From September 14 to 19, Budapest becomes the stage for six intense days of classical chess, norm chases and rising talents. This time, you will not just be watching: Fantasy SixDays is officially live on FomoChess.

Some tournaments ask you to watch.

SixDays Budapest asks players to survive nine classical games in six days — and now it asks you to predict who will handle the pressure best.

From September 14 to 19, the SixDays Budapest September Open Norm Edition brings together grandmasters, ambitious norm hunters and underrated talents inside the tournament hall of the Hungarian Chess Federation.

And for the first time, the event is coming to FomoChess.

Your mission?

Draft four players from the Open and two from the U2250, stay within the 600-coin budget and compete against hundreds of fantasy managers from around the world.

Six days. Nine rounds. Six picks.

Let's get into it.

🇭🇺 What Is SixDays Budapest?

Founded by FIDE Master and tournament organizer Miklós Halák, SixDays Budapest is a recurring tournament series created for players chasing GM and IM norms, international rating points and serious classical competition.

As the name suggests, the formula is intense: a complete tournament packed into six days, with several double-round days and very little time to recover from a difficult game.

The September Open Norm Edition will take place from September 14 to 19, 2026, at the tournament hall of the Hungarian Chess Federation, located at Falk Miksa utca 10 in central Budapest.

Both sections will be played over nine rounds, with a classical time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment from move one. The full schedule, regulations and practical information are available on the official SixDays website.

In other words: plenty of chess, plenty of pressure and plenty of opportunities for your fantasy team to make — or ruin — your week.

🔥 The Open: Where Norm Dreams Meet Grandmasters

The main section, officially called the Norm Swiss, is designed for players above 2200, with limited exceptions made to satisfy the tournament's norm requirements.

This is not just a strong open tournament with a fancy name. The entire field has been structured to create genuine opportunities for GM, IM, WGM and WIM norms.

The tournament is set to feature a field of more than 60 players, with at least eight Grandmasters guaranteed. It will also satisfy FIDE's foreign-player requirements for title norms.

The current Open entry list is led by GM Vitaliy Bernadskiy, rated above 2500, followed by a deep international field including:

  • IM Md Imran
  • IM Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy
  • GM Vitaly Sivuk
  • GM Vojtech Plat
  • GM Valeriy Aveskulov
  • IM Henry Edward Tudor
  • IM Sathvik Adiga
  • GM Gergely Aczel
  • GM Helgi Ass Gretarsson

And that is only the beginning.

The field is packed with experienced grandmasters, dangerous international masters and young players who are one great week away from making a serious jump.

For the players, a single result could be the difference between achieving a norm and going home empty-handed. For fantasy managers, it could be the difference between the podium and a painful scroll down the leaderboard.

🌱 The U2250: Don't Call Them Supporting Picks

Running alongside the Open is the U2250 tournament, reserved primarily for players rated between 1800 and 2250.

It may not have the same titles at the top of the starting list, but dismissing this group would be a major fantasy mistake.

The U2250 section gives improving players the chance to gain international rating points and test themselves over the same demanding six-day schedule. It will also consist of nine rounds, switching to a round-robin format if the final field contains ten players or fewer.

This is exactly the kind of category in which fantasy tournaments are often won.

A highly rated favorite may look like the safe choice, but a lower-priced player in great form can completely outperform expectations. One upset can change the standings. Two strong rounds can turn an overlooked pick into the most valuable player in the entire fantasy.

The big names will attract attention. The smart U2250 picks might win you the tournament.

📱 How Fantasy SixDays Works

If you have ever played fantasy football, you already know the feeling.

Fantasy SixDays is free to play on FomoChess. Instead of selecting footballers, you build a team of real chess players competing in Budapest.

For this event, your team must contain:

  • 4 players from the Open
  • 2 players from the U2250
  • A total budget of 600 coins

Every player has a different fantasy price, so you cannot simply select all the highest-rated names and hope for the best. You will need to manage your budget, decide where to invest and find the players who can deliver more than their price suggests.

Do you build your Open lineup around the top seed? Do you spread the budget across four balanced picks? Do you trust experience, current form or a young player chasing the tournament of their life?

Once the event begins, your players earn fantasy points through their real performances on the board. Wins, draws, upsets and clutch results all matter, while the dedicated SixDays leaderboard lets you follow your position throughout the tournament.

You are no longer checking only the top boards. Suddenly, a game between two players you had never followed before becomes the most important game of your afternoon.

That is the beauty of fantasy chess.

🧠 Where Will Fantasy SixDays Be Won?

With six players to draft across two sections, balance will be everything.

The Open gives you four slots, but also the most difficult financial decisions. Investing heavily in a favorite may give you a reliable source of points, but it could leave very little room for the rest of your lineup.

Ignoring rating completely is not the answer either. These are nine serious classical rounds, and consistency matters.

The real challenge is finding value.

  • Which International Master is ready to outperform the Grandmasters?
  • Which young player will arrive fearless?
  • Who can recover after a difficult double-round day?
  • Which two U2250 players will quietly carry hundreds of fantasy teams up the leaderboard?

The strongest team on paper will not necessarily be the best fantasy team. That is where your chess knowledge — and perhaps a little bit of instinct — comes in.

🚀 Hundreds of Teams Are Already In

Fantasy SixDays has only just arrived, but the competition has already started.

Hundreds of teams have already been created on FomoChess, with managers making their first big decisions before a single move has been played in Budapest.

Some will follow the ratings. Some will hunt for hidden gems. Some will pick entirely on instinct and somehow end up beating everyone.

There is still time to join them, but once the pieces start moving, every missed round becomes a missed opportunity.

Download FomoChess, open the SixDays event and draft your six-player lineup before the tournament begins. Then sit back, follow the games and discover whether you really understand the field better than everyone else.

👀 How to Follow the Tournament

The first round begins on September 14 at 16:00 local time, followed by nine rounds across six days. Double rounds are scheduled on September 15, 16 and 18, with the final round taking place on September 19.

You can find tournament information, the complete playing schedule and the official regulations on the SixDays Budapest website.

Pairings, standings and results will be available through the official Chess-Results pages:

Games and event coverage can also be followed through the tournament's official Chess.com and Lichess broadcast links as they go live.

SixDays is also more than a one-off tournament. Further editions are already scheduled in Budapest, including another event from September 20 to 25, followed by tournaments in November 2026 and January 2027. Players looking for norms, rating opportunities or six days of serious classical chess can keep an eye on the official SixDays calendar.

🎯 Now It's Your Move

The players are preparing for nine rounds of classical chess. The fantasy managers are already building their lineups. And somewhere among those hundreds of teams, someone is about to make six very good decisions.

Will it be you?

Download FomoChess, draft four Open players and two U2250 players with your 600 coins, and join Fantasy SixDays before the first round begins.

Don't just follow the norm chase. Become part of it.