Details

Summary

• Event: The Irish Junior Championships 2026
• Dates: 10-12 April, 2026
• Venue: Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Cork Co. Cork (P31 NY77)
• Format: 6-round Swiss (Dutch) Tournament
• Time control:
  • U8: 10m + 5s/move (rapid, default time: 10 minutes)
  • U10: 60m + 30s/move (Default time: 30 minutes)
  • U12, U14, U16, U19: 75m + 30s/move (Default time: 30 minutes)
• Rating and registration:
  • U8: No ICU or FIDE rating
  • other age groups: ICU and FIDE rated (must be current member of the ICU).
• Age groups: U8, U10, U10, U12, U14, U16, U19 (cutoff date is 1st January, 2026).

Aims of the Competition

The aim of the 2026 Irish Junior Chess Championship is to

• Build community through chess and promote an inclusive society, welcoming junior across various genders, abilities, and backgrounds.
• Encourage talent development and recognition among junior players, giving them experience on a bigger stage.
• Determine the title "The 2026 Irish Junior Champion" for the given age groups, along with other placement awards through the competition.
• Offer practice at a competitive level in a joyful, safe, and inclusive environment.
• Provide opportunities for FIDE-rated games to support chess development in Ireland.

Organisers

Organiser

In cooperation with the Irish Chess Union (ICU) the competition will be organised by the Cork Chess Club under the FIDE tournament regulations. The Chief Tournament Organiser is Andrew Kelly

Arbiters

• Chief Arbiter: Zsolt Kardkovács
• Deputy Chief: Andrew Kelly

Sponsors

• The Irish Chess Union
• To be announced later

Tournament Committee

• To be announced later

Structure

Seeding and Section Eligibility

The 2026 Irish Junior Chess Championship will be held across the following age groups:

1. Under 8 (U8): born on 1st January, 2018 or later
2. Under 10 (U10): born on 1st January, 2016 or later
3. Under 12 (U12): born on 1st January, 2014 or later
4. Under 14 (U14): born on 1st January, 2012 or later
5. Under 16 (U16): born on 1st January, 2010 or later
6. Under 19 (U19): born on 1st January, 2007 or later

It is the responsibility of those entering to ensure that the player is eligible to play in the section they have entered.

The following criteria shall be used to determine players’ seeding and eligibility for sections, in the order listed:

1. The exact birth date.
2. The preference of players to play in a Section where they qualify.

Organisers will take into account the player's preference on section where the player is eligible in more than one.

Format

Individual competition, all Sections are organised in a six (6) rounds Swiss (Dutch) tournament format under the FIDE regulations.

Participants

Participants are defined as players who have registered and paid the entry fee through the ICU website and who are not under suspension from participating in events organised by FIDE, the ICU, or any Irish Provincial Union.

The tournament is open to any players who meet the eligibility criteria of that Section, regardless their nationality, citizenship, background, or residency. However, only players

• who are being born on, or having either parent born on the island of Ireland, or
• being an Irish citizen, or
• having resided in Ireland for at least 2 years prior to 1st January, 2026.

Time allotment

• 75 minutes + 30 seconds per move on the clocks for Sections U12, U14, U16, and U19,
• and 60 minutes + 30 seconds per move on the clocks for Section U10.

Based on the current Laws of Chess, players must record their moves until the end of the game. If a player is unable to keep score, an assistant, who must be acceptable to the arbiter, may be provided by the player to record the moves. His/Her clock shall be adjusted by the arbiter in an equitable way. This adjustment of the clock shall not apply to a player with a disability.

For players in Under 8 Section, the time allotment is 10 minutes + 30 seconds per move, and no recording of their games is required.

Default time: 30 minutes for Sections U10, U12, U14, U16, and U19, and 10 minutes for U8.

Points

• Each individual game is determined by a win (1 point), a draw (½), or a loss (0 point).
• In the case of an uneven number of players in a round, the unpaired player shall receive 1 point (a full-point bye). If late entries are accepted and this results in an uneven number, the last player to register shall instead receive ½ point.
• A player may request up to one half-point bye during the tournament, except in the final round.
  • Requests made before the tournament begins must be submitted in writing to the organisers no later than the registration deadline.
  • During the tournament, requests must be submitted in writing to the arbiters’ desk no later than four hours after the start of the previous round.
  • Approved byes shall be awarded as ½ point.

Tie-breaks

In case of a tie, the individual ranking is determined by so-called:

• modified Buchholz (cut 0,1), i.e. by the sum of the opponents' points except the lowest one.
• result of a direct encounter if any
• the average rating of opponents
• the modified average rating of opponents (D Cut-1).

In case of determining the title, a play-off among players who are eligible to win the title (see Participants) is organised. A result of a direct encounter between candidates may eliminate the losing side from the play-off if that is possible. The play-off is organised double round robin blitz format at the Organising Committee discretion. If more than two players are involved in the tie after the first play-off, and there is no clear winner, any player less than the winner is eliminated from the next play-off. After the second playoff, the winner is determined by a drawing of a lot.

Dates and Venue

• Venue: Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Cork Co. Cork (P31 NY77)
• Registration deadline: No later than 9th April, 2026, 23:59 Dublin Time on the event page. Entries made on the day (except for the U8 Section) are subject to a €15 fee administration charge and are at the tournament director's discretion.

Event	Under 8	Under 10	Under 12, 14, 16, and 19
Registration	Sun 11:30	Sat 09:30	Fri 18:30
Round 1	Sun 12:00	Sat 10:00	Fri 19:30
Round 2	Sun 12:30	Sat 13:00	Sat 10:00
Round 3	Sun 13:00	Sat 16:00	Sat 14:00
Round 4	Sun 13:30	Sun 10:00	Sat 18:00
Round 5	Sun 14:00	Sun 13:00	Sun 10:00
Round 6	Sun 14:30	Sun 16:00	Sun 14:00
Prize giving	Sun 15:00	Sun 19:00	Sun 18:00

Rounds 2,3,5,6 in the Under 10 may start earlier if all games in previous round are finished early. The prize giving is organised as soon as possible after the last round, the given dates are just indications.

In case of any pairings do not finish their game before 20 minutes before the next round starts, their games may start later, assuring at least 20 minutes of break for them.

Fees

Sections:

• Under 8: €15 per players
• Under 10: €25 per players
• Under 12-19: €30 per players.
• Late entry: entry fee + €10 if accepted. (Entries are closing on 9th April, 2026, except for under 8).
• Family rate: the first two children shall be registered, the subsequent children are free if they are registered via email to Andrew Kelly.

Fee for appeals: €50 (refunded if the appeal is accepted).

Terms and Conditions

Entries

1. Submission of an entry form and payment of the entry fee constitutes acceptance of the tournament terms and conditions.
2. Players entering the tournament must not be under suspension from participating in events organised by FIDE, the ICU, or any Irish Provincial Union. Suspended players are ineligible until their suspension has been officially lifted.
3. All participants in Sections U10, U12, U14, U16, and U19 must be current members of the ICU and in good standing.
4. A player may register for only one section, and only if they meet the requirements (or other eligibility criteria) for that section.
5. If a player is entered into a section for which they are ineligible, they will be moved to the appropriate section.
6. The organisers will take into account participants’ preferences for playing in any section for which they are eligible.
7. All entries are subject to approval by the Tournament Committee. The Committee’s decision is final in all matters, and they reserve the right to refuse entry without providing a reason.

Code of Conduct

General Tournament Code of Conduct is applied.

Data Protection

See general Data Protection statement for ICU tournaments.

Abbreviations

For abbreviations used in this Rules and Regulations, please, check the Abbreviations page.