Veselin Topalov is heading to southern France this August for the inaugural Apogee Chess Festival in Caissargues, near Nîmes. The event runs August 22-30, 2026, blending competitive chess with the region's cultural attractions.
IM Silvia Alexieva organized the festival around two FIDE-rated open sections and a €26,000 prize fund. Topalov, the former world champion, will headline with a simultaneous exhibition staged near the Maison Carrée, one of France's best-preserved Roman temples.
This is the festival's first edition, positioning it as a venue for serious competitive play anchored by a marquee name and bolstered by legitimate prize money. The location matters too. Caissargues sits in the heart of Occitanie, a region steeped in medieval and Roman history. The organizers clearly want to draw players who value more than ratings and rating points. Combine a solid prize fund with Topalov's presence and the cultural draw of Nîmes, and you have the skeleton of an event that could become a regular stop on the European circuit.
The setup suggests ambition. Topalov's sim will pull casual interest. The open sections will attract serious players grinding for rating gains. If the inaugural runs smoothly, expect Alexieva to expand the format and build on what could become a destination tournament.