Japan Senior Chess Championship 2026

Tournament Regulations

Tournament overview

Tournament Name: Japan Senior Chess Championship 2026

Date: Sunday, July 19, 2026 – Monday (Holiday), July 20, 2026

Venue: Shinagawa Ward General Kumin Hall “Curian” [Access Information]

5-18-1 Higashi-Oi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
2 min walk from Oimachi Station on JR Keihin-Tohoku Line, Tokyu Oimachi Line & Rinkaisen

- Format: 6-Round Swiss tournament, 45min+30sec/move, National Standard Rated
- Eligibility: Japan Chess Federation annual members who are aged 50 or older as of December 31, 2026 (born in or before 1976).

Entry Fee: Japan Chess Federation Annual Member: 7,000yen (tax included)
*See Registration section for details

Tournament capacity: 50 players

Registration: Purchase tickets through [ Peatix ]

Registration Period: From 12:30 on May 26, 2026 to 23:59 on July 11, 2026
Organizer: Japan Chess Federation
Contact: japanchess.info@gmail.com

Schedule

Sunday, July 19, 2026　
09:40 – 10:10　Check-in
10:10　Opening Ceremony
10:30　Round 1
14:00　Round 2
17:00　Round 3
Monday (Holiday), July 20, 2026　
09:30　Round 4
13:00　Round 5
16:00　Round 6
19:00　Prize Giving

Registration

Purchase tickets through [ Peatix ]

Japan Chess Federation Annual Member: 7,000yen (tax included) (Limit: 50)

Notes Regarding Registration:

If you are not currently a member of the Japan Chess Federation, you must first purchase a ticket via Peatix and promptly complete the membership registration process. Current members must ensure that their membership remains valid through the final day of the tournament. If necessary, please renew your membership in advance.
If the membership registration or renewal process is not completed by July 05, 2026 (14 days before the tournament), your entry will be canceled. In such cases, the participation fee will be fully refunded.
The Japan Chess Federation reserves the right to make the final decision regarding eligibility.

Notes After Registration:

After purchasing a ticket, your entry will be reflected on Chess-Results within about one week. Players whose membership registration or renewal has not been completed will not be listed.
On the day of the tournament, you will be required to present the QR code displayed on your Peatix e-ticket. Ensure in advance that the QR code is displayed correctly.

Waiting List ticket:

A “Waiting List Ticket” will be sold at the same price along with the normal “Ticket” on Peatix.
A “Waiting List Ticket” may be purchased only when regular tickets have sold out due to capacity being reached. If a cancellation occurs, participation will be offered to waitlist ticket holders in the order of purchase, and the amount paid will be applied to the entry fee. When participation becomes available, a notification will be sent to the registered email address.
Waitlist arrangements will be handled up to July 13, 2026 (6 days before the tournament).
If the turn on the waiting list does not come up, the full purchase price will be refunded.

Cancellation Policy:

If you wish to cancel your participation in the tournament, you must notify us via email at japanchess.info@gmail.com.

Cancellations made by 23:59 on Saturday July 12, 2026 (7 days before the tournament):
- If the tournament has not reached full capacity – Full refund
- If the tournament has reached full capacity – No refund
Cancellations made on or after Sunday July 13, 2026 (6 days before the tournament):
- No refund under any circumstances
- If the tournament is canceled due to natural disasters or organizer-related reasons, alternative measures will be considered.

*Please check the ticket sales status on Peatix to confirm whether the event has reached capacity. Once capacity is reached, the ticket will be marked as “Sold Out.” Please note that no refunds will be issued if the ticket is marked as “Sold Out” at the time of cancellation, even if it was not marked as such when you previously checked.

*All refunds will be processed according to Peatix’s regulations.

Awards

The title of the Japan Senior Chess Champion shall be awarded only to the highest-ranked Japan chess nationalities player.

Plaques for top three finishers, certificates for 4th and 5th finishers.
Certificates for the top three finishers in the 65 and over (O65) age group respectively, with a plaque for first place.
Tiebreakers will be used to determine the standings.
The top two finishers among Japanese chess nationalities will qualify for the Japan Chess Championships 2027.
This tournament will also serve as the selection event for Japan’s representatives and invited players for international tournaments until the next Japan Senior Chess Championship.

Tournament Details

Tournament Rules

Pairing:

The starting order will be determined with reference to the National Standard Rating. In case of equality, the order will be determined by title and then by the player’s name (alphabetical order). The rating list published in July 2026 will be used.
Pairings will be conducted using Swiss-Manager and will follow the Swiss tournament.
Pairings for Round 1 shall be made and published between 18:00 and 24:00 on the day preceding the tournament.
If a player who has not completed on-site registration on the day of the tournament without prior notice fails to inform the organizer of their intention to continue participating by the end of all games in Round 1, that player may be disqualified and removed from the tournament.

Tie-breaks:

Tie-breaks will be applied in the following order:
1. Direct Encounter
2. Buchholz Cut-1
3. Buchholz
4. Sonneborn-Berger
5. Sum of the ratings of the opponents
6. Drawing of lots.

Byes:

Pre-registered Byes: Bye requests must be submitted via the Bye Request Form by 18:00 on the day before the tournament. Pre-declared byes will be awarded 0.5 point; however, byes in the final 2 rounds and any byes declared after the deadline shall be scored as 0 points. Players with 2 or more declared byes will not be eligible for awards.
Pairing-allocated bye will be one point.
For Bye requests or cancellations after the deadline on the day before the tournament, please contact japanchess.info@gmail.com. If a player missed the prior round without a Bye report, and does not contact the above address by email before the pairings of the next round is published, he/she will be disqualified and will be excluded from the tournament.
If cancellation, see detail at “Cancellation Policy” above.

Default Time:

If any player is not present within 10 min after the game starts, she/he shall lose the game by default. The game is not rated. If a player loses a game by default without prior notice, the player may be declared to have lost all subsequent games by default.
If a player loses by forfeit without prior notice and fails to inform the organizer of their intention to continue participating by the end of all games in that round, the player may be disqualified and removed from the tournament.

Electronic devices:

All electronic devices including smartphones, tablets or smartwatches must be turned off and stored away. Players are not allowed to keep it on him/her or take it outside of the venue in a bag. When a player breaks these rules, his/her game shall be immediately lost. Since the game is not a forfeit, ratings will be adjusted accordingly.
Players who must carry a mobile phone or other electronic device during a game due to unavoidable circumstances shall submit a request by email to japanchess.info@gmail.com at the time of registration, stating the reason. Possession will be permitted only upon approval by the organizer after due consideration.
Observers and players who have completed their games are prohibited from using any electronic devices within the playing venue, except at designated times.

Notes on Games:

Players must use clocks, chess sets, and score sheets provided by the organizer.
Players are required to record the game accurately on the score sheet until the end of the game.
After the game, both players shall verify the result recorded on the score sheet, sign it, and report the result to the arbiter.
The tournament will follow FIDE rules unless otherwise stated above.

Notes on Awards:

Prizes or prize money will not be awarded to winners who are absent from the award ceremony, unless prior approval has been obtained from the staff. If the organizer arranges delivery of prizes or prize money to a winner by mail or other means, the associated costs may be charged to the winner.

Media Related Rules

The tournament results will be posted on the Internet (chess-results.com) for reporting purposes. The game record may also be published on the Internet. Participants agree to the publication of their real names, results, and game records.
The organizer will take photos, record videos, and broadcast the event live. These may be published and used in media such as websites, SNS, video sites, and journals managed by Japan Chess Federation, or provided to the mass media in case of interviews. Participants shall agree to the publication and live broadcast of these photos and videos.
Observers are allowed to take photos for the first 10 minutes of each round. No photos are allowed after 10 minutes, except for the case with special permission.

Individuals who wish to use photos or videos of participants (during games, award ceremonies, etc.) must be careful to protect their privacy. In addition to obtaining comprehensive consent in advance, for example, in the case of minors, the permission of their guardians must be obtained, and due consideration must be given to the protection of personal information and portrait rights.

Miscellaneous

The organizer reserves the right for changing the above rules with adequate reason before and during the tournament. Due to the spread of infectious diseases or other unforeseeable circumstances, the organizer may be compelled to make unavoidable changes to the time control or cancel the tournament.
Please ensure that you can receive emails from the Japan Chess Federation (japanchess.info@gmail.com). Inquiries regarding eligibility and other matters sent from this address must be answered promptly. Failure to respond may result in cancellation of participation.

If a player has a high temperature or is feeling sick, the player must tell the staff and get out of the venue immediately. If the organizer determines that the player is sick, the organizer may order the player to get out.

Players may put on their masks at their own disposal. Even in cases where the player does not have a bad physical condition,the participants may be asked to wear a new mask if they have symptoms such as coughing or sneezing due to hay fever or other allergies.