As a Texas Highways webpage states, you can travel the world in Texas. For example, see an Eiffel Tower with a cowboy hat in Paris, Texas. Or meet chess players from many countries at Texas tournaments, such as the recently completed Southwest Class Championships or the upcoming Paris Public Library tournament.
Free Entry Fees, Guaranteed Prizes, and Norms
The Master section of the 17th annual Southwest Class Championships, held February 12–16, 2026, encouraged participation by international (“foreign”) chess players. In addition to free entry fees, each “foreign GM” got a minimum prize of $800, while “foreign IMs/WGMs” got a minimum of $400 each.
The organizer, Continental Chess Association, incentivized international players so that Master section competitors had better chances to achieve norms. Two Southwest Class Championships successes: A GM norm for IM Eric Chang Liu (USA) and a WGM norm for WIM Rachael Li (USA). For a nine-round tournament like this Master section, FIDE norm regulations state, “A maximum of 3/5 of the opponents may come from the applicant’s federation and a maximum of 2/3 of the opponents from one federation.”
International, yet Texan
Several of the international players in the Master section live in Texas. In round 1, GM Gleb Dudin (Hungary) played Brian Jeremiah Tineo Rodriguez (Dominican Republic). Dudin attends The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, which has a championship-winning chess team.
Tineo is a Fort Worth resident, who won the title of Fort Worth Champion in 2024. Dudin won their game with a pretty combination.
In the last round, on Board 1, Dudin lost to his UTRGV teammate, GM Jose Gabriel Cardoso Cardoso (Columbia), who then tied for first place with Liu. Results of the Master section, as well as the other sections, are at this link.
Library Chess Tournament
On March 10, 2026, Paris Public Library, in Paris, Texas, will host a non-rated, free chess tournament. While it’s unknown how many international players will participate, the tournament director will be a top junior player from Honduras, Jorge Alberto Moreno Moncada.
