2025 Student Esports Chess Cup

Event Principals

• GM Alex Onischuk, Texas Tech University Esports Director
• IA, IO Grant Oen - Chief Tournament Director (TD)
• Chacha Nugroho, Technical Director

REGULATIONS - Updated October 11, 2025

The Chief TD may make additions, adjustments, and exceptions to the regulations at any time, as well as make final decisions on issues not clearly defined.  Decisions by the Chief TD are final and not appealable.

1. Registration

1A. The Student Esports Chess Cup is a free event - there is no entry fee.
1B. All registration is online through this website. Registration closes 1 hour before round 1.
1C. College students must register using their official academic institution email address.
1D. High school students should register using their official academic institution email address if they have one. Otherwise, a personal email address is acceptable.

2. Eligibility

2A. The Student Esports Chess Cup is an online event open to teams and players from any United States-based secondary school (high school) or United States-based post-secondary school (university, college, community college, etc.) enrolled in at least one class as of November 1, 2025.
2B. In addition to attending a US-based school, players must be physically located in the United States at the time of the event in order to play.
2C. Players must be at least 13 years old to compete.
2D. Except for student workers and teaching assistants, academic faculty and staff are not eligible to compete.
2E. Players who have previously violated the lichess terms of service are not permitted to play.

3. Ratings

3A. US Chess ratings as of October 31, 2025 are used.
3B. If a player does not have a US Chess rating, the highest of their lichess blitz and rapid rating at the time of registration is used.
3C. If a player does not have a US Chess or lichess rating, the Chief TD will assign a rating of at least 1000.
3D. The Chief TD may assign a different rating for any player for any reason.

4. Format and Pairings

4A. The Student Esports Chess Cup is a 9-round Swiss System tournament played on lichess.org.  
4B. Half-point byes are not permitted, only zero-point byes. Byes and withdrawals must be submitted to the Chief TD before the next round's pairings are posted.
4C. This is an individual event - it is not required to be part of a chess team or program to play.
4D. The time control is 3 minutes per player, no increment (3+0).
4E. Players from the same school may be paired against each other in any round.
4F. This event is not rated by US Chess or FIDE.

5. Scoring and Prizes

5A. Except for first place (individual), all ties are broken by US Chess standard tiebreaks.
5B. If there is a tie for first place (individual), the top two players on US Chess tiebreaks will contest a "sudden death" bullet playoff of 1 minute per player (1+0) until the first decisive game. The player with the highest tiebreak will play White in the first game.
5C. Plaques are awarded to the top 5 individuals.
5D. The top collegiate team and top high school team will also be awarded a plaque. Ties are broken by US Chess standard tiebreaks.
5E. The top 3 scores on a team contribute to the team score. There is a minimum of 2 players to form a team, but it is not required to be part of a team to participate - players may compete individually.

6. Schedule - Eastern Standard Time (New York)!

7. Lichess/Connection

7A. Games are played on Lichess. All players must have a lichess account (free).
7B. The built-in lichess server rules will apply.
7C. What happens on the lichess board is official, including flag falls, disconnection, mouseslips, (in)sufficient mating material, accidental resignation, etc.
7D. Clocks are started shortly after the start of the round.
7E. Players will have the entire base time (3 minutes) to join their game before being forfeited.
7F. Players are responsible for maintaining a stable internet connection. Disconnections may result in forfeits.
7G. In case of a server crash or similar emergency, the Chief TD may adjudicate or cancel games and/or alter the number of rounds in the event.

8. Fair Play

8A. Players shall not use outside assistance of any kind.
8B. During play, shall not listen to music, wear headphones, or have other electronic devices near them while playing.
8C. During play, players may only have lichess and the pairings/standings page open - no other tabs or programs may be open.
8D. Players believed to have violated fair play may be deemed ineligible for a prize and/or expelled from the event.
8E. Fair play violations will lead to reports to federations and academic institutions.
8F. In case of fair play violations, the standings are adjusted at the Chief TD's discretion, even if lichess does not find the player guilty.