---
title: "Invitational tournament in chess"
url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/invitational-tournament.md"
canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/invitational-tournament"
last_updated: "2026-11-07"
type: "reference"
summary: "An invitational tournament is an event where the organizer chooses the participants. In an invitational, someone decides who plays."
related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/open-tournament.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/round-robin.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/double-round-robin.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/norm.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/candidates-tournament.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tournaments-ratings-titles.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"]
---

# Invitational tournament in chess

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An invitational tournament is an event where the organizer chooses the participants. In an invitational, someone decides who plays.

An invitational tournament is an event where the organizer chooses the participants, so entry depends on an invitation instead of a registration form and an entry fee.

In an invitational, someone decides who plays. Organizers typically pick a small field by rating, recent results, name recognition or a mix, and they usually cover travel and offer appearance fees or a prize fund. The format favors [round robins](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/round-robin.md), because with a small field every game is a main event. Invitations are common at the top: elite events, tournaments for rising juniors and matches between a few chosen rivals.

For a rising player, an invitation brings stronger [opposition](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opposition.md) than an open event, along with the benefit of a stable schedule and a controlled setting. For title seekers, the Handbook's norm rules apply in the same way as elsewhere, so an invitational still has to meet the requirements on opponent mix and registration.

FIDE publishes a model invitation agreement whose schedule lists the timetable, travel, accommodation, food costs, prize money and appearance fees, and which allows withdrawal only for ill health or the bereavement of a close relative. If you hope for invitations, results and consistent online and over-the-board activity help. See [open tournament](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/open-tournament.md), round robin and [double round robin](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/double-round-robin.md).

Also called: invitational.

Rating and title terms like "Invitational tournament" matter once you know your next step, and the [improvement plans by rating band](https://georgelichess.com/improve.md) set out a weekly routine for each rating range.

## Related terms

- [Open tournament](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/open-tournament.md)
- [Round robin](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/round-robin.md)
- [Double round robin](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/double-round-robin.md)
- [Norm](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/norm.md)
- [Candidates Tournament](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/candidates-tournament.md)

## Guides that go further

- [Chess ratings explained](https://georgelichess.com/chess-ratings-explained.md): What a rating measures, how FIDE, Lichess, US Chess and chess.com compute theirs, and why the numbers differ.
- [FIDE chess titles](https://georgelichess.com/titles.md): How the Candidate Master, FIDE Master, International Master and Grandmaster titles are earned, with every Handbook clause.
- [How to get a FIDE rating](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-get-a-fide-rating.md): The Handbook rules for a first FIDE rating: five rated games, the 1400 floor, the two 1800 draws and a worked example.

## Sources

- FIDE Handbook C.03 Guidelines for Tournament Invitation Agreement (The Schedule, items 1 to 8), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/C03

[Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com.

## Related

- [Open tournament in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/open-tournament.md)
- [Round robin in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/round-robin.md)
- [Double round robin in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/double-round-robin.md)
- [Norm in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/norm.md)
- [Candidates Tournament in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/candidates-tournament.md)
- [Chess terms: Tournaments, ratings and titles](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tournaments-ratings-titles.md)
- [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)