If you think of people flocking to a Dutch seaside town to see a sports competition, the Formula 1 crowds in Zandvoort might immediately jump to mind.
But the Noord-Holland village of Wijk aan Zee is currently crowded with people waiting to see a very different event.
It’s a prestigious sports tournament, all about precision and calculation, but it definitely has nothing to do with speed.
Is it a game? Is it a sport? It’s… chess
The super prestigious world-class event in question? Well, the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025, of course! Its 87th edition is taking place from January 17 until February 2, 2025.
If you feel deceived by the labelling of a chess competition as a sports event… take it up with the International Olympic Committee, not us. 🤷♀️
For those interested in chess, the tournament needs no introduction. It has a reputation for launching players to the top, and this year, the competition will be as strong as ever.
A dozen players will perform in the masters division, among which is also the current (and youngest ever) world champion, Gukesh Dommaraju.
Winners come and go, but sponsors are forever
For those not interested in chess, you might be wondering why the hell anyone cares enough about it to travel all the way to a small Dutch village.
The glamour of Wijk aan Zee aside, it could be the fact that the prize money for first place (although not publicly disclosed) tends to exceed €10,000. Or maybe it’s the desire to go to the beach in January, who knows. 🤔
Although this kind of money isn’t even that high for a chess prize fund, it still isn’t easy to come by.
READ MORE | 11 Dutch sports that are 100% weird (but wonderful)
This is where the infamous Dutch company Tata Steel steps in as the main sponsor of the event — hence the name of the tournament.
You may also know the company from the major court case against their CEO for environmental pollution in 2023 — so it’s probably in their best interest that chess comes up when you google their name.
They might be destroying the environment, but they know how to throw a good tournament. Tata Steel has been sponsoring the event for the past 87 years, making it one of the longest-lasting sports sponsorships in the world.
Tata Steel proves to us that anything is possible — if they can call their business practices sustainable, we can call a tournament where a bunch of people sit at a table for four hours a sports event!
Did you know this competition was taking place in the lowlands? Let us know in the comments!