Sixteen players began play in the Opera Euro Rapid last week, all looking to win the third tournament of the Champions Chess Tour. But, beyond bragging rights and tour points, there’s also a lot of money on the line.
The Opera Euro Rapid prize pool totals $100,000, with all 16 participants taking home at least some money. But how will the players divide up that money? Read on for the full details.
Opera Euro Rapid Winner Earns $30K
Most of the money sits at the top of the standings. The overall winner of the tournament will take home $30,000, with the runner up earning $15,000.
| Opera Euro Rapid Prize Pool | |
| Winner: $30,000 | Runner-Up: $15,000 |
| Third Place: $8,500 | Fourth Place: $6,500 |
| Quarterfinalists: $5,000 | Preliminaries: $2,500 |
The semifinal losers will play a third-place match, and that consolation contest comes with some money on the line. The third-place finisher will earn $8,500, compared to $6,500 for the player who comes in fourth.
Players who lose in the quarterfinals will take home $5,000 each. Finally, the eight players who bow out in the preliminaries win $2,500 each.
The Opera Euro Rapid prize pool is the same as in every “regular†tournament on the Champions Chess Tour. Major events double the prize pool to $200,000, and use a slightly different distribution, as only 12 players participate in those tournaments. The Tour Final will offer $300,000 to the qualifying players.
| Champions Chess Tour Money Leaders (After Two Events) |
| Teimour Radjabov: $65,000 |
| Levon Aronian: $45,000 |
| Wesley So: $40,000 |
| Maxime Vachier-Lagrave: $30,000 |
| Magnus Carlsen: $25,000 |
After the first two tournaments, Teimour Radjabov leads the Champions Chess Tour money list with $65,000 in earnings. Levon Aronian is second with $45,000, ahead of Wesley So with $40,000 in third.
