Selection Criteria for Japan National Team for Chess Olympiad 2024 Onwards

0.Purpose of Revision

 

In January 2020, Japan Chess Federation established “Selection Criteria for Japan National Team for Chess Olympiad 2022 Onwards.”  However, due to a series of cancellations of tournaments for the selection due to the COVID-19, the selection for the 2022 Chennai Olympiad was based on the “Selection Criteria for Japan National Team for Chess Olympiad 2022,” which was specially revised.

In consideration of recent tournaments, the selection criteria for the 2024 Olympiad and beyond have been restored to the original criteria (Japan champions of the past two years plus rating order), and some of the following points have been revised based on changes in the environment and players’ opinions.

  • The timing of the selection of representatives was moved up to six months before the Olympiad.
  • The criteria for participation in official FIDE tournaments was revised from three times in the past year to three times in the past two years.

 

1.Conditions for Selection

 

Players eligible for selection shall meet all of the following conditions.

 

(1) Must be an annual member of Japan Chess Federation

(2) For those who have transferred their FIDE nationality from abroad to Japan, at least 2 years have passed since they became a Japanese Chess player as of the first day of the month in which the Olympiad is held.

(3) Participated (note 1) in at least three official Japan Chess Federation Standard tournaments, including at least one Grade-1 tournament (note 2), in the past one year (note 3).

(4) Participated (note 1) in at least 3 FIDE Standard Tournaments (both domestic and international) in the past two years (note 4).

 

(Note 1) “Participation” means playing at least the number of rounds of games that will enable the player to win a prize in the tournament.

(Note 2) “Grade 1 tournaments” are the Japan Chess Championship, Japan Chess Classic, Japan Open, and Japan Women’s Chess Championship.

(Note 3) “Past one year” is defined as the period from January to December of the year before the Olympiad.

(Note 4) “Past two years” is defined as the two years from January two years before the Olympiad to December of the year before the Olympiad.

 

2.Selection Criteria

 

From among the players who have fulfilled the selection requirements, five Open and five Women’s Olympiad Japan representatives will be selected according to the following criteria.

(1) Two Japan Chess Champions for the past two years, and two Japan Women’s Chess Champions for the past two years (only one player if the same person won for two years; for the 2024 Olympiad, this means the champions of 2022 and 2023).

(2) Five players, including players by (1), to be selected in descending order of the total standard rating of FIDE:JCF = 7:3 (Ratings will be based on the rating list published in January of the year of the Olympiad).

 

Japan Chess Federation will confirm in advance the willingness of the candidates for selection to participate, select 5 each for open and women’s competitions according to the above criteria for those who are willing to participate, deliberate whether they are suitable to represent Japan, and decide on the representative players in January of the year of the Olympiad. The board order shall be left to the discretion of the national coaches.