How to disable the close (X) button on Google Chrome tabs?

at least I can not see the 'x' when i opened 20 tabs, except for active tab... but that said: no, there is no way of hiding the 'x' except grabbing chromium and changing the source code yourself.

You can alternatively use the Vivaldi browser. It is also based on Chromium just like Chrome. It contains all the features that Chrome does plus a lot more.

Vivaldi includes a setting that removes the cross button from the tabs, it also has a built-in Notes system (so you can keep making personal notes while surfing), and all Chrome extensions work with Vivaldi. Most of all they have a great community that actually listen to your feedback.

I switched from Chrome to Vivaldi and never looked back.