3rd UzChess Cup 2026 brings one of Central Asia’s strongest classical chess festivals back to Tashkent, Uzbekistan from June 6 to June 16, 2026. The event features four sections: Masters, Challengers, Futures, and Open, and it combines elite round-robin groups with a wide-entry Swiss tournament.

The structure gives the tournament extra depth. The Masters, Challengers, and Futures groups each use a 10-player round-robin format, while the Open section runs as a 9-round Swiss. In addition, the winner of each lower section earns promotion to the next group for the next edition, which gives the event a clear internal pathway.

The festival also stands out because of its scale. The published total prize fund is USD 121,500, and the Open section adds separate women’s prizes. Moreover, the organizers have published detailed entry rules, visa timing, attendance confirmation rules, and fair-play conditions for all participants.

🏁 Event Details

The Masters and Open groups run from June 7 to June 15, while the Challengers and Futures groups run from June 8 to June 15.

⏱️ Time Control & Pairings

The Masters section is a 9-round round-robin with a classical control of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 30 minutes to finish, with a 30-second increment from move 1. Meanwhile, the Challengers and Futures groups also play 9-round round robins, but they use 90 minutes for the game plus 30 seconds from move 1. The Open section follows a 9-round Swiss with the same 90+30 format.

The tournament applies several strict playing rules. Draw offers are not allowed before move 30. In addition, the maximum lateness is 15 minutes, and the chief arbiter may remove a player from the next round if that player misses a game without prior notice. Pairings use Swiss-Manager.

Tie-breaks differ by section. In the Masters, Challengers, and Futures groups, the order is direct encounter, Sonneborn-Berger, number of wins, number of wins with Black, and tournament performance rating. In the Open, the order is Buchholz Cut 1, Buchholz, direct encounter, number of wins, and tournament performance rating.

💰 Prize Fund

The festival offers a total confirmed prize fund of USD 121,500. The distribution is USD 80,000 for Masters, USD 25,000 for Challengers, USD 11,500 for Futures, and USD 5,000 for Open. In addition, the Open section includes a separate women’s prize table.

Masters Prize Breakdown

Challengers Prize Breakdown

Futures Prize Breakdown

Open Prize Breakdown

Prizes are not cumulative. If a player qualifies in more than one category, that player receives the larger prize or the main prize. Moreover, the organizers may deduct bank charges, and they plan prize payment within 45 banking business days after the winner submits the required documents.

♟️ Sections / Groups

The 2026 edition also keeps the promotion chain inside the festival. Therefore, the Open winner qualifies for the Futures group of the next UzChess Cup, the Futures winner moves up to Challengers, and the Challengers winner moves up to Masters.

📅 Schedule

The Open follows the same playing days as Masters. Meanwhile, Challengers and Futures start one day later.

📝 Registration

Eligible invited players in the closed groups had to confirm participation in writing by May 15, 2026. In addition, Uzbek players in the closed groups had to apply in writing by June 1, 2026 and show proof of 2026 federation membership payment.

👤 Organizer

The Youth Affairs Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Uzbekistan Chess Federation organize the festival together. They oversee the closed invitation groups, the open event, and the overall tournament logistics in Tashkent.

Phone: +998 95 511 14 00
Email: uzchess@inbox.ru

📍 Venue

Open: Crowne Plaza, Anhor bo’yi Street 10A, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Masters / Challengers / Futures: International Chess Academy, Zulfiyahonim Street 17, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

The tournament uses two playing sites in Tashkent. Therefore, players should check their section carefully before arrival and plan local transport around the correct venue.

🚗 How to Get There

The full festival takes place in Tashkent, with one venue for the Open and another for the three closed groups. Because of that split setup, the safest approach is to arrange local travel directly to the correct playing site after arrival in the city.

ℹ️ Other

The organizers apply several important event rules. All participants must follow fair-play rules, and the chief arbiter may disqualify a player at any time on fair-play grounds. In addition, the live broadcast will run with a 15-minute delay, and participants may not appeal pairings made during the tournament.

The event also includes practical administrative rules. Players may appeal an arbiter decision within one hour after the last game of the round. Foreign prize winners must obtain a PINFL number from the Tax Committee of Uzbekistan. Moreover, the organizers will not award prizes to players who miss the closing ceremony, and all prize information must be submitted through Telegram @azkomilion.

FIDE dress code is mandatory throughout the event. In addition, players must join media activities and interviews. If a player skips a required interview, the organizer will impose a USD 200 fine for each missed interview.

This Tashkent festival combines elite invitation chess, a strong open tournament, and one of the largest published prize funds in the region.