FIDE World Cup for U-8, U-10 and U-12 players kicks off on 23rd June at Batumi, Georgia

First ever World Cup for youngsters

The FIDE World Cup is one of the most exciting event of the Calendar year - almost all of the World's top players take part in exciting knockout matches. Earlier this year, FIDE announced a brand new tournament - FIDE World Cup for youngsters, U-8, U-10 and U-12 age categories! The inaugural edition of this tournament will take place in Batumi, Georgia from 23rd-29th June. Players from 49 different countries are taking part across 6 different categories! There are 48 players taking part in each category.

22nd June is the arrival day for the players and officials. The opening ceremony and first round will take place on 23rd June! The first 7 days there will be 7 rounds of the swiss tournament, followed by a rest day with several fun activities planned like a chess composition tournament, blitz tournament for delegation coaches, and much more. After the rest day, the knockout portion will commence with 2 rounds of classical chess followed by tiebreaks if needed.

System of play

The tournament will be held in three age groups – under 8, under 10 and under 12 – in two categories, Open and Girls, with 48 participants in each. The competition will unfold in two stages, starting with a seven-round Swiss System featuring two groups of 24 players each. The subsequent stage will witness players in the same position from each group facing off against one another, elevating the intensity and excitement of the matches. If the match between the players is tied, there will be a 2-game Rapid tiebreak match to decide the winner. If the Rapid match is tied, sudden death blitz games till someone wins will decide the Champion.

Prizes

The event will feature special prizes for top achievers across six playing categories. Each category's top three players will receive awards, including Cups, Medals, Diplomas, and gadgets such as MacBook Air 2022, iPhone 15, or an iPad (depending on placement).

In addition to these grand prizes, the first three winners of each age category and gender will receive free full board accommodation for the World Cadets Championship later in the same year, while every participant will be awarded a certificate acknowledging their participation.

The top seeds and top Indian players in each category

Under-8 Open

Check out the full player list

Under-8 girls

Stella Xin (1812, USA) is the top seed of this section. (Photo unavailable)

Check the full players list

Under-10 Open

Check the full players list

Under-10 Girls

Check the full players list

Under-12 Open

Check the full players list

Under-12 Girls

Check the full players list

Aditya Sur Roy from ChessBase India will be covering the event live from Batumi, Georgia!

Important links

Official website

Tournament regulations

Related news:

FIDE announces the first-ever World Cup for youngsters @ 05/01/2024 by ChessBase India (en)