This also seems to apply to Tata’s flagship, the world-famous chess tournament Tata Steel Chess, which is held annually in Wijk aan Zee. The tournament continues, but if you look closely, you will see that budget cuts have also taken their toll in this chess party.
Glad that the chess tradition is being continued in IJmond
David Selier, Communication Manager Tata Steel Chess Tournament, confirms that the cutbacks have not affected the 2025 edition of the tournament. “We are very happy that we have been able to organize a tournament again this year, that the tradition is being maintained despite the headwinds. It is already the 87th time that we have organized the tournament, only in 1945 it did not take place once. “
In 1938, a chess tournament was organized for the first time in the IJmond, which was then called the Hoogovenchess Tournament.
Cut back on the frills
Yet this year, for the first time in a long time, action has been taken. Selier says that the traditional opening party on the Friday before the tournament has been canceled. The party was usually held at Tata’s head office and it was the opportunity for the sponsor to proudly receive the relations and entertain them with a snack and a drink.
The draw for the chess tournament took place at that party. The party has been cut back and the draw has been moved to Saturday January 18, the day on which the first official games are also played.
No Tata Chess On Tour
The Chess On Tour section has also been discontinued. A painful choice because for ten years it was a part of which the organization was very proud. In Chess On Tour, the entire chess circus was moved for a day from Wijk aan Zee to a special outdoor location to play a round of the match. The idea was to bring even more people into contact with the sport of chess. For the sponsor Tata, this part naturally provided more than local positive exposure.
The first edition of Chess On Tour took place in 2014. A tournament round was played in the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam. Last year, the last Chess On Tour edition was held in the AFAS Circustheater in The Hague.
No football Grandmasters
Another part of the Tata Steel Chess side program that will not take place is the traditional football match in the Telstar stadium. For years it had been customary for the chess grandmasters to play a game of football against the Telstar selection on the first day of rest.
Not the most expensive part of the program, you might say, and that seems to be true. According to David Selier of the organization, this is not a cutback. “Every year it took more effort to get the chess players enthusiastic about the match. Most of them prefer to spend their rest day preparing for the game that is on the program.”
According to Selier, only the Norwegian chess player Magnus Carlsen was really fanatical when it came to the football match. Carlsen is not there this year, so there will be no football.
Chess activities will continue
But despite the cuts in frills, the vast majority of chess activities continue as usual. During the second half of January, Wijk aan Zee is the chess capital of the world and it is certainly worth taking time for a visit to the village for enthusiasts.
An impressive list of grandmasters will take part in the main tournament, but there are also plenty of options for serious amateurs. On the tournament website you will find an overview of the possibilities.