Notice Tournament Info

Japan Team Chess Championship 2026

15-08-2026
Manabe

Tournament Regulations

Tournament overview

  • Tournament Name: Japan Team Chess Championship 2026
  • Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026 – Sunday, October 11, 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:
      4-person team tournament, 6R Swiss, 30 min + 30 sec/move, National Standard Rated
      The starting order will be determined by the average of the ratings of the top four players of the team. (For details, refer to “Sections/Categories details”). 
    • Eligibility: Memberships of all members of the team (captain and players) must be valid until Sun, October 11.
    • *members shall check that their memberships are valid until Sunday, October 11. Non-members and those whose membership expires shall finish their membership registration until Saturday, September 26.
  • Entry Fee: 25,000JPY per team

The following discount schemes can be applied :

1 Japan Collegiate Chess Federation member circles in the Kanto region: ¥20,000

2 Registered Clubs and Japan Collegiate Chess Federation member  circles outside the Kanto region: ¥12,000

3 Registered  Clubs and Japan Collegiate Chess Federation member  circle outside of Honshu: Free and a ¥100,000 subsidy

4 Teams where all players are U22: ¥20,000

  • Tournament capacity: 70 teams
  • Registration: Purchase tickets through [ Peatix ]
  • Registration Period: 

Registered clubs Pre-registration period: 16:00 on Saturday, August 15~ 23:59 on Saturday, August 29. 

General registration period: 0:00 on Sunday, August 30 – 23:59 on Saturday, September 26. 

Sections/Categories details

The starting order will be determined by the average of the ratings (October 2026 Rating List) of the top four players of the team. The rating of a player without a rating shall be calculated provisionally as 1000. 

Teams with the average rating of 1400 or higher shall be Open, and teams lower than 1400 shall be Group A. Input your team name, captain’s name, captain’s e-mail address, captain’s membership ID, club name or university circle name, etc. on Peatix when you purchase tickets. If a team with the average rating lower than 1400 wishes to participate in Open, please note in Peatix . 

Pairings will be done within groups of Open and Group A. 

Schedule

Saturday, October 10, 2026　
    09:30 – 10:10　Check-in
    10:10　Opening Ceremony
    10:30　Round 1

    13:50　Round 2

    16:40　Round 3
Sunday, October 11, 2026　

    09:30　Round 4

    12:50　Round 5

    15:40　Round 6
    18:30　Prize Giving

Registration

Team Composition: A team may consist of 4 or 5 players and 1 captain.

*Captain: The captain may or may not be one of the players on the team. A captain cannot be registered as a player or captain on any other team.

Notes Regarding Registration:

  • If you are not currently a member of the Japan Chess Federation, you must first promptly complete the membership registration process and purchase your ticket via Peatix only after your membership has been confirmed. Non-members are not permitted to purchase tickets. 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 September 26, 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.

Tournament Registration

Purchase tickets through [ Peatix ] (Limit: 70 teams)

*Input your team name, captain’s name, captain’s e-mail address, captain’s membership ID, club name or university circle name, etc. on Peatix when you purchase tickets. If a team with the average rating lower than 1400 wishes to participate in Open, please communicate the request.

* Team names shall be 24 letters or shorter (Including spaces, no symbols allowed)

Registered clubs Pre-registration 

Pre-registration is limited to two teams per registered club. Registration for the third team and any subsequent teams must be completed during the general registration period.

*Note: Teams that are not officially registered clubs or member clubs of the Student Chess Federation will not be accepted even if they purchase early registration tickets for officially recognized clubs.

Discount Codes: If your team is eligible for a discount, please enter the corresponding code when purchasing your ticket:

1 Japan Collegiate Chess Federation member circles in the Kanto region: CF22

2 Registered Clubs And Japan Collegiate Chess Federation member circles outside the Kanto region: KC50

3 Registered Clubs And Japan Collegiate Chess Federation member circles outside of Honshu: HC0

4 Teams where all players are U22: U22
*Those who wish to use the discount code for Referral Campaign will receive a discount by cash-back. Please write the code via fixed board order Google Form.

Participation fee/discount code (only one team per organization is eligible)

　Participation fee/discount code (only one team per organization is eligible)

Membership

Age Range

Participating Regions

Kanto

Outside Kanto

Outside Honshu

Registered Clubs

No Age Restrictions

25,000 yen / general admission

12,000 yen / KC50

Free and a 100,000 yen subsidy/ HC0

Japan Collegiate Chess Federation

Half or More players are U22

20,000 yen / CF22

　Participation fee/discount code (for two or more teams from the above organizations or general participants)

Membership

Age Range

Participating Regions

Kanto

Outside Kanto

Outside Honshu

No Affiliation Required

No Age Restrictions

25,000 yen /  general admission

All Players are U22

20,000 yen / U22

*Discount codes “CF22,” “KC50,” and “HC0” can only be used once per team by the same club or circle. There is no limit to the number of times discount code “U22” can be used.

*The discount for Japan Collegiate Chess Federation member circles is only applicable if more than half of the players are U22. A player is considered U22 if they have not reached the age of 22 by December 31, 2025 (i.e., born in or after 2004).

*If the purpose of the discount is not fulfilled, such as when the majority of players reside far from the club’s location, discounts “KC50” and “HC0” may be canceled.

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.

  • Member registration and fixed board order: Separately from the Peatix application, member registration and fixed board order must be submitted within the registration period (for details, see “Detailed Rules”).

  • Waiting List Ticket

    A Waiting List Ticket will be sold at the same price along with the participation Ticket on Peatix.

    Waiting List Ticket can be purchased only when the capacity has been reached and regular tickets are sold out. If a cancellation occurs, the participants will be allowed to participate in the tournament in the order in which they purchased their Waiting List Ticket, and the purchase price will be applied directly to the entry fee. If the waiting list is not filled by one week prior to the tournament, the purchase price will be refunded.

    If a Waiting List Ticket purchaser becomes eligible to participate in the tournament, he/she will be notified via his/her registered email address.

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 September 26, 2026 (14 days before the tournament): Full refund
  • Cancellations made on or after September 27, 2026 (13 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.

Awards

  • Open
    Team Prize: 1st 50,000 yen, 2nd 40,000 yen, 3rd 30,000 yen, 4th 25,000 yen, 5th 20,000 yen
    Japan Collegiate Chess Federation member circles: 1st 20,000 yen
    Board prizes: Total of four winners with the highest score on each of boards 1~4 5,000 yen and Chessmood Prizes each
  • Group A
    Team Prize: 1st 30,000 yen, 2nd 25,000 yen, 3rd 20,000 yen, 4th 15,000 yen, 5th 10,000 yen
    Japan Collegiate Chess Federation member circles: 1st 10,000 yen
    Board prizes: Total of four winners with the highest score on each of boards 1~4 3,000 yen and Chessmood Prizes each
  • A single team can not receive both Team Prize and Japan Collegiate Chess Federation member circle prize. Only the higher prize will be rewarded.
  • We are currently considering prizes suitable for team tournaments.

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 October 2026 will be used.
  • Pairings will be conducted using Swiss-Manager and will follow the Swiss tournament for team competition.
  • Pairings will be conducted using the Accelerated Swiss system if the number of participants exceeds 64 teams in either category.

*In this system, higher-ranked teams are temporarily assigned pairing points for a specified number of initial rounds. These points are used only for pairing purposes and are removed thereafter, with subsequent rounds conducted under the standard Swiss system. Final standings are determined by the actual points scored.

  • Pairings for Round 1 will be made and announced after the close of the registration/check-in period ends. Players who have not checked in by that time without prior notice will not be included in the Round 1 pairings and will receive 0 points for that round. If a player completes check-in before the end of all games in Round 1, they will be included in the pairings starting from the next round.
  • 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.

Team Match:

  • Each team shall fix their players to Board 1 through 4 or 5. Fixed board order (FBO) will be kept through the tournament. The games within a match will be paired by players of the same board of both teams, deciding the points defined below.
  • Game Points: Team matches consist of 4 games played simultaneously, with 1 point for a win, 0.5 points for a draw, and 0 points for a loss.
  • Match points: Teams get 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. (A team win means that the team gets more game points than the opposing team. If the game points are the same, the game is a draw.)

Tie-breaks:

  • Team Standings: The team ranking will be determined by the following conditions.
    (1) Match points (total of match points)
    (2) Game points (total of game points)
    (3) Results of the teams
    (4) Buchholz (total match points of all opposing teams)
    (5) Sonneborn-Berger (sum of the match points of the winning team and half of the match points of the drawn team)
    (6) Drawing of lots
  • Board Prize Standings: To be determined within a player with 4 or more rounds played, by the following conditions.
    (1) Points (total of game points)
    (2) Win Percentage
    (3) Performance Rating
    (4) Drawing of lots
    *Players are eligible for the board prize of the board they have played on the most. If there are multiple boards with the most played games, the player will be eligible for the higher board. Tiebreaks shall be calculated disregarding the board played.
    *Games that resulted in Forfeited wins/losses do not count for win percentage and game points.

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 team loses a game by default without prior notice, the team may be declared to have lost all subsequent games by default.
  • If a team 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 team may be disqualified and removed from the tournament.

Byes:

  • Pre-registered bye is not allowed for the teams nor players. The match will begin without that player or team. 

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 captain.
  • 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.

Detailed Rules

  • Member registration and fixed board order must be submitted separately from the Peatix application via Google Form by 23:59 on Saturday, September 26.
  • Members and fixed board orders can be changed on Google Form during the registration period. After the registration period, changes to members due to reasons that the organizer judges appropriate, such as sickness, can be made by paying ¥1,000. In that case, they must contact japanchess.info@gmail.com by email by 23:59 on Wednesday, September 30. Members who can be added to the team by this change are limited to those who have finished their membership application by 23:59 on Tuesday, September 29.
  • If a team is not forced to pair up, or if the opposing team has only two or fewer players, the team will be declared a forfeit win and will receive two match points and four game points.
  • Players during games shall not talk to other members, members of other teams, or spectators during the match.
  • It is prohibited to discuss the acceptance of a draw in advance of a match. If a player is found to have done so, the Chief Arbiter may disqualify the team from the round or take other disciplinary action.
  • Captains are not allowed to talk with members about the contents of the game. The captain must not stand in a place where they can make eye contact with any other member of the team.
  • The captain should confirm the results after the round and report any mistakes to the arbiter immediately.
  • To avoid possible confusion, questions, etc., should be directed through the captains and not be made by individual players.
  • Team captains of 5-player teams must submit the order sheets to the Chief Arbiter at least 10 minutes before the start of the next round. Teams that do not submit the order form will have the top 4 players of the fixed board order for the next round.
  • A captains’ meeting will be held online prior to the tournament. The meeting will be held on Thu, October 8, from 21:00 to 22:00. Each team must have a captain or a proxy attend the meeting.
    Due to time constraints on the day of the meeting, items communicated at the captains’ meeting will be treated as well-known. Attendance at the above meeting is required so that no one will be disadvantaged due to absence without reasonable cause and without knowledge of the matters communicated.
  • Team pairings for R1 will be announced in the captains’ meeting. 5-man team captains must inform the Round Order of R1 via online by 20:00 on Friday, October 9. Teams that do not submit the order form will have the top 4 players of the fixed board order for R1.
  • The procedure of the Round Order submission will be explained at the Captain’s meeting.
  • One staff shall be sent to cooperate with the organization of the tournament if 3 or more teams register from one club or circle.

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.
  • The Japan Chess Federation shall not be responsible for any troubles between individuals.
  • If there is a discrepancy between English and Japanese, the Japanese version prevails. 

Organizer

　　Japan Chess Federation

 

Sponsors

　　　　　

 

Reference

Chess-Results（Open）

Chess-Results（Group A）