2nd Chessaka Youth Cup 2026 is a friendly over-the-board rapid chess tournament for young players, taking place on October 10, 2026 at Chessaka, Caissa Osaka Chess Club’s chess center in Esaka, Suita City.
The event is open to players aged 6 to 18 who know the rules of chess. Both beginners and experienced tournament players are welcome. The emphasis is on regular competitive practice in a friendly environment where young players can meet and play against others of a similar age or playing strength.
The tournament consists of five rapid games with 15 minutes per player and no increment. It is an unrated competition, so participation does not require a national or FIDE rating.
♟️ Event Details
| 🏷️ Event name | 2nd Chessaka Youth Cup 2026 |
| 📅 Date | October 10, 2026 |
| 🇯🇵 City / Country | Suita, Osaka, Japan |
| 📍 Venue | Chessaka – Caissa Japan GK, Room 502, Esaka Business Zone, 18-37 Toyotsucho, Suita-shi, Osaka 564-0051, Japan |
| 👦 Age eligibility | 6–18 years |
| ♟️ Format | Rapid |
| 🔢 Rounds | 5 |
| 🧩 Tournament system | Individual Swiss system |
| 📊 Rating | Unrated |
| 👨💼 Tournament Director | Leonard Brinkmann |
| 👨⚖️ Chief Arbiter | Leonard Brinkmann |
| 👥 Organizer | Caissa Osaka Chess Club |
| 🌐 Official website | https://www.caissajp.com/cyc |
| 🏆 Chess-Results | https://chess-results.com/tnr1485071.aspx?lan=1 |
⏱️ Time Control & Pairings
The tournament is played over five rounds using the Swiss system.
| ⏱️ Time control | 15 minutes per player |
| ➕ Increment | None |
| 🔢 Rounds | 5 |
| 🧩 Pairing system | Swiss system |
| 📊 Rating calculation | None – unrated tournament |
| 💻 Pairing software | Swiss-Manager |
| 🏆 Pairings / Results | https://chess-results.com/tnr1485071.aspx?lan=1 |
The event is not a knockout tournament. Therefore, every participant can play all five scheduled games.
🏆 Prize Fund
The Chessaka Youth Cup uses a group-based prize system rather than a published cash prize fund.
Players are assigned to groups according to their playing strength and/or age category. They remain associated with their assigned group during the tournament cycle and compete for prizes within that group.
The organizer has not published monetary prize amounts.
The prize-giving ceremony is scheduled for approximately 17:00.
👥 Sections / Groups
The Chessaka Youth Cup is designed to accommodate players with different levels of tournament experience.
Participants are placed into groups based primarily on:
| ♟️ Playing strength | Players may be grouped with others of a similar level |
| 🎂 Age | Age may also be considered when forming groups |
| 👦 Eligible ages | 6–18 years |
The groups do not operate as completely separate tournaments. During the event, a player may be paired against somebody from another group.
For example, a player performing particularly well may face an opponent from a stronger group. Likewise, another player may be paired with someone from a lower group depending on tournament performance.
This format allows the organizer to maintain competitive pairings while still recognizing players within appropriate development groups.
📅 Schedule
| ⏰ Time | ♟️ Activity |
|---|---|
| 13:15–13:45 | Desk Registration / Check-in |
| 14:00 | Round 1 |
| 14:30 | Round 2 |
| 15:00 | Round 3 |
| 15:30 | Round 4 |
| 16:00 | Round 5 |
| Around 17:00 | Prize Giving |
Players should arrive during the registration period so that the organizer can confirm attendance before the first-round pairings.
📝 Registration
Registration is available directly through the official Chessaka Youth Cup page:
Entry Fees
| 👤 Participant Category | 💴 Entry Fee | 💵 Approx. USD |
|---|---|---|
| Regular participant | ¥3,300 | approx. $30 |
| Caissa student | ¥3,000 | approx. $20 |
When completing the online registration form, participants are asked to provide the player’s first and last name, email address, mobile phone number and year of birth.
For this tournament, select:
October 10 – 2nd CYC
The event is open to young players aged 6–18 who know how to play chess. A national or FIDE rating is not required.
👥 Organizer
| 👥 Organizer | Caissa Osaka Chess Club |
| 👤 Contact Person | Leonard Brinkmann |
| ✉️ Email | contact@caissajp.com |
| 📞 Phone | +81 70-5432-6915 |
📍 Venue
Chessaka – Caissa Japan GK, Room 502, Esaka Business Zone, 18-37 Toyotsucho, Suita-shi, Osaka 564-0051, Japan
Chessaka is Caissa Osaka Chess Club’s chess center in Esaka, Suita City, north of central Osaka.
The center hosts Caissa’s chess classes, youth tournaments, club nights and other over-the-board chess activities. The Chessaka Youth Cup is one of the club’s regular tournament series held at the venue.
🚆 How to Get There
Chessaka is approximately five minutes on foot from Esaka Station.
Nearest station: Esaka Station
Esaka Station is served by the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line and the Kita-Osaka Kyuko Line, providing convenient access from central Osaka and Shin-Osaka.
From central Osaka, players can travel directly toward Esaka on the Midosuji Line. Those arriving by Shinkansen at Shin-Osaka can also continue directly to Esaka.
Players should allow additional time before the tournament because desk registration closes at 13:45.
ℹ️ Other Information
The Chessaka Youth Cup is a recurring youth tournament series organized by Caissa Osaka Chess Club. The autumn 2026 cycle includes events on September 12, October 10 and December 5.
The tournament is designed particularly for young players who need regular over-the-board practice. A friendly atmosphere is an important part of the event, while the Swiss pairing system still gives participants a competitive tournament experience.
Because the competition is unrated, complete beginners who already understand the rules can participate alongside more experienced youth players.
All players receive five scheduled games rather than being eliminated after a loss.
Official Tournament & Registration Page:
https://www.caissajp.com/cyc
Caissa Osaka Chess Club:
https://www.caissajp.com/
Chess-Results:
https://chess-results.com/tnr1485071.aspx?lan=1
Additional Details
Organizer
♟️ About the Organizer
Caissa Osaka Chess Club is a chess academy and tournament organizer based in Osaka, Japan, operating under Caissa Japan GK. The Japan Chess Federation recognizes it as an official registered chess club, with Leonard Brinkmann listed as its representative. The club promotes chess throughout Osaka and the wider Kansai region through structured instruction, school programs, community activities, and over-the-board competition. Its training program serves children and adults at different playing levels and incorporates the internationally established Step Method. The coaching team includes experienced competitive players and FIDE-qualified instructors, while its educational activities focus on calculation, logical reasoning, planning, concentration, and practical tournament preparation.
🏆 Tournaments and Chess Events
Caissa Osaka Chess Club organizes standard, rapid, blitz, scholastic, team, open, and age-group competitions. Its tournament program includes FIDE-rated events as well as competitions rated by the Japan Chess Federation. Events connected with the club include the Osaka Wine Cup, Kansai Rapid Masters, Kansai Blitz Masters, and scholastic tournaments for international and local schools. In May 2026, the club organized the first MBIS Kobe Open Scholastic Chess Tournament, bringing together students from schools across the Kansai region and beyond. Caissa Osaka is also one of the organizing clubs behind the Japan Chess Classic 2026, together with Osaka Abeno Chess Club, Osaka En Passant Chess Club, and the Japan Chess Federation.
🌱 Chess Education and Regional Development
The club combines regular coaching with practical competitive opportunities, allowing students to progress from introductory lessons to nationally and internationally rated tournaments. It works with schools and families in Osaka, Kobe, and other parts of Kansai, while also developing scholastic events in other Japanese cities. The Osaka operation is managed by Leonard Brinkmann, an experienced chess instructor and tournament organizer who teaches in English, German, and Japanese. Through cooperation with schools, other Japanese chess clubs, professional coaches, arbiters, and the national federation, Caissa Osaka Chess Club helps expand access to organized chess and supports a modern, internationally connected chess community in Japan.
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