Arsenal to host prestigious Markets London Chess Classic either side of Manchester United's visit
Today at 11:54 AM
Arsenal will host the nine-day London Chess Classic in November and December.
The Gunners play Manchester United at home on Wednesday December 4 in the Premier League, but the Emirates will be the venue for the chess tournament either side of the fixture.
The London Chess Classic runs from Friday 29 November to Saturday 7 December and will have a capacity of 400 fans.
It is also broadcast online for chess lovers who can't make it in person.
The chess fans will come through the Dial Square entrance, which is located on the south side of the stadium.
The London Chess Classic is the most prestigious tournament in the UK chess calendar and attracts top grandmasters from around the world.
This is the 14th edition of the competition, and the winner can earn £50,000.
Spectator tickets are £15 per day, with a season ticket for all seven days of play costing £60.
The Emirates has hosted a range of events since its opening in 2006.
Last summer it hosted the Arctic Monkey's The Car Tour, with fans in the seats and standing on a covered Emirates pitch.
The Killers, Coldplay, Green Day and Kaiser Chiefs have all previously played there.
It was also one of the Rugby League World Cup in 2022 venues and hosted England’s semi-final defeat to Samoa.
Arsenal are away to West Ham on the day after tournament begins.
They then host Man United mid-week, a day that will see the chess competition pause.
The Gunners travel to Fulham on December 8, the day after the chess tournament ends.
Arsenal are currently third in the Premier League table but will hope to have closed the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City by the time the tournament rolls around.
That starts this weekend when the Reds visit the Emirates, but the Gunners will be dealing with a depleted squad.
“We're going to do our very best to somehow have them available,” Mikel Arteta said on injury worries Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber. “It’s very uncertain.”
On Calafiori specifically, he added: “He needs some more tests. Yesterday he had some, today he's going to have some more.
“Last time we thought it was really bad and then he ended up playing two days later.”
As for Saka, the Gunners boss added: “He's done a bit of training on the grass.
“How far we can get him before Sunday is another question. We will see.”
