Entertainment Props

Biel International Chess Festival 2018 Betting Odds

Written by Jim Murphy

–Chess is a surprisingly popular game among bettors–particularly in Europe.

–Hou Yifan won this tournament in 2017 but isn’t in the field this year

–Maxime Vachier-Lagrave won this event four straight years from 2013 to 2016.

This is the 51st Annual Biel International Chess Festival held in Biel/Bienne Switzerland. The Biel event has a very small but top heavy field led by defending World Champion Magnus Carlsen.

The Biel International Chess Festival has two primary competitive events. The oldest is the Master Open Tournament which dates back to 1968. The Grandmaster Tournament was added in 1977 and is the focal point of the festival. The odds below are for the Grandmaster Tournament which has come to completely overshadow the Masters Open. There are three previous winners in the 2018 Biel International Chess Festival Grandmasters Tournament Field. Magnus Carlsen is a two time winner, winning in 2007 and 2011. Peter Svidler won this tournament in 2000. The most dominant player in the history of the Grandmasters Tournament, however, is Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France who is a five time winner. Maxime won his first Biel Grandmasters Tournament crown in 2009 and after a three year drought essentially made the event his own. He won the Grandmasters Tournament in four consecutive years from 2013 to 2016 inclusive. Another notable entrant into this field is Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, currently ranked #3 in the world. With so much talent at the top of the field it doesn’t leave the other two competitors–David Navara and Nico Georgiadis–with much of a chance ‘on paper’ and the odds reflect this.

The Grandmasters Tournament begins on July 22 and will run through August 1. Below are the odds to win the Biel Chess Festival Grandmasters Tournament and we’ll add some matchups and prop bets later in the week:

2018 BIEL INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL BETTING ODDS

TO WIN 2018 BIEL INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL

Magnus Carlsen: -250
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave: +350
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov: +500
Peter Svidlar: +750
David Navara: +2500
Nico Georgiadis: +20000

TO FINISH TOP TWO 2018 BIEL INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL

Magnus Carlsen: -150
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave: +125
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov: +250
Peter Svidlar: +300
David Navara: +1250
Nico Georgiadis: +10000

About the Author: Jim Murphy

For more than 25 years, Jim Murphy has written extensively on sports betting as well as handicapping theory and practice. Jim Murphy has been quoted in media from the Wall Street Journal to REASON Magazine. Murphy worked as a radio and podcasting host broadcasting to an international audience that depended on his expertise and advice. Murphy is an odds making consultant for sports and 'non-sport novelty bets' focused on the entertainment business, politics, technology, financial markets and more.