FIDE Rating Categories U1700, U2000, U2300 - Open & Women
November 4th - 13th, 2026 | Klang, Selangor, Malaysia
This is the official invitation to all national chess federations, members of FIDE and eligible players to participate in the FIDE World Amateur Chess Championships 2026 for Open and Women with a FIDE rating under 2300.
In total, six championship titles will be awarded: Open & Women U1700, Open & Women U2000 and Open & Women U2300.
The Championships will be held in Klang, Selangor, Malaysia, organized by the Selangor Chess Association under the auspices of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF).
The Championships will be held at the KSL Esplanade Hotel (4-star), Klang, Selangor, Malaysia, from November 4th (arrival date) until November 13th (departure date) 2026.
The playing venue is a modern, spacious and fully air-conditioned hall meeting FIDE standards for international championships, with uniform lighting, adequate spacing between boards, high-speed Wi-Fi with backup internet, an electronic results display system and DGT electronic boards for live broadcasting of selected games. Dedicated official rooms will be provided for the Secretariat, Arbiters, Tournament Director, FIDE officials, live games operations and media. The playing hall is within five minutes' walking distance of the official hotel.
| Day | Date | Time | Programme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | November 4th | After 1 pm | Arrival day |
| Thursday | November 5th | 10:00 | Technical meeting |
| 15:00 | Opening ceremony | ||
| 16:00 | Round 1 | ||
| Friday | November 6th | 10:00 | Round 2 |
| 15:00 | Round 3 | ||
| Saturday | November 7th | 10:00 | Round 4 |
| Sunday | November 8th | All day | FREE DAY - DIWALI FESTIVAL |
| Monday | November 9th | 10:00 | Round 5 |
| 16:00 | Round 6 | ||
| Tuesday | November 10th | 16:00 | Round 7 |
| Wednesday | November 11th | 16:00 | Round 8 |
| Thursday | November 12th | 16:00 | Round 9 |
| 21:00 | Closing ceremony | ||
| Friday | November 13th | All day | Departure day |
There will be separate Championships for FIDE rating categories under 2300, under 2000 and under 1700. There shall be separate Women's Championship(s) if there are at least ten players from at least two continents in each category. Otherwise Women players will play in the Open competition and, in this case of a merged tournament, women players will be eligible to win prizes from both categories.
The Championships are open for players registered by their national federation. FIDE member federations may send as many players as they wish.
The gold winners (1st place) from each World Amateur Championship rating section and from each Continental Amateur Championship rating section of the year preceding this edition are invited with personal rights, as long as they do not reach or exceed a FIDE rating of 2300 by the registration deadline, and their places cannot be substituted. Players with personal rights are entitled to free board and lodging for 9 nights sharing a double room. This personal right is non-transferable.
a) U2300: A player must not have a published FIDE rating of 2300 or greater for at least one year prior to the registration deadline (October 9th 2026). A player must not have any title above FM (or WFM for women) when the tournament starts.
b) U2000: A player must not have a published FIDE rating of 2000 or greater for at least one year prior to the start of the championship (November 4th 2026). A player must not have any title above CM (or WCM for women) when the tournament starts.
c) U1700: A player must not have a published FIDE rating of 1700 or greater for at least one year prior to the start of the championship (November 4th 2026). A player must not have any title above CM (or WCM for women) when the tournament starts.
d) If a player reaches or exceeds the FIDE rating of 1700 or 2000 after the registration deadline, he/she will play in the upper rating category.
FIDE rated Swiss system will be used with 9 rounds played. The Championships shall be governed by the General Regulations for FIDE Competitions.
Time control is 90 minutes plus 30 seconds increment from move one.
Default time is 15 minutes. Any player who arrives at the chessboard after the default time shall lose the game unless the Chief Arbiter decides otherwise.
The final ranking order of the players is determined by the number of points scored. If two or more players are tied for first place or for any prize, the tie shall be broken in the following order:
a) Buchholz Cut 1 (2026 version)
b) Direct Encounter (provided all tied players played each other)
c) Buchholz
d) Greater number of wins
e) Sonneborn-Berger
No player may hold any title above CM or WCM in the U1700 and U2000 sections. No player may hold any title above FM or WFM in the U2300 section. These restrictions do not apply to players whose age makes them eligible to participate in that year's World Seniors 65+ category.
| Category | Rating Limit | Ineligible Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2300 | < 2300 | IM, WIM, GM, WGM |
| Under 2000 | < 2000 | FM, WFM, IM, WIM, GM, WGM |
| Under 1700 | < 1700 | FM, WFM, IM, WIM, GM, WGM |
FIDE officials of the Championship (Chief Arbiter, Appeals Committee, FIDE Technical Delegate) will be announced in due time.
The three gold winners of the Open sections receive respectively the titles of:
The three gold winners of the Women sections receive respectively the titles of:
The winners of 1st place in all three sections will receive a trophy, gold medal and diploma; the winners of 2nd and 3rd place will receive silver and bronze medals and diplomas.
U2300 - EUR 7,500
U2000 - EUR 4,500
U1700 - EUR 3,000
All participants will receive a gift from the organizer and a certificate of participation.
Direct titles shall be awarded according to the conditions in the FIDE regulations:
https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/B01DirectTitles2025
The Appeals Committee consists of three persons, one of whom may be the FIDE Technical Delegate. Two additional reserve members will be appointed at the Technical Meeting, as no member shall take part in a decision affecting a player of his own federation.
A protest against the Chief Arbiter's decisions must be submitted in writing to the Chairman of the Appeals Committee within one hour after the completion of the respective game. The protest must be accompanied by EUR 200 as a deposit. If the appeal is granted, the sum shall be returned immediately. If the appeal is refused, the deposit is forfeited to FIDE. The Appeals Committee may also decide to refund the fee if it considers the appeal to be non-frivolous.
The decision of the Appeals Committee is final, binding, and takes effect immediately.
The deadline for registration of participants and accompanying persons is Friday, October 9th 2026. The registration fee and hotel expenses must be paid by this deadline.
Registration is to be done through the form provided by the organizers, sent by (or with the approval of) the player's national federation.
The complete registration of each delegation must include the surname(s), first name(s), FIDE ID number, FIDE rating, photo for player card, dates of arrival/departure and passport number (for visa purposes only) of each player, each accompanying person and each delegation member, as well as the name, telephone and e-mail of the Chief of Delegation, who must be an adult.
The registration fee for players plus FIDE fee is EUR 140 in total:
The registration fee for delegates, coaches and accompanying persons is EUR 60 (includes accreditation badge and airport transfer).
For participants who require a visa to enter Malaysia, the request for an Invitation Letter must be sent at the latest by September 4th 2026.
Participants shall book their flights to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA Terminal 1 or Terminal 2). Travel time from the airport to the official hotel is approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
For all accredited participants and accompanying persons, the organizer will provide complimentary round-trip shuttle transfers between Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the official hotel on the arrival day (November 4th) and the departure day (November 13th). Transfers on other dates are possible upon request at an extra charge.
All travel information must be sent by e-mail to [email protected] not later than October 28th 2026. The organizer will publish the transfer schedule and other important details 3 days prior to arrival.
All participants are obliged to stay in the official hotel and bookings must be made only through the organizers.
Official hotel: KSL Esplanade Hotel (4-star), Klang, Selangor - 300 rooms, within 5 minutes' walking distance of the playing hall. Reservations will be made on a first come, first served basis.
Daily full-board accommodation cost per person, including buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner:
All meals served will be Halal, with vegetarian options available throughout the event.
After the registration form has been filled in, sent to the organizer and approved, the national federations will receive pro-forma invoices for bank payments. The pro-forma invoices will contain all necessary details for the bank payment. The sender must pay all bank commissions.
All payments must be made before the registration deadline of October 9th 2026 to the account specified by the organizers. Banking information is available to federations only.
Once the bank transfer is validated, the Organizing Committee will confirm the assigned booking confirmation for all rooms.
The organizer will implement strict measures to prevent possible cheating attempts, including detailed control before entering the playing hall, delayed transfer of games, control of the playing venue and prevention of mutual verbal and non-verbal communication.
The Chief Arbiter will be encouraged to devise a system for conducting random checks during the tournament. The FIDE Anti-Cheating rules and guidelines are valid for all FIDE World Championships.
During the tournament, medical service will be provided according to the FIDE Regulations. Players have to insure themselves against health risks and accidents for the duration of the Championship.
Citizens of most countries can enter Malaysia without a visa for short stays. All foreign travellers must complete the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) before arrival.
For participants who require a visa to enter Malaysia, the request for an Invitation Letter must be sent at the latest by September 4th 2026. The Organizing Committee will cooperate with the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia and the Immigration Department of Malaysia to provide visa facilitation for representatives of all participating federations. Invitations for visas will be provided only after the necessary payments are made.
Visa requirements can be checked at:
https://www.imi.gov.my
Registration fees for late registration, withdrawal or no-show shall be charged as described in Article 3.9 of the General Regulations for FIDE Competitions:
https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/D0401202312
A FIDE Arbiters' Seminar and a FIDE Trainers' Seminar (both subject to FIDE approval) will be arranged during the event, conducted by qualified FIDE lecturers. The seminars will be scheduled so as not to interfere with the official championship programme.
Official e-mail: [email protected]
Official website: worldamateur2026.fide.com
Organizer: Selangor Chess Association, under the auspices of the Malaysian Chess Federation
Tournament Director: Kumaressan
Phone: +60 19 289 2727
E-mail: [email protected]
Organizer: Selangor Chess Association | Tournament Director: Kumaressan | +60 19 289 2727 | [email protected] | worldamateur2026.fide.com
© FIDE World Amateur Chess Championships 2026. All Rights Reserved.