General Regulations
PDF format)The World Chess Federation (FIDE)
The Czech Chess Federation
AVE CHESS agency
FIDE WORLD SENIOR TEAM CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
Categories 50+ and 65+
Prague, Czech Republic, 16th – 27th February 2025
GENERAL REGULATIONS
1. Invitation
AVE CHESS agency (the organizer of Czech Open Pardubice and Czech Tour Chess Festivals Series), the Czech Chess Federation and the International Chess Federation (FIDE) have the honour to invite all senior women and men throughout the world to participate in the WORLD SENIOR TEAM CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP (categories 50+ and 65+) organised in Prague (the Czech Republic) from 16th February (arrival) to 27th February 2025 (departure).
2. Participation
The World Senior Team Chess Championship is open to all players, regardless of rating and title, who reach their age of 50 and 65 by 31st December 2025 and represent National Chess Federations which are members of FIDE. Teams can register only through their national chess federations. There is no limit in the number of teams per federation (club teams, city teams, regional teams, national teams, etc. may start in the championship, there is no limitation). There is only one limitation – all team players must be members of the same chess federation (for example CZE).
According to the FIDE tournament rules, the World Championship will be played in four categories: age 50+ and 65+ (Open and women). A separate tournament will take place only with a minimum of 10 teams from at least 2 continents. If these conditions are not met, then the teams may participate in the corresponding age category in the Open Section, or (in case of Women 65+), they can take part in the Women’s section 50+.
All teams are obliged to be accommodated in one of the official hotels through the organizer.
3. Entry fees and registration and Visa information
The entry fee is 120 EUR per player.
The deposit for accommodation is 200 EUR per person.
The registration period ends on 1st January 2025 (application deadline). Late registration entry fee is 240 EUR per player.
Registration instructions will be published on the official website worldseniorteam2025.fide.com.
Please note that the Czech Republic is a part of the Schengen Area. Requests for Visa invitation letter will be included in the application form and submitted before the application deadline. These requests can be processed earlier by e-mail if required.
For further information see the official website of Czech government: https://mzv.gov.cz/jnp/en/information_for_aliens/index.html
The person responsible for the team's application will pay the entry fee for all players and the deposit for the accommodation of all players, including accompanying persons, until the end of registration to the account of AVE CHESS z. s.: IBAN – CZ96 0100 0001 2372 9323 0257, SWIFT/BIC – KOMBCZPPXXX.
The rest payment for accommodation will be paid by 1st February 2025.
In exceptional cases, payments can be made on site by cash upon agreement with the organizer.
In addition to the written application, personal attendence and accreditation by a responsible person at the venue before the start of the tournament is also required. It will take place at the Olympik Hotel on 16th February between 14:00 and 22:00 and on 17th February between 8:00 and 10:00, or at the latest by ending the technical meeting. Players who are not so accredited will not be included in the draw and their entry fees will be forfeited.
Access to playing areas, venues and the hotels will be allowed only to people accredited by the organizer.
4. Tournament halls
The tournament hall for 65+ open category and women 65+ category is situated at the Olympik Congress hotel, U Sluncove 14, Praha 8.
The tournament halls for 50+ open category and women 50+category is situated at the Olympik hotel, Sokolovska 138, Praha 8.
5. Accommodation and boarding
Accommodation and boarding will be arranged at following hotels:
Olympik Artemis hotel****+, U Sluncove 14, Praha 8
(WiFi in a room and common areas, full board can be purchased for 15 EUR / person per day)
Single room - 117 EUR / room per night with half board
Double room – 77 EUR / person per night with half board
Triple room – 67 EUR / person per night with half board
Olympik hotel****, Sokolovska 138, Praha
(WiFi in a room and common areas)
Single room - 112 EUR / room per night with full board
Double room – 82 EUR / person per night with full board
Triple room – 77 EUR / person per night with full board
Olympik Congress hotel****, U Sluncove 14, Praha 8
(WiFi in a room and common areas)
Single room - 112 EUR / room per night with full board
Double room – 82 EUR / person per night with full board
Triple room – 77 EUR / person per night with full board
Olympik, Tristar hotel***+, U Sluncove 14, Praha 8
(WiFi in a room and common areas, full board can be purchased for 32 EUR / person per day, half board for 17 EUR / person per day)
Single room - 75 EUR / room per night with breakfast
Double room – 45 EUR / person per night with breakfast
Triple room – 40 EUR / person per night with breakfast
EA Embassy****+, Petrska 31, Praha 1
(distance from the playing area at the Olympik hotel 3 km, 2 stops by metro – line B; WiFi in a room and common areas, full board can be purchased for 17 EUR / person per day)
Single room COMFORT – 119 EUR / room per night with half board
Double room COMFORT – 79 EUR / person per night with half board
Triple room COMFORT – 67 EUR / person per night with half board
Single room SUPERIOR - 129 EUR / room per night with half board
Double room SUPERIOR – 85 EUR / person per night with half board
Triple room SUPERIOR – 72 EUR / person per night with half board
4-bed family room SUPERIOR – 64 EUR / person per night with half board
Guests over the age of 18 pay a municipality fee to the city of Prague in the amount of 50 CZK (~ 2 EUR) / night upon arrival at the reception.
Parking in the Olympik area for participants at a special price of 300 CZK (~ 12 EUR) / day.
All participants must be accommodated in official hotels.
6. Tournament schedule
| Sunday | 16th February | arrival | |
| Sunday | 16th February | 14:00 – 22:00 | teams registration |
| Monday | 17th February | 8.00 - 10:00 | teams registration |
| 11:00 | technical meeting | ||
| 14:45 | opening ceremony | ||
| 15:00 | 1st round | ||
| Tuesday | 18th February | 15:00 | 2nd round |
| Wednesday | 19th February | 15:00 | 3rd round |
| Thursday | 20th February | 15:00 | 4th round |
| Friday | 21st February | 15:00 | 5th round |
| Saturday | 22nd February | 15:00 | free day |
| Sunday | 23rd February | 15:00 | 6th round |
| Monday | 24th February | 15:00 | 7th round |
| Tuesday | 25th February | 15:00 | 8th round |
| Wednesday | 26th February | 13:00 | 9th round |
| 20:30 | closing ceremony | ||
| Thursday | 27th February | departure |
7. Rules and regulations
The FIDE Tournament Rules should be followed.
The championship will be played by a 9-rounds Swiss system.
It will be played on 4 chessboards with 1 allowed reserve player (teams can consist of 4 or 5 members).
The time control is 90 minutes/40 moves + 30 minutes for the rest of the game + 30 sec for each move from the first move.
Default time for all 9 rounds is 30 minutes.
8. Anti-Cheating guidelines
The FIDE Anti-Cheating guidelines are also valid for the World Senior Team Chess Championship. During the championship random AC inspections are possible.
9. Appeals procedure
A protest against the decision of an Arbiter must be submitted in writing to the Chief Arbiter, within 30 minutes after the end of the game. A protest fee of 200 Euro has to be paid to FIDE and it is refundable if the protest is upheld. The Appeals Committee may also decide to refund the fee if it considers the appeal was not frivolous.
10. Tie-break criteria
- number of match points (win = 2 points, draw 1 point, lost game 0 points)
- number of game points (score)
- mutual game
- Buchholz Cut 1
- Buchholz
- Sonneborn-Berger
The team with a free lot will obtain 2 match points and 50% of points to the score. If the opponent default the match, the team will obtain 2 match points and 100% of points to the score.
Prizes for teams, which get the same number of match points and game points, are distributed according to the Hort system (among such number of teams which corresponds to the number of advertised prizes).
11. Arbiters and Appeals committee
The names of the Chief Arbiter and the Chairman of Appeals committee will be published by due date. Names of other arbiters and members of the Appeals committee will be announced during the technical meeting.
12. Chess equipment
The FIDE approved chess equipment will be used for the event.
13. Awards and titles
The winning team of the World Senior Team Chess Championship in +50 category receives the title “World Senior Team Champion 2025 in the category +50”.
The winning team of the World Senior Team Chess Championship in +65 category receives the title “World Senior Team Champion 2025 in the category +65”.
The winning women team of the World Senior Team Chess Championship in the women category +50 receives the title “World Senior Team Champion 2025 in the women category +50”.
The winning women team of the World Senior Team Chess Championship in the women category +65 receives the title “World Senior Team Champion 2025 in the women category +65”.
14. Prizes (in EUR)
| Prize fund | WSTCC Open | WSTCC Open | WSTCC - women | WSTCC - women |
| Rank | category 50+ | category 65+ | category W50+ | category W65+ |
| 1 | 1 500 | 1 500 | 500 | 500 |
| 2 | 1 000 | 1 000 | 200 | 200 |
| 3 | 700 | 700 | 100 | 100 |
| 4 | 500 | 500 | ||
| 5 | 300 | 300 | ||
| 6 | 200 | 200 |
Valuable material prizes will be prepared for best players on individual chessboards.
Criteria will be specified during the technical meeting.
15. Parallel activities
Rapid and blitz tournaments
Guided tour of the Prague historical centre
16. Airport transfer
The organizer arranges the transfer for participants and accompanying persons from the Vaclav Havel airport in Prague to the official hotels on the arrival day (16th February) and back on the departure day (27th February) free of charge, in other days for 15 EUR / 1 person and way.
17. Applications and information
AVE CHESS z.s., Pricna 1892/4, 110 00 Praha, Czech Republic
Tournament director: IO Petr Pisk
Phone: +420 466 535 200, mobile phone +420 608 203 007
E-mail: worldseniorteam@fide.com, official website in English: worldseniorteam2025.fide.com