Terms & Conditions

1.1 "Participant" refers to any individual who successfully registers and participates in the Tournament.

1.2 "Organizer" — The Tournament Organizer is Chessbrainz.

1.3 "Platform" — The official playing platform for the Tournament is Lichess.

1.4 "Winner" refers to any Participant who secures a prize position according to the official prize structure. All winners remain provisional until completion of Fair Play and KYC verification.

1.5 "Youth Categories" include the following:

• Under 7 (U7)
• Under 10 (U10)
• Under 13 (U13)

Eligibility shall be determined according to Section 2.3.

1.6 "KYC" refers to identity verification documents and payment details required for prize processing.

2.1 The Tournament is open to players worldwide unless prohibited by local laws or regulations.

2.2 Participants under 18 years of age must have permission from a parent or legal guardian.

2.3 Youth Category Eligibility — Age eligibility will be calculated as of 1 January 2026.

• U7: Born on or after 01 January 2019
• U10: Born on or after 01 January 2016
• U13: Born on or after 01 January 2013

3.1 Participants must register through the official Tournament registration page.

3.2 Providing false, incomplete, or misleading information may result in immediate disqualification.

3.3 Participants must provide a valid Lichess username during registration.

3.4 One Account Policy — Each Participant may use only one Lichess account during the Tournament. Multiple accounts, account sharing, impersonation, or collusion are strictly prohibited.

4.1 The Tournament will be conducted in Arena format on Lichess.

4.2 Official time control: 3+0 Blitz.

4.3 The Tournament duration will be 60 minutes.

4.4 Participants may join after the Tournament has started; however, they will have fewer opportunities to score points.

4.5 All pairings and standings will be automatically managed by the Lichess Arena system.

5.1 Fair Play Monitoring — The Organizer reserves the right to use the following methods:

• Lichess Fair Play systems
• Manual game reviews
• Statistical analysis
• Grandmaster review
• Additional verification methods

5.2 All Tournament results remain provisional until completion of Fair Play and KYC reviews.

5.3 Organizer Rights — The Organizer reserves the right to:

• Disqualify suspicious accounts
• Withhold prizes during investigations
• Request additional verification
• Modify final standings after Fair Play review
• Reallocate prizes if necessary

5.4 All decisions related to Fair Play violations shall be considered final and binding.

6.1 Prize amounts are listed in Indian Rupees (INR). For International Winners, prize payouts will be processed through PayPal.

6.2 Payment Methods:

• Indian Participants: UPI
• International Winners: PayPal

6.3 Winners must submit the required KYC documents and payment details within 7 calendar days of notification. Failure to provide the required details within the specified time may result in forfeiture of prizes at the Organizer's discretion.

6.4 Prize payouts will generally be initiated within 15 business days after successful verification. Processing timelines may vary depending on transaction volume, banking procedures, verification delays, holidays, or technical issues.

6.5 Single Highest Prize Rule — Participants eligible for multiple prizes will receive only the highest applicable prize unless otherwise stated by the Organizer.

Prize eligibility, category rankings, tie breaks, and final standings shall be determined according to the official Lichess Arena ranking system and final Tournament standings. The Organizer reserves the right to review and adjust prize distribution in cases involving Fair Play investigations, disqualifications, eligibility verification, or technical corrections.

6.6 Any applicable taxes, transaction charges, PayPal fees, bank transfer fees, currency conversion fees, or government deductions shall be the responsibility of the Participant where required by law.

6.7 All prizes are subject to successful Fair Play and KYC verification.

In case of tied scores, final standings will follow the official Lichess Arena tiebreak system.

The Organizer reserves the right to apply additional verification procedures if necessary.

8.1 Participants are solely responsible for maintaining a stable internet connection and functioning device during the Tournament.

8.2 The Organizer shall not be responsible for:

• Internet disconnections
• Device malfunctions
• Lichess outages
• Technical interruptions beyond reasonable control

8.3 Force Majeure — The Organizer reserves the right to postpone, modify, suspend, or cancel the Tournament due to unforeseen circumstances, technical issues, operational requirements, or events beyond reasonable control.

By participating, all Participants grant Chessbrainz permission to use the following for promotional, educational, marketing, streaming, and social media purposes:

• Names
• Usernames
• Scores
• Standings
• Game PGNs
• Screenshots
• Tournament related media

Participant information will only be used for:

• Tournament operations
• Verification
• Prize distribution
• Official communication

The Organizer will not intentionally share personal information with unauthorized third parties except where required for payment processing, legal compliance, or operational purposes.

These Terms & Conditions shall be governed by the laws of India.

Any disputes arising from the Tournament shall fall under the jurisdiction of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

By registering for the Tournament, Participants confirm that they have fully read, understood, and accepted all Tournament rules, policies, and Organizer decisions.