1st Azeri Chess Academy Open

Regulations for the 1st Azeri Chess Academy Open

Organizers: Azeri Chess Academy (Affiliate ID A9567106)

Chief Arbiter: FIDE Arbiter and USCF Senior TD Ulvi Bajarani (USCF ID 17112757; FIDE ID 13403028)

Dates: October 5–10, 2026

Venue: Houston Chess Studio, 250 Patton Street, Suite H, Houston, Texas 77009

Why choose our tournament?

• High capacity, increasing the chances of achieving a GM norm under Condition 1.5.6(a) of the FIDE Handbook (see below)
• A schedule that satisfies Condition 1.1.3(a) of the FIDE Handbook (see below)
• Discounts for various groups of players
• Collegiate-friendly conditions
• Prizes for various player categories
• A high guaranteed first prize, along with guaranteed category prizes
• A GM involved in the organization, helping ensure professional organization and a fair, player-friendly approach throughout the event

Format

9-round Swiss System

Time Control

G/90; inc/30
Each player receives 90 minutes for the entire game, with a 30-second increment per move starting from move 1.

Capacity

Maximum 68 players

Eligibility

The following players are eligible to participate:

• All players with a FIDE rating of 2000 or higher at the time of registration

Registration of players who do not meet these criteria is subject to the organizers’ approval and may involve different entry fees.

Please note that all players must have a FIDE ID and an active, unexpired USCF membership before the tournament. For non-U.S. GM, IM, WGM, and WIM players, the existence of a USCF ID is sufficient.

Schedule

Arrival Date – October 5, 2026
Pairings for Round 1 – October 5, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Round 1 – October 5, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Round 2 – October 6, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Round 3 – October 7, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Round 4 – October 7, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Round 5 – October 8, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Round 6 – October 8, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Round 7 – October 9, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Round 8 – October 9, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Round 9 – October 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Closing Ceremony – October 10, 2026 at 4:00 PM

Registration

Use the “Register” button on the left sidebar to register for the tournament.

To prevent spam registrations, interested GMs should express their interest through the form at https://azerichessacademy.com/contact-us/?reason=tournament so that they can be added manually.

Entry Fees

GM – always free

Other entry fees are based on date and tier.

Before July 5, 2026, at 12:00 AM

• IM or WGM – $300
• FM or WIM – $400
• Other titled players (CM, WFM, WCM) and untitled players:
  • FIDE 2400 or higher – $400
  • FIDE 2200 or higher – $500
  • FIDE 2000 or higher – $600

Before September 5, 2026, at 12:00 AM

• IM or WGM – $400
• FM or WIM – $500
• Other titled players (CM, WFM, WCM) and untitled players:
  • FIDE 2400 or higher – $500
  • FIDE 2200 or higher – $600
  • FIDE 2000 or higher – $750

Before October 3, 2026, at 12:00 AM

• IM or WGM – $500
• FM or WIM – $600
• Other titled players (CM, WFM, WCM) and untitled players:
  • FIDE 2400 or higher – $600
  • FIDE 2200 or higher – $750
  • FIDE 2000 or higher – $900

Entry Fee Discounts

The following discounts are available:

• 15% discount for players born in 1976 or earlier (Senior Players)
• 15% discount for players born in 2006 or later (Junior Players)
• 15% discount for female players listed as female in the USCF or FIDE rating lists
• 30% discount for chess players enrolled in the chess programs of the universities listed below, either as players or staff members

At this time, the following universities are eligible for the discount:

• The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)
• University of Missouri (MIZZOU)
• The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD)
• Saint Louis University (SLU)

The following universities are requested to update their chess websites and provide information about their current chess squads. Once this is done, they will be moved to the eligible list above:

• Webster University (WEBSTER)
• Texas Tech University (TTU)
• Harvard University (HARVARD)
• University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
• Brown University (BROWN)

To receive discount codes, head coaches or program managers are requested to complete the form at https://azerichessacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1st-Azeri-Chess-Academy-Open-Collegiate-Form.pdf and send it to info@azerichessacademy.com. All eligible players, including GMs in the program, should be listed in the form, as GMs will be added manually.

Universities not currently listed may be added once their chess program is verified and they are confirmed to have at least two eligible players. Requests from universities not currently listed are subject to review and may be approved or rejected at the organizers’ discretion.

Approved applicants will receive one-time discount codes for registration. The form may be submitted multiple times if needed.

Only one discount may be applied per player.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

A 50% refund will be granted if a player requests cancellation by September 25, 2026, at 12:00 AM. No refunds will be issued after this deadline.

Prize Fund ($13,000, all guaranteed)

• 1st Prize – $5,000 + plaque
• 2nd Prize – $2,500 + plaque
• 3rd Prize – $1,500 + plaque
• 4th Prize – $1,000
• Best Senior – $1,000 + plaque
• Best Junior – $1,000 + plaque
• Best Female – $1,000 + plaque

In the event of ties, main prizes will be split according to the Hort System: each tied player receives half of the designated prize for the place achieved, and the remaining halves are divided equally among the eligible tied players. Category prizes are split equally among eligible tied players.

Category prizes are awarded independently of the main prizes and are not included in main-prize tie calculations. Plaques are not split.

Prizes will be paid via Zelle or PayPal. Fees may apply if a prize is paid through a platform, especially PayPal. Any other payment method is subject to the organizers’ approval.

Prize payments are subject to applicable U.S. tax reporting and withholding requirements. Winners may be required to provide tax documentation before payment is issued. U.S. persons may be asked to submit Form W-9. Non-U.S. persons may be asked to submit the appropriate Form W-8 and may be subject to withholding unless an exemption or treaty benefit applies. Any required withholding will be deducted from the prize payment in accordance with applicable law.

FIDE and USCF Rules

The tournament will be conducted under FIDE rules. In the event of any conflict between FIDE and USCF rules, FIDE rules shall take precedence.

Norm Eligibility

For GM and WGM norms, the tournament satisfies Condition 1.1.3(a) of the FIDE Handbook [https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/B012024]:

1.1.3  No more than two rounds shall be played on any day. Each player must have at least two hours to complete all the moves, assuming the game lasts 60 moves.
a.  In an application for the GM or WGM title based on norms, at least one norm must be achieved in a tournament with only one round per day for a minimum of three days.

If each round has at least 40 players and the average FIDE rating of those players is at least 2000, the tournament will satisfy Condition 1.5.6(a) of the FIDE Handbook [https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/B012024]:

1.5.6 Any title application containing at least one norm achieved after 30/06/2022 must include at least one norm from one of the following:
a.  An individual Swiss tournament in which every round contains at least 40 participants whose average rating is at least 2000. For this purpose, players will be counted only if they miss at most one round, excluding pairing-allocated byes.

USCF Grand Prix Points

150 points.

Starting Rank

Starting rank will be determined in descending order according to the following criteria:

1. FIDE rating
2. Title, in the following order: GM, IM, WGM, FM, WIM, CM, WFM, WCM, untitled
3. Alphabetical order

Pairings

Pairings will be made using the latest available version of Swiss-Manager.

Default Time

The default time is 60 minutes, unless the Chief Arbiter specifies otherwise due to emergency circumstances.

Please note that once a round begins, White’s clock will be started regardless of whether either player is present in the tournament hall.

Draw Rules

Draws before Black’s 30th move are permitted only at the arbiter’s discretion.

Byes

Up to two half-point (0.5) byes are allowed and must be declared during registration or before the pairings for Round 1. No additional byes are permitted except for 0-point byes.

A 1-point bye will be awarded to a player who is left without an opponent when the number of players is odd in a given round.

Please note that any requested 0-point or 0.5-point bye makes the player ineligible for norms. Players receiving conditions are required to play all nine rounds without requesting 0-point or 0.5-point byes.

Tiebreaks

Tiebreaks will be applied in the following order:

• Direct encounter
• Average rating of opponents
• Number of wins

If players remain tied for a place after all tiebreaks have been applied, the winner will be determined by coin toss.

Conditions

Limited conditions are available for high-rated GMs on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that, between GMs enrolled in collegiate chess programs and independent applicants, preference will be given to GMs applying independently.

Streamers and Handicap / Special Requests

If you have any handicap or special request, or if you would like to help promote the tournament through recording or streaming, please contact the organizers through the form at https://azerichessacademy.com/contact-us/?reason=tournament so that your request may be reviewed and, if possible, accommodated.

Equipment and Notation Rules

• Chess sets, clocks, scoresheets, and pens will be provided by the organizers.
• Notation is mandatory, as the time control includes a 30-second increment.
• Players may keep a yellow copy of their scoresheet and a pen. However, players are encouraged to bring an extra pen, as the number of available pens may be limited.

Anti-Cheating Measures and Electronic Devices Policy

• All players are subject to electronic device scanning (“wanding”).
• No electronic devices, including phones and smartwatches, are allowed unless explicitly permitted by the arbiter for medical reasons.
• Designated storage will be provided for electronic devices. All devices must be turned off before being placed in storage.
• Any player found in possession of an electronic device during play will forfeit the game and may be expelled from future rounds.

Appeals Committee

The Appeals Committee shall consist of three main members and two reserve members, all appointed by the Chief Arbiter and announced before Round 1. A player wishing to appeal must submit a written protest to the Appeals Committee no later than one hour after the conclusion of their game and pay a $300 appeal fee. If the appeal is upheld by a majority vote, the fee will be refunded to the claimant.

Eating and Drinking Rules

• Players are required to keep their tables as clean as possible.
• Food must be consumed away from the board.
• Drinks must be consumed away from the board if they are not in a secure container.
• A refrigerator and still water will be available for players inside the tournament hall.

Spectator Policy

Spectators are not allowed in the playing hall, except honorary and invited guests during the first 20 minutes of play. Players who have completed their games must leave the playing hall as soon as possible.

Smoking

Smoking is not allowed in the playing hall. If a designated smoking area is provided, electronic cigarettes will not be permitted there.

Dress Code and Behavior

Players are expected to dress neatly, maintain good hygiene, and behave respectfully. Business or casual attire is preferred. Collegiate players are welcome to wear their university uniforms.

Footwear is mandatory. Flip-flops without socks are not allowed. High-heeled shoes are also not permitted, as they may create excessive noise in the playing hall.

Players must not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Failure to comply with these rules may result in penalties up to and including game forfeiture and expulsion from the tournament.

Photography and Video Recording

By registering, players consent to being photographed and recorded by the organizers and their associates, including for promotional purposes and in disputed cases.

Hotel Info

Players are free to choose their own accommodations. However, we recommend the Holiday Inn Express, located at 3401 North Main Street, Houston, TX 77009, United States, as it is approximately 1 mile from the playing venue and may offer possible discounts [will be announced if they are provided]. Other hotel options within 1 mile that we can recommend include Heights House Hotel, America’s Best Value Inn, and Luxury Inn. Participants are welcome to search online for further information about these options.

Questions

Use the “Questions / Withdraw” button on the left sidebar for information on how to contact the organizers.