Japan Chess Championship 2025 -The 26th Argentina Cup-

Regulations

Dates/Venue/Format

Date(s): Fri, 2 May 2025 – Tue (Holiday), 6 May 2025
Venue: Shinagawa Ward General Kumin Hall “Curian”
5-18-1 Higashi-Oi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo (Map)
2 min walk from Oimachi Station on JR Keihin-Tohoku Line, Tokyu Oimachi Line & Rinkai-sen
15 min walk from Aomono-Yokocho Station on Keihin-Kyuko Line
Format: 9R Swiss, 90min+30sec/move, National & FIDE Standard Rated

Registration

Eligibility Criteria for Participation

Only players who meet the following conditions are eligible to participate in this tournament.

1. Must be an annual member of the Japan Chess Federation.

※Current members should ensure that their membership remains valid until the final day of the tournament. If your membership has expired, please renew it before check-in on the tournament day. Membership Registration/Renewal

2. Must be a seeded player in the Japan Chess Championship 2025

※Reference: Japan Chess Championship 2025 Qualifiers List

The final decision regarding eligibility will be made by the Japan Chess Federation.

Entry Fee: 20,000 yen

Registration: Purchase tickets through [Peatix] during the registration period.
The registration URL will be sent separately to the seeded players in early March.
(It will be sent sequentially to the players seeded after that.)

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 April 24, 2025 (8 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 April 25, 2025 (7 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.
All refunds will be processed according to Peatix’s regulations.

Registration Period

Entries are accepted from the day when the above mail is sent until 23:59 on Friday, April 25 2025

Schedule

Friday, May 2nd

9:00-10:00 Check-in

10:10 Opening Ceremony

10:30 R1

15:30 R2

Saturday (Holiday), May 3rd

10:30 R3

15:30 R4

Sunday (Holiday), May 4th

10:00 2024 Annual Awards Ceremony (Large Conference Room)

10:10 Japan Chess Hall of Fame Award Ceremony (Large Conference Room)

10:30 R5

15:00 R6

Monday (Holiday), May 5th

10:30 R7

15:30 R8

Tuesday (Holiday), May 6th

10:30 R9

15:00 Prize Giving

Prizes / Awards / Selection

Prize money and prizes

Awards will be given to the 1st through 10th place winners. The prizes will be awarded:

as follows:

1st place: 100,000 yen, a plaque and ChessMood Prizes.

2nd place: 50,000 yen, plaque and ChessMood Prizes.

3rd place: 40,000 yen, plaque and ChessMood Prizes.

4th place: 30,000 yen, plaque.

5th place: 20,000 yen, plaque.

6th-10th place: 10,000 yen and plaque.

1st women’s, 1st youth (U18), 1st senior (O50): Plaque

However, if the players receiving these awards have placed in the 1sr through 5th

places,they will not receive the award, and it will be given to the next highest ranked

eligible player.

Selection

The highest ranked Japanese chess national will be awarded the title of Japan Chess Champion and will receive the Argentine Cup from the Embassy of Argentina in Japan.
The top five finishers overall and the first-placed finisher in the Women’s, Youth, and Senior categories whose chess nationality is Japanese (eight in total), will be seeded for the Japan Chess Championship 2026.
The top one Japanese chess national will be eligible for selection as a member of the Japanese team for the Chess Olympiad 2026.

※For details, see “Selection Criteria for Japan National Team for Chess Olympiad 2024 Onwards”.

The selection of players from the Japan chess Federation to be sent to international competitions held after this tournament will be based on the results of this tournament among Japanese chess nationals.
A tie-break will be used to determine the ranking. No two players will share a prize.

Other Regulations

Tournament Rules

Tie-breaks:

Direct Encounter
Buchholz Cut-1
Buchholz
Sonneborn-Berger
Sum of the ratings of the opponents
Drawing of lots.

Default time: If any player is not present within 30 min after the game starts, she/he shall lose the game by default. The game is not rated.

Pre-registered Byes: Bye requests will be accepted until 18:00 on the day before the tournament by filling in the Bye Request Form. 0.5 points will be awarded for pre-requested Byes, and 0 points for Bye requested after the deadline. A requested Bye for the final 2 rounds shall be given 0 points. If a player has more than 3 requested byes, the player is not eligible for prizes.

Pairing-allocated bye will be one point.

Pairings of the first round will be published after the registration/check-in time (10:00) on the day of the tournament. If the player missed check-in without notifying the organizer, he/she will not be paired in the first round. In that case, he/she will be paired from the next round after completion of check-in.

For Bye requests after the deadline or cancellations, 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.

The organizer will provide chess equipment including clocks and score sheets. Players must use them.

Players must record all moves. Once the game is finished, both players sign both score sheets and hand over the original score sheets to the arbiters. Make sure the results are correct before signing.

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. It is forbidden for anybody to use a mobile phone or any kind of communication device in the playing venue.

The pairings will be done in order of the FIDE ratings, the National ratings, titles, and the alphabetical order of the players.

The tournament will follow FIDE rules unless otherwise stated above. For example, an illegal move will be penalized and the second illegal move will result in the loss of the game. Pressing the clock by mistake or pressing it with the other hand which touched the pieces will also be judged as an illegal move.

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.

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.

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.

Other Rules

The organizer reserves the right for changing the above rules with adequate reason before the first round starts.

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.

Due to the spread of coronavirus infection or other unforeseeable reasons, there may be unavoidable changes to the duration of the rounds or the event may be cancelled.

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.