour, a season-format chess championship that stages four annual tournaments in different world cities. The tour combines three chess disciplines—Fast Classic, rapid and blitz—with a minimum combined prize pool of $2.7 million. The concept has been approved by FIDE for at least 16 years and is being positioned as a season-long championship, with a pilot tournament planned for November 2026 and a full season from 2027. Kjell Madland is the company's founder and CEO. Norway Chess has recently attracted high-profile sports investors, including Erling Braut Haaland (via Chess Mates) and other athletes and business figures, and is using new financing to develop and launch the tour.

Total raised

$11M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

May 2026