66th National Inter-School Team Chess Championships 2025

Categories: 

Schedule:

Arbiters’ Briefing	9.45am
Round 1	10am
Round 2	11am
Round 3	12pm
Lunch	1pm*
Round 4	2pm
Round 5	3pm
Round 6	4pm
Prize Presentation	5.30pm

# The Singapore Chess Federation reserves the right to amend schedules and combine categories depending on the registration response across all categories.

Prizes:

a. Best Primary School Teams and Best Secondary School Teams:

To determine the winners of the Best Primary and Secondary prizes, the cumulative scores of the top six teams from each school in both the primary and secondary categories will be tabulated.

The schools with the highest combined match points will be awarded the Best Primary and Secondary prizes respectively. If there is a tie, cumulative tiebreaks described in Point 10 will be used. They will hold possession of the challenge trophy for one year.

b. Category: Trophies shall be awarded to the Top 3 teams in each category

c. Zonal: Medals for the Top 3 teams each in North, South, East and West Zones & International Schools.

d. Board Prizes: Medals for the top-performing players on Board 1 to Board 4, individually, in each category will receive Best Board prizes. These prizes are awarded to individuals who achieve the highest points on their respective boards. If tied for points, it will be resolve via the following tiebreaks in succession:

1. Direct Encounter
2. Buccholz Cut 1
3. Buccholz
4. Sonnenborn Berger
5. Cumulative system – Sum of Progressive Scores (Sum of Progressive Scores: After each round a player has a certain tournament score. These scores are added to determine the total Sum of Progressive Score)

e. A team can win more than 1 prize.

Registration fees and method

a. The registration fee:
– MOE schools and local schools (tertiaries) – $110 per team (not inclusive of S$9.90 for GST).
– International Schools – $160 per team (not inclusive of S$14.40 for GST)

b. The authorised teacher in charge/ school representative will submit the registration of teams through this link.

c. The registration of every team must be endorsed by the school principal.

d. Each registered team (4 players) may be accompanied by 4 Accompanying Person*.

*Accompanying Person = Teachers / Parents / Coaches.

e. Please provide photo-identification when requested.

Registration deadline:

25 August 2025 (Monday), 6p.m.
Subject to space availability. No late entries will be accepted.

Tournament format and time control

a. The Championship shall be played under FIDE Laws of Chess.

b. This is a non-FIDE Rated event. However, all participants are required to have FIDE IDs  for pairing and administrative purposes.

• To register for FIDE ID, click here.
  Foreigners will need to seek their respective country’s chess federation for issuance of FIDE ID

c. Time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds increment from move 1. Default time shall be 15 minutes.

d. Team Composition & Board Order

• A team shall consist of 4 players, who shall be listed in a fixed order before the competition begins. Registration is invalid for teams whose submission has less than 4 players. No changes in board order is allowed upon submission.
• The average rating of the Team will be used for pairing purposes only.
• There shall be no imposition of rating in board order.
• Players must play in the order submitted – For each wrong placing in the team, a default of 1 point shall be awarded to the opposing team.

e. A player can play in only one team (multiple entries in other categories are not allowed).

f. A younger player may play in a higher age-group category but not vice versa.

g. A team shall comprise four players, one of whom is the captain.

h. A team comprising boys and girls must be registered in the Open Category according to age group.

i. Each school is only allowed to register a maximum of 3 teams for each category (E.g U8 Girls 3 teams AND U8 Open 3 Teams).

j. The organiser reserves the right to combine categories with fewer than 6 teams.

k. The number of rounds for each category will depend on the number of teams in the category.

Team Captain

a. The Team Captain is required to ensure the proper filling up of players’ line-up and the results on the result slip.

b. Both Team Captains are to submit/confirm the result together to the Arbiter in charge of the area.

c. Result slips signed and confirmed are taken to be the final results.

d. Captains are to check before signing & submitting the result slips.

e. Under no circumstances should there be any communication between players. This includes, but is not limited to draw offers, asking about teammates’ games, calling flag fall, etc.

f. Team Captains are only allowed to stand behind their respective teams.

Submission of Results

a. Upon the completion of a match, both Captains shall submit the duly signed Results Sheets to the Arbiter-in-charge.

b. Where there is a walkover, this shall be indicated on the Result Sheet.

c. A team conceding a walkover shall not be paired for the next round and the Chief Arbiter must be consulted before the team can be reinstated for subsequent rounds.

d. All results on Results Sheets shall stand once they are submitted.

Scoring

a. Each match is scored by match points. A winner gets 2 points, a draw gives 1 point to each team, a loss – 0 points.

b. The result for each match is determined by the accumulated game point scored by the team. 1 Game Point for a game won, ½ Game Point for a draw and 0 Game Point for a game lost.

c. The team receiving a BYE shall be awarded 2 Match Points & 2 Game Points.

Tie Break

a. The team with the highest number of MATCH Points will be declared the winner.

b. In the case of a tie for the 1st position, it shall be resolved by ‘Direct Encounter*’.

• *Direct Encounter – starting with the results on Board 1. If the result on Board 1 is a draw, the tie-break will be decided by the results on Board 2. If the results on Board 2 is a draw, the tie-break will be decided by the results on Board 3. If the results on Board 3 is a draw, the tie-break will be decided by the results on Board 4. If the results remain a tie, the tie-breaks below shall apply.

c. In the case of a tie, for the purpose for determining the final position, it shall be resolved by:

i GAME Points;
ii. Results between the teams involved;
iii. Sum of the Game Points of all the team’s opponents.

Pairings & entering tournament hall

a. Pairings for each round will be posted on Chess-Results.com & on the ‘Pairing List Notice Board’.

b. QR Code to Chess-Results.com will be made available at various locations within the Holding Area.

c. Players may enter the tournament hall as soon as the pairing is published.

d. Summarise Chess-Results.com example guide – https://tinyurl.com/ChessResultsGuideNST

Dress Code

a. All players must be in school attire (eg full/half uniform, PE attire, CCA Attire). Failing which they would not be allowed to play until they are appropriately attired.

b. Players from tertiary institutions, or international schools, who do not have school attires (as described above); will have to wear ‘Student identification cards’ at all times (eg on a lanyard), visible at all times.

Recording

a. Recording is not compulsory.

b. Players shall have no right of claim in the case of a dispute if they do not keep a proper record of their games.

Disputes

a. Any dispute arising from a game shall be referred to the Section Arbiter or Chief Arbiter.

b. Chief Arbiter’s decision shall be final.

c. No correspondence will be entertained after the game.

Electronic Devices

a. The use of mobile phones or electronic devices is prohibited.

b. All electronics must be kept in bags, and the bags must be stowed beneath the table during each round

c. Any ring or sound arising from such devices during the game shall warrant an immediate loss without appeal.

Conduct

a. All players/parents/teachers in charge are reminded that they are guests of OFS. Any misconduct/safety breaches will be highlighted to their respective school’s principal. SCF may also suspend/ban the player from subsequent events depending on the severity of misbehavior.

Holding Area

a. All participants/parents and teachers are only allowed to be on level 1. Prohibited areas will be cordoned off and non-OFS personnel will not be allowed to go outside of the designated areas. Any non-OFS personnel caught trespassing OFS grounds may be subject to disciplinary action.

b. Teacher in Charge/Parents will assist to ensure their students do not wander around OFS premises.

c. All participants are to keep the school compound clean and watch out for their own safety. Players should not be running around the premises, especially up and down the escalators.

d. Strictly no playing of ball games on field/basketball courts.

Meals

a. Pre-Event Online Food Catering Order form will be tentatively available after 15th June 2025 on this page.

b. Payment shall be made at the time of submitting the pre-order forms.

c. Meals can be collected at the pre-designated area in the canteen.

d. Participants shall consume their meal at the designated area assigned by OFS Management.

e. All participants must clean up after themselves and maintain the cleanliness of the OFS compound. Anyone caught littering will be reported to their respective school and may face penalties in the tournament.

Vehicle drop-off/Pick-up/Food Delivery/Parking at OFS

a. Any vehicle entering into OFS can provide ‘registration email confirmation’ to security at OFS. 

b. Only individuals who can provide proof may be allowed to enter OFS.

c. All vehicle drop-off will be at B1 area.

d. When event has ended, pick up will be at the admin block

e. All Food Delivery pick-up will be at the Security Guard House (main gate entrance).

f. All vehicles may park at B2 parking area.

Others

a. Non-players of the event (parents/accompanying persons, etc) are not allowed within the Playing Area, during rounds.

b. Any player found prompting would be expelled from the tournament immediately and no replacement shall be allowed.

c. On completion of a game, a player must leave the Playing Area, except for the Team Captain who has the responsibility of supervising his/her team. Any player found infringing this rule would be expelled from the tournament and no replacement shall be allowed.

d. No analysis of games or friendly games is allowed in the Playing Hall. Offenders shall be expelled directly from the tournament and play no further part in the tournament.

e. For any clarification, please email: singchess@singaporechess.org.sg  with the subject header: NST 2025 – ENQUIRY

Annex 1: Overseas Family School – Directional Guide

1. The Dropoff/Pickup Area – at B1 Level.

2. Holding Area & Tournament Hall – Ground Floor.

3. In between rounds, Participants/Teachers/Parents/Coaches are to stay at the Holding area.

Please do not gather, or wait at any other areas.

4. All other areas are out-off-bounds.

Strictly no playing of ball games on field/basketball courts.

Please ensure that all participants adhere to this.

5. For each round, once pairings are published, all participants may proceed to the tournament hall.