Attend the Stephen Sosnick Memorial Chess Festival!
Meet a Grandmaster, attend a workshop and play chess.
April 10 - 12, 2026
UC Davis Conference Center
2026 Chess Festival
On the weekend of April 10-12, 2026, we will host the 5th Annual Stephen Sosnick Memorial Chess Festival at UC Davis!
Events will include a lecture and simultaneous exhibition by GM Joel Benjamin on Friday evening, a 5-round USCF-rated tournament on Saturday, and a 7-round USCF-rated tournament on Sunday, with game commentary and analysis by GM Joel Benjamin.
The event is open to players of all ages and abilities, including both students and non-students.
Advanced registration is required.
Food trucks will be on-site each day, with lunch available for purchase between 11:15 am and 1:00 pm (vegetarian options will be available).
Read about previous years' festivals.
The festival is hosted by Sosnick Chess, the Chess Club at UC Davis, and the Davis Scholastic Chess Club.
Learn more about Davis, California.
Easily reach the tournament by train! Take the train from Richmond, South Bay/Oakland Coliseum, or Fremont and enjoy a short walk from the station to the event.
About Stephen Sosnick
Stephen Sosnick was a Professor of Agricultural Economics at UC Davis from 1957 until 2014. He was a lifelong chess enthusiast, earning an Expert ranking of 2174, and was a founding member of the Davis Chess Club as well as a City of Davis Chess Champion.
This Chess Festival was established in 2021 to honor his legacy and to promote the game he loved.
About GM Joel Benjamin
Grandmaster Joel Benjamin became the youngest national master at age 13, breaking the record previously held by Bobby Fischer. He went on to win the U.S. Championship on three occasions and competed on six U.S. Olympiad teams. He was the official grandmaster consultant for IBM’s Deep Blue computer, which defeated World Champion Garry Kasparov in 1997. Order his latest book here.