Curug, Serang, Banten, bhayaksa.net —- Banten Province has officially become the epicenter of the national chess scene. The 51st National Chess Championship 2026 officially opened at the Convention Hall of UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin, Serang, Banten, running from October 23 to 29, 2026. This premier Indonesian competition, featuring a total of 900 chess players, is set to produce new masters who will represent the nation on the world stage.
The series of events kicked off on Friday, October 23, 2026, with participant arrival and re-registration at 12:00 PM WIB, followed by the technical meeting at 5:00 PM WIB, and the opening ceremony at 7:00 PM WIB. The first round of matches officially commenced on Saturday (10/24) at 9:00 AM WIB, with the second round following at 3:00 PM WIB.
Beyond the tactical battles on the 64-square board, this prestigious event with hundreds of participants is also highlighted by several major agendas. Among them is the 46th Percasi National Working Meeting (Rakernas) at the Le Dian Hotel, which started Saturday at 10:00 AM WIB and runs through Sunday (October 24-25). Additionally, the National Arbiter (WNP) training, upgrading, and NA examination are held from October 25 to 28, alongside the National Coach (PNP) level training and upgrading from October 25 to 27.
Competition is bound to be fierce as the tournament features standard individual matches utilizing a 9-round Swiss system. However, for categories with 10 or fewer participants, the committee will implement a Round Robin (half-competition) system. The time control provided is 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move starting from move one. To determine individual winners under the Swiss system, the evaluated tie-break indicators include Victory Points, Direct Encounter (DE), Buchholz Cut 1, Buchholz, Sonneborn-Berger (SB), and The Great Number of Victory. Pairings and match results for each round can be accessed transparently via the official website chess-results.com.
Intriguingly, the committee enforces strict discipline in line with the FIDE Laws of Chess as of January 1, 2023. While chessboards and pieces are provided by the organizing committee, every participant is required to bring their own chess clock from recommended brands such as DGT, Leap, Yamako, and Silver. Participants who fail to bring a chess clock will automatically default their matches. Other strict regulations include a 30-minute Walk Out (WO) limit for standard chess, the obligation to record moves on the provided scoresheets until the game concludes, and a specific rule stating that players from the same province with a score of around 50% will not face each other in the final round.
This year’s National Championship opens wide opportunities across generations. Categories span from the Open Category with no age limit, the Women’s Category with no age limit, the Senior/Veteran Category for ages 60 and above (born in 1966), to the Junior A Categories which include Under-19, Under-17, Under-15, Under-13, Under-11, Under-9, Under-7, and Under-5 divisions.
Hundreds of millions of rupiah in development funds along with medals await the champions from all over the archipelago. In the Open Category, the PB Percasi perpetual trophy is prepared alongside a development prize of 15 million IDR. The 1st place winner is entitled to 12,500,000 IDR plus a Gold Medal and Certificate; 2nd place receives 9,000,000 IDR along with a Silver Medal and Certificate; while 3rd place earns 6,000,000 IDR plus a Bronze Medal and Certificate.
For the Women’s Category, 1st place claims a development fund of 8,000,000 IDR (Gold Medal & Certificate), 2nd place gets 6,000,000 IDR (Silver Medal & Certificate), and 3rd place takes 4,000,000 IDR (Bronze Medal & Certificate). In the Junior A (U-19) category, 1st place secures 3,500,000 IDR, 2nd place gets 2,000,000 IDR, and 3rd place receives 1,500,000 IDR. Meanwhile, for the Under-17 division, 1st place secures 3,000,000 IDR, Junior B (2nd place) receives 2,000,000 IDR, and 3rd place gets 1,500,000 IDR. Lastly, the Under-15 category offers a development fund of 2,250,000 IDR for 1st place, 1,500,000 IDR for 2nd place, and 1,000,000 IDR for 3rd place, each fully equipped with medals and certificates of achievement.
The tactical battle among the 900 finest chess players is already underway from the first round. Right now, the entire attention of the domestic chess community is fully focused on the intense strategic showdown taking place in Serang City!
Reporter: Rudi Siahaan
Editor: bhayaksa.net Team
