Regulations
The official rules and regulations governing the Total Chess World Championship Tour.
Official Regulations
The Total Chess World Championship Tour is the annual series of chess tournaments among top players combining the most popular time controls — classical, rapid, and blitz.
Three tournaments annually lead to a Grand Final determining the world champion in combined chess. FIDE and Norway Chess jointly approve and may amend regulations.
Tournament Format
Draw of Groups
- 24 players allocated to 4 groups of 6 players each
- Seeding by draw of lots
- Top four players by standard rating placed in different groups
Group Stage
Double round-robin format over 5 days. Each player plays 10 games total.
- Time control: 45 minutes with 30 seconds increment per move
- Scoring: Win = 3 points, Draw = 1 point, Loss = 0 points
- Tiebreaker: A 9-round Blitz tournament (3+2) in Swiss format before the opening ceremony determines group tiebreaks
Knockout Stage
Winners of each group advance to Knockout bracket 1; 2nd place finishers to bracket 2, and so on. Single elimination with semifinals, finals, and 3rd place matches per bracket.
Points Allocation per Bracket
| Bracket | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | 4th Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knockout 1 | 30 pts | 24 pts | 22 pts | 20 pts |
| Knockout 2 | 20 pts | 18 pts | 17 pts | 16 pts |
| Knockout 3 | 16 pts | 14 pts | 13 pts | 12 pts |
| Knockout 4 | 12 pts | 11 pts | 10 pts | 9 pts |
| Knockout 5 | 9 pts | 8 pts | 7 pts | 6 pts |
| Knockout 6 | 6 pts | 5 pts | 4 pts | 3 pts |
Bonus: Extra 5 points for winning subsequent legs after the first win. Maximum possible: 100 points across the tour.
Daily Knockout Match Format
Knockout matches span two days using a "two-day system." Each day includes:
- Four Blitz games (3 min + 2 sec increment)
- Two Rapid games (15 min + 10 sec increment)
- One Fast Classical game (45 min + 30 sec increment)
Point Values Per Game
| Discipline | Win | Draw | Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blitz | 1 point | 0.5 points | 0 points |
| Rapid | 4 points | 2 points | 0 points |
| Fast Classical | 8 points | 4 points | 0 points |
Color Selection
The higher-ranked player by pre-tournament blitz ranking chooses color for the first Blitz game. Colors alternate thereafter.
Daily Winner
Each day produces a winner or a tie. Scores reset daily. If tied after Day 2, an Armageddon game is played to determine the winner.
Armageddon
Time control: 10 minutes for White, 7 minutes for Black, with 1 second increment starting from move 41. Black has draw odds.
The player with the most total points over both days chooses the Armageddon color. If points are equal, Armageddon bidding is used.
Grand Final: Semifinal and Final
The four highest-point players after three tournament legs qualify for the Grand Final.
Semifinals
Semifinal pairings are based on total tour points: 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd. Semifinals use the two-day system described above.
Final
The final spans four days with two sets. Each set uses the two-day system. The player who wins two sets is declared the winner and crowned FIDE World Combined Champion.
If sets are split 1–1, two Blitz games are played. If still tied, Armageddon decides the champion.
Note: All details regarding the conduct of the Grand Final and the knockout playoffs must be approved and published in the first quarter of 2026. The final rules for the Grand Final are subject to revision based on the experience gained from the pilot tournament in 2026.
Prize Fund
The Total Chess World Championship Tour features a minimum annual prize pool of $2.7 million:
- $750,000 minimum for each of the first three tournament locations
- $450,000 minimum for the Grand Final (four-player field)
- Additional performance bonuses for the highest point total at each tournament and the top overall tour score
Qualification Pathways — 2026 Pilot Event
24 spots are allocated across the following categories:
Slots 1–2: Reigning World Champions
Reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun.
Slots 3–5: World Rapid 2025 Medalists
Three medalists of the 2025 World Rapid Championship.
Slots 6–7: World Blitz 2025 Finalists
Two finalists of the 2025 World Blitz Championship.
Slots 8–16: Top-9 Rated Players
Top nine players by standard rating (January 1, 2026 rating list).
Slots 17–18: 2026 Candidates Winners
Winners of the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament and Women's Candidates Tournament.
Slots 19–21: Rating (June 2026)
Top three rated players (June 1, 2026) excluding already qualified.
Slots 22–24: FIDE Open Circuit
Three qualifiers from FIDE Open Circuit (open events only).
Replacement Rules
World Champions (Slots 1–2)
Replaced by the 2026 Candidates silver medalist, then bronze medalist, then the highest-ranked unqualified FIDE Circuit player (September 1, 2026).
World Rapid 2025 (Slots 3–5)
If the reigning champion finishes in the top 3, the 4th place player receives the spot. Subsequent withdrawals are replaced by the highest-ranked FIDE Circuit unqualified player (September 1, 2026).
World Blitz 2025 (Slots 6–7)
Already-qualified finalists' spots go to non-qualified players with the lowest combined placement average from the 2025 World Rapid and Blitz Championships. Withdrawals replaced via FIDE Circuit (September 1, 2026).
Top-9 Rated (Slots 8–16)
Already-qualified players replaced first by non-qualified with the lowest combined placement average from 2025 Rapid/Blitz; subsequent replacements by rating (January 1, 2026). Withdrawals replaced via FIDE Circuit (September 1, 2026).
Candidates Winners (Slots 17–18)
Replaced by silver medalist, then bronze medalist, then the highest-ranked FIDE Circuit unqualified player (September 1, 2026).
FIDE Open Circuit (Slots 22–24)
Replaced by the highest-ranked FIDE Open Circuit unqualified player (September 1, 2026).
2027 Tour Qualification
First Leg — Eligible Players (Chronological Order)
- Reigning World Champion Gukesh D.
- Reigning Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun
- 2025 World Rapid Champion (if already qualified, silver medalist invited)
- 2025 World Blitz Champion (if already qualified, silver medalist invited)
- Top 3 winners of 2026 Candidates Tournament (if qualified, next finishers invited up to 6th place; remaining spots transfer to FIDE Circuit 2026)
- 2026 Women's Candidates Tournament winner
- Three winners of 2026 Tour pilot event (if qualified, 4th place finishers invited; remaining transfer to FIDE Circuit 2026)
- Top 2 players in 2026 FIDE Open Circuit standings (qualified players' spots passed to next-ranked until two invited)
- 2026 World Rapid Champion (if qualified, 2nd place, then 3rd; if all qualified, transfer to FIDE Circuit 2026)
- 2026 World Blitz Champion (if qualified, 2nd place, then 3rd; if all qualified, transfer to FIDE Circuit 2026)
- Top 3 rated players (October 1, 2026), unqualified, minimum top 10 rating; remaining via FIDE Circuit 2026
- Top 3 rated players (January 1, 2027), unqualified, minimum top 15 rating; remaining via FIDE Circuit 2026
- Three wildcards jointly determined by organizers and FIDE President
Second Leg
- 17 players from first stage results
- Five 2027 Grand Swiss top-10 finishers not already qualified
- 2027 Women's Grand Swiss winner
- Organizers' wildcard (top-20 rated only)
Remaining spots filled by rating (top 20 minimum), then FIDE Circuit 2026.
Third Leg
- 17 players from second stage results
- First stage finalists not previously qualified
- 2027 World Cup finalists
- 2027 Women's World Cup winner
- Organizers' wildcard (top-20 rated only)
- Highest-rated player (top-10 minimum rating required)
Remaining spots via FIDE Circuit 2026.
Questions?
Find answers to common questions about rules, format, and qualification.