Tournament Regulations

Regulations for the 2026 Churchie International

Churchie Chess invites all chess players to the 2026 Churchie International.

Key Information

  • Dates: Thursday April 30th to Monday May 4th
  • Venue: Anglican Church Grammar School Library Theaterette and Viking Building
  • Note: No food is permitted in the venue

Tournament Format

  • A 9 round and a 7 round Swiss Dutch JaFaVo
  • FIDE Laws of Chess will apply
  • Round times: As per Schedule
  • The 9 round will be 2000 FIDE and above, and will be a Title Norm event
  • The 7 round event will be an Open without rating restriction.

Byes

  • Up to two half point byes available in rounds 1 to 7 for the 9 round event and rounds 1 to 5 in the 7 round event
  • A bye request must be made before the start of the previous round to the round concerned
  • Bye requests MUST be via email to byes@ace.aunz.net
  • Byes requests are only valid if you have received a confirmation email in reply

Game Details

  • Default time: 30 minutes from the start of the round
  • Time control: 90 minutes each plus 30 seconds a move from move 1 (Fischer)
  • Rating: FIDE, ACF and QJ rated
  • Seeding: FIDE, use ACF if no FIDE

Tie Breaks

According to FIDE Baku (2023):

  1. Direct Encounter (DE)
  2. Buchholz Cut 1 (BH-M)
  3. Sonneborn-Berger (SB)
  4. Average Rating of Opposition Cut 1 (AROC-C1)

Fair Play Policy

All "Mobile Phones" and other "Communication Devices" are to be switched off in the "Playing Area". Only Players and Officials are allowed in the "Playing Area".

The bounds of the "Playing Area" will be clearly defined prior to the start of the tournament. It will include:

  • Tournament halls
  • Toilets
  • Walkways to the toilets

Exceptions: Photos may be taken for the first 5 minutes of each round. The Organiser and the Arbiters may make other exceptions (e.g. medical alarms).

A breach of this rule will result in automatic loss of the game or exclusion from the playing area.

Prizes & Payments

  • As per schedule
  • All prizes will be paid by Bank Transfer
  • Players can win only one prize
  • In the event of a tie, prize money is NOT shared but decided by tie-breaks

Officials

  • Chief Arbiter: IA Dr Peter Tsai
  • Deputy Chief Arbiter: IA David Esmonde - david@ace.aunz.net or WhatsApp +61 422 331 312
  • Assistant Arbiters: NA Henry Slater-Jones, NA Ellis Hogan and NA Nicholas Bond
  • Organiser: Max Condon - max.condon@churchie.com.au or WhatsApp +61 423 033 431

Entry Fees and Conditions

  • Free entry for GM's, WGM's, IM's, WIM's
  • Free entry for FM's and WFM's registered to Queensland and a member of the CAQ
  • Entry fee: Early Bird until 15th March 2026 - $150.00
  • All Qld entrants must be a member of CAQ OR join the CAQ
  • Overseas entrants must have a FIDE ID number OR must obtain one from their home country federation prior to entering
  • Parents must ensure children are supervised between rounds
  • Entry to the Tournaments is at the sole discretion of the Chief Organiser
  • * Prize pool is contingent on entries and also reflects player conditions.