NZ Chess Congress 2025 held in Waipuna Conference Centre, Auckland from 2nd to 12th January is the 132nd New Zealand Chess Congress.

NZ Chess Congress 2025

Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre viewed from across lagoon
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NZ Chess Congress 2025

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NZ Chess Congress 2025 is held in the Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre, Auckland from 2nd to 12th January 2025. This is the 132nd New Zealand Chess Congress which was first held in 1879.

The Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre been sold but the status of NZ Chess Congress 2025 venue booking has not been impacted by change of ownership.

Results

Prizewinners

Prizewinners would be listed here.

Vega Webpage View

Live Game Broadcast

Link to broadcast of live games. (when available)

Photos available from

(when available)

Entry Details

Entry Fees

132nd NZ Chess Congress 2025 comprise 6 separate tournaments with the following entry fees.

Tournaments free for GMs, IMs, WGMs and WIMs

Fee Tournament
$220
before 1st Dec 2024
$240
1st Dec 2024 onwards
2025 New Zealand Championship
$150
before 1st Dec 2024
$170
1st Dec 2024 onwards
2025 Major Open
$70
per person
Banquet for Players and Accompanying Persons
$80 2025 New Zealand Junior and Age Group Championships
$80 2025 New Zealand Junior Under 1000 Championships
$40 2025 New Zealand Blitz Championship
$60 2025 New Zealand Rapid Championship

Entry Instructions

Use online entry form to send entry details. Payment should be made by online banking to 02-0168-0091321-003 (account name is Howick-Pakuranga Chess Club if needed) with the player’s name and ‘Congress’ as the references.

Or use Humanitix if paying by credit card (extra fees apply).

New Zealand chess players who participate in more than one NZCF rated event in a year must be a member of a chess club that is affiliated or associated with NZCF (New Zealand Chess Federation). The Mount Maunganui RSA Chess Club offers memberships that fulfill this requirement from just $15.

Event Information

NZ Chess Congress 2025 summarised information available in printable PDF brochure. (when available)

Dates

Thursday 2nd to Sunday 12th January 2025

Venue

The Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre been sold but the status of NZ Chess Congress 2025 venue booking has not been impacted by change of ownership.
Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre viewed from across lagoon
Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre

58 Waipuna Road, Mount Wellington, Auckland

Carparking

There is parking freely available directly outside the venue.

Rooms for Congress

The playing rooms are (to be advised). The analysis room will be (to be advised).

Accommodation

Accommodation is available at the Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre (Congress 2025 venue)at a special rate of $190 per night for a bureau room during the Congress dates. Call 0800 924786 to book or for any queries, contact the hotel reservations manager Shabnam Khurana (email: [email protected]; phone: 09 5263003) and use the booking code NZCF0125.

Travel Arrangements

NZ Chess Congress 2025 Rules and Regulations

NZCF and FIDE Rating: Tournaments will be NZCF-rated and FIDE-rated where possible.

Pairings and Rating-Based Prizes: FIDE ratings will be used for pairings and rating- based prizes. Players without ratings may be assigned a rating by the Chief Arbiter. The most recently-published rating lists will be used (September or January for NZCF, January for FIDE).

Pairings: Pairings will be done with the assistance of Vega. For standard tournaments, pairings will not be final i.e. published for the purposes of FIDE regulations until 30 minutes before the round start time.

NZ Player: Per NZCF regulations, NZ citizen or a player who is normally resident in New Zealand and has been resident in New Zealand for at least one year prior to Congress.

Multiple Prizes and Tiebreaks: Players may not win more than one cash prize in a tournament – the highest cash prize will be paid and other prizes will be passed down to the next highest-placed player. Titles and cash prizes will be shared by eligible players on the same score and ties will not be broken.

Players Meetings: Players meetings will be held for all tournaments 30 minutes before the scheduled start of the first round as noted in the individual tournament timetables. Players who do not attend the players meeting for a tournament may be excluded from the first round of that tournament.

Defaults: Default time is 30 minutes after the start of the round.

Appeals: A player may appeal against a decision of the Arbiter in a tournament other than the NZ Lightning Championship (no appeals allowed). Appeals Committees for each tournament will be appointed by the Organisers from the players. Appeals must be lodged in writing within 30 minutes of the end of the game (10 minutes for the NZ Rapid Championship). A fee of $100 will apply, to be refunded if the appeal is successful or otherwise at the discretion of the Appeals Committee.

Mobile Phones/Electronic Devices: During a game, players are forbidden to have a mobile phone, electronic means of communication or any device capable of suggesting chess moves on their person in the playing venue. Such devices may be stored in a player’s bag or jacket, which is to be left under their table or the back of their chair during the game unless permission is given by the Arbiter. Such devices are to be switched off and are not to make any noise. Breaches of this rule will result in loss of game unless the Arbiter decides otherwise. This includes smart watches but not standard analogue or digital watches.

Photos: Spectators may take photos during the first 5 minutes of a round.

Covid-19: If Congress is cancelled due to Covid-19, entry fees will be refunded. Organisers will not be responsible for any further compensation to affected players.

Eligibility

Players must have FIDE ID unless they are New Zealand citizens or residents (i.e. the holder of a resident or permanent resident visa). Official New Zealand championship titles only available to NZ players.

Tournament Eligibility
2025 New Zealand Championship Open to all players. Players rated less than 2000 (NZCF or FIDE) may be moved to the Major Open at the discretion of the organisers.
2025 Major Open Players must have an NZCF rating below 2100 or a FIDE rating below 2000.
2025 New Zealand Junior and Age Group Championships Open to players born in 2005 or later. Eligibility for age group titles as per NZ Tournament Regulations.
2025 New Zealand Under 1000 Championships Open to players born in 2005 or later with an NZCF standard rating of under 1,000 (includes unrated players) as an alternative to the NZ Junior and Age Group Championships for juniors newer to tournament chess.
2025 New Zealand Blitz Championship Open to all.
2025 New Zealand Rapid Championship Open to all.

Format

Tournament Format
2025 New Zealand Championship 9 Round Swiss
2025 Major Open 9 Round Swiss
2025 New Zealand Junior and Age Group Championships 7 Round Swiss
2025 New Zealand Junior Under 1000 Championships 7 Round Swiss
2025 New Zealand Blitz Championship 9 Round Swiss
2025 New Zealand Rapid Championship 9 Round Swiss

All tournaments are NZCF and FIDE rated where possible.

Time Controls

Tournament Time Control
2025 New Zealand Championship 90 minutes for the first 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game added after move 40 with an additional 30 seconds per move from move one.
2025 Major Open 90 minutes for the first 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game added after move 40 with an additional 30 seconds per move from move one.
2025 New Zealand Junior and Age Group Championships 60 minutes for the game with an additional 30 seconds per move starting from move one.
2025 New Zealand Junior Under1000 Championships 60 minutes for the game with an additional 30 seconds per move starting from move one.
2025 New Zealand Blitz Championship 3 minutes for the game with an additional 2 seconds per move starting from move one.
Article B.4 of the Laws of Chess will apply.
2025 New Zealand Rapid Championship 25 minutes for the game with an additional 5 seconds per move starting from move one.
Article A.5 of the Laws of Chess will apply.

Schedule

Players meetings for each tournament will be held 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start time of round 1. Players who are not present at a players meeting may not be paired in the first round of that tournament.

Tournament Schedule
2025 New Zealand Championship 2nd to 10th January 2025, one round per day at 2pm.
2025 Major Open 2nd to 10th January 2025, one round per day at 2pm.
2025 New Zealand Junior and Age Group Championships 3rd to 9th January 2025, one round per day at 9am.
Prizegiving will be held after the last game on 9 January at approx. 12:30pm.
2025 New Zealand Junior Under 1000 Championships 3rd to 9th January 2025, one round per day at 9am.
Prizegiving will be held after the last game on 9 January at approx. 12:30pm.
Banquet for Players and Accompanying Persons 6.30pm 10th January 2025, prizegiving for NZ Championship and Major Open will follow at 8pm.
2025 New Zealand Blitz Championship 11th January 2025, 1st of rounds 1 to 9 starts at 9:00am.
Prizegiving will follow round 9 at approximately 11:30am.
2025 New Zealand Rapid Championship 11th to 12th January 2025,
1st of rounds 1 to 4 start at 1:30pm on the 11th,
1st of rounds 5 to 7 start at 9am on the 12th, 1st of rounds 8 to 9 start at 1.30pm on the 12th.
Prizegiving will follow round 9 at approximately 4:30pm.

Prize Fund

(To Be Advised). Minimum $11,000.

Organising Clubs

Personnel

Chief Organiser: IO Paul Spiller.

Deputy Organiser: Nigel Metge.

Chief Arbiter: IA Craig Hall.

Deputy Arbiter: (To Be Advised). Subject to NZCF approval

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