Diving Chess World Championship 2026 to be held on 16–17 May in Poland

by Rasika Ratnaparkhi - 27/04/2026

What if every chess move had to be made before you ran out of breath? That’s exactly the world of Diving Chess. The game is played in a swimming pool, where players dive underwater to make their moves. It is an interesting format that tests both physical endurance and chess calculation under challenging conditions. This year, the Diving Chess World Championship 2026 will take place on 16–17 May in Poland. Good news for Indians is that GM Harshit Raja will also be taking part in the event. Read the full article to discover more about Diving Chess. Photo: Officials

Sink or think!

Chess players are used to pressure. The ticking clock, the tension of the position, the fight to find the best move. But imagine a situation where a player has to make a move before they ran out of breath. That’s exactly what Diving Chess is all about. It’s chess, but played underwater! As the name suggests, it brings a completely different kind of challenge to the game.

If you are new to the format, here is how it works. A chessboard is placed at the bottom of a swimming pool, usually around 1.2 to 1.5 meters deep. There is no chess clock. Instead, your time is your breath. Each player dives down, makes a move, and comes back up, all in a single breath. If you come up without making a move, you lose the game. And as soon as one player surfaces, the other has to dive down immediately!

Trying to finish the move before running out of breath.

This format also has a World Championship event. It is one of the exciting events in the chess world. Players are tested not only on their calculation skills, but also on their ability to stay calm and composed underwater for as long as possible. This format was discovered in 2012 by Etan Ilfeld, a National Master and CEO of the Mind Sports Olympiad. His idea was to make chess more physically engaging while still keeping its core intact.

A look back at last year’s Diving Chess World Championship. From left to right, you can see Josephine Damen (Women’s Champion), Michel Timmer (Second runner-up), Zyon Kollen (Men's Champion), Jurrian de Graaf (First runner-up), Etan Ilfeld (Diving Chess inventor) and Govert B. Pelikaan (Groningen Chess Festival Organizer).

I spoke with Michał Mazurkiewicz, one of the leading names in this format, to understand more about the Championship and how it has evolved over the years. For him, the journey into diving chess was unexpected. During the pandemic, he suffered a serious back injury that kept him away from sports for months. He had to give up football and swimming became a part of his recovery. That is when he first heard about the Polish Diving Chess Championship. He had been playing chess since childhood, had a scuba diving certification, and was a regular swimmer. "It felt like the discipline was created for me," he said. He decided to give it a try and ended up winning the tournament.

Michał later got in touch with Etan Ilfeld and was invited to compete at the Diving Chess World Championship in London. He went on to win the World Championship three times in a row! He also set a Guinness World Record and has been actively involved in promoting the sport across the globe.

Michał Mazurkiewicz won the Diving World Chess Championship in 2024.

Michał also gave a simul to 16 players. Imagine the challenges of an underwater simul!

Officially in the record books!

The Championship itself has grown steadily over the years. More recently, a special mini-event held in Cape Town during the Freestyle Chess Finals brought even more attention to diving chess. Hans Niemann, Fabiano Caruana, Javokhir Sindarov, and Vidit Gujrathi tried their hand at Diving chess.

Hans Niemann, Fabiano Caruana, Javokhir Sindarov, and Vidit Gujrathi exploring Diving Chess. | Video: ChessBase India

Hans Niemann defeated former Diving Chess World Champion Michal Mazurkiewicz. | Video: ChessBase India

Interestingly, as Michał points out, diving chess is not trying to become a mainstream sport. Instead, it is meant to remain a fun and challenging variation of the game. And perhaps that is what makes it so appealing. We have already seen how exciting chess becomes when combined with other disciplines. Take Chessboxing, for example. Such formats bring interesting twists to the game!

Diving Chess World Championship 2026

The next chapter of this unique format will unfold in Poland. The Diving Chess World Championship 2026 is set to take place on 16–17 May in Polland.

Official poster of the Diving Chess World Championship 2026.

Tournament details:

Dates: 16-17th May.

Venue: Tarnowskie Termy, Tarnowo Podgórne, Poznań County, Poland.

Total participants: 72, divided into three qualifying groups.

Rounds: 4. The final will feature 18 players, fighting it out over 5 rounds.

Prize fund: 30,000 PLN, with rewards for the top 12 finishers.

Entry fee: 200 PLN (includes full access to the venue on both days)

Things allowed: Goggles, nose clips.

Things not allowed: Diving masks or breathing equipment.

Eligible age: 16 years and above

Registration Timeline

Phase 1: Last date is 30 April 2026. Selected players then have 7 days to pay and confirm.

Phase 2 (if places remain): From 7 May 2026. Places allocated strictly by order of registration and payment.

Final participant list will be published on 14 May 2026. Check out the official website for more details.

Contact details for interested players. | Photo: Official website

This year, GM Harshit Raja is going to participate in the Diving Chess World Championship. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to this unique format. | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club

If you think clearly under pressure and can keep your nerves steady underwater, this might just be your kind of tournament!

Register now

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