Edition 2027 · The annual championship
The story
Every year the sharpest young minds sit down across sixty-four squares. One open Selection Round. Thirty-two qualify. Eight groups, one road, and a single player walks away as champion.
From a Selection Round on Lichess to a four-game final: seven stages, 130 games plus tiebreaks, one champion.
Stage 1 of 7
5+0
4 February 2027 at 7:30 PM. The top 32 qualify, numbered 1 to 32. That rank sets their group and their colours later.
Stage 2 of 7
5+0
Eight groups of four, filled by rank. Every pair plays twice with colours reversed, and the top two in each group go through.
Stage 3 of 7
10+0
Group winners meet runners-up: A1 v H2, H1 v A2, D1 v E2, E1 v D2, C1 v F2, F1 v C2, B1 v G2, G1 v B2.
Stage 4 of 7
10+5
The winners of matches 1 and 2 meet, then 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8. The better-ranked player has White in game 1.
Stage 5 of 7
15+5
Quarterfinal 1 meets quarterfinal 2, and 3 meets 4. The winners reach the final and the losers play for third place.
Stage 6 of 7
15+10
The two semifinal losers play one last series for third place.
Stage 7 of 7
25+2
All four games are played, with colours alternating. At 2–2 the final goes to the tiebreak.
How to enter
Entry is open to every eligible player. Register through the form, then play the Selection Round on Lichess for one of the 32 places.
50 BDT
Paid with your registration.
10 Jan 2027
Register through the official form before the deadline.
4 Feb 2027
7:30 PM on Lichess. A Swiss of 10 rounds at 5+0. The top 32 qualify, ranked 1 to 32.
Certificates for the champion, the runner-up and third place. More prizes will be announced.
The road to the crown
Now Selection Round
Lichess · 10 rounds · 5+0
An open Swiss on 4 February. The top 32 qualify and are ranked 1 to 32. Group A gets ranks 1, 9, 17 and 25, Group B 2, 10, 18 and 26, and so on to Group H.
6 rounds · 96 games · 5+0
Eight groups of four. Everyone plays everyone twice, once with each colour. Win 1, draw ½. The top two go through.
8 series · 16 games · 10+0
Group winners meet a runner-up from the far side: A1 against H2, H1 against A2, and so on. Two games, colours reversed. Level? A 3+2 tiebreak decides.
4 series · 8 games · 10+5
Eight players left. Two games each; the better-ranked player has White in game one.
2 series · 4 games · 15+5
Four players, two series, one seat each in the final. The losers play a 15+10 series for third place.
4 games · 25+2
Two players, four games, every one of them played.
One champion.
Group stage
The portal
When the countdown hits zero, the board unlocks. Every game in the tournament is played and followed right here.
Replay · The Opera Game, Paris 1858
Who it's for
Your group, your next opponent and a live countdown to the moment your board unlocks.
Run match day: place the qualifiers by rank, schedule every round, arbitrate games and rule on disputes.
Watch every live board at once and post commentary right beside the game.
Everything moderators can do, plus creating each year's edition and every account.
Questions
Any Bangladeshi citizen who is currently a student, is under 30 and has an active Lichess account. Register through the official form by 10 January 2027; the entry fee is 50 BDT.
It is played on Lichess on 4 February 2027 at 7:30 PM: a Swiss of 10 rounds at 5+0. The top 32 qualify and are ranked 1 to 32 by their finish. That rank places them in the groups and settles colours and close calls later on.
Qualifiers get an email and password from the organisers. Players, moderators, commentators and admins all use the same sign-in page.
Be online 15 minutes before the start. White must make the first move within 5 minutes of the start, and Black within 5 minutes of White's first move. A player who misses that deadline loses the game by forfeit; if neither player turns up, both forfeit. The clocks start once both players have moved.
Every tie is a two-game series with colours reversed, and the final is four games, all of them played. The better-ranked player has White in game one. If a series is level, one 3+2 tiebreak game is played with the colours of the last game reversed. If that is drawn too, a 3+2 decider: the lower-ranked player picks the colour, and a draw sends the higher-ranked player through.
Points first (win 1, draw ½), then Sonneborn-Berger, then the number of wins, then the games between the tied players, then the better Selection Round rank.
Your clock keeps running, so rejoin from the same link as fast as you can. If the platform itself fails, the arbiters decide how the game continues.
No engines, opening books or outside help during a game. Breaking the fair-play rules is penalised, up to forfeiting games or disqualification. Report a problem to the arbiter within 5 minutes of the game; appeals go to the organisers within 15 minutes of a decision.
Yes. Draw offers are allowed, and an offer stands until your opponent accepts it, declines it or makes a move.
Register for this year's tournament. Once the organisers confirm your place, your group, your opponents and the countdown to your first game are waiting in the portal.
