Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does my child play in the LJCC?
LJCC runs junior events in different age sections. For Under 8, Under 10 and Under 12, any child satisfying the age requirement may play in the qualifiers. Older age sections (U14 and above) do not require qualification.
FAQs about qualifying
FAQs about rules
FAQs about entries
FAQs for new chess parents
FAQs about qualifying Back
Where and how do I qualify?
Most LJCC qualifier events are not run directly by the LJCC, instead they are run by chess organisers both in London and around the UK associated with us. You can find a list of the qualifiers this year here, and more detailed rules on qualification here.
What happens when my child qualifies?
Once your child has qualified, please note that entry is not automatic, and you must enter the LJCC finals on congress.org. Please check our online entry page.
My child just missed out on the qualification score, can he/she still play in the finals?
Generally, this is not possible as it would be unfair to other players. We advise parents to enter another qualifying event where possible. Check the list of our qualifiers here. If you believe you have a strong case for qualification, please contact the congress manager, Angela Eyton.
The qualifier event my child attended was merged due to low player numbers, how does qualification now work?
We treat the merged section as the higher age section, and qualification for lower age sections is reduced by half a point. For example, if under 8 and under 10 sections are merged, we treat it as an Under 10 event. Under 10 qualification scores are unaffected, but only 3.5/6 is required to qualify for Under 8 finals, and the U10 Minor finals.
If my child qualifies in a section, can he/she also play in high section finals?
No, qualifying for a lower age section does not mean qualification for a higher age section, and we encourage your child to play in more qualifier events. Do note, however, sections U14 and above do not require prior qualification.
Can I qualify for a lower age group finals by playing in a higher age group? (E.g. qualifying for U8 finals when playing in Under 10 qualifiers)
Yes you can, and we encourage experienced players to play in higher age sections if they wish to challenge themselves. Achieving 3.5/6 in Under 10 or Under 12 qualifiers allows qualification for Under 8 finals, and qualifying for U12 Major finals is also automatic qualification for U10 Major finals (provided your child satisfies the age requirements also).
My child qualified for the U10 / U12 Major finals. Can he/she play in the U10 / U12 Minor finals instead?
Unfortunately, we cannot allow that, as qualification for the Minor finals is strict. Once you have qualified for a Major final, you are no longer eligible to play in the Minor finals. Qualification for the Major finals is something that your child should take pride in – it may be a challenge but it will be a great experience no matter the result.
FAQs about rules Back
How are ages calculated?
Age limit sections are calculated on August 31st, in line with UK academic year groups. For example, if your child is nine years old (or younger) on August 31st, he/she may enter the Under 10 section in the LJCC that year, i.e. normally that means if he/she is in year 5 or below. We cannot accept children who are too old for a section. Children may play in higher age sections (e.g. Under 10s can play in Under 12 events), but older children cannot qualify in younger sections.
Where and how do I obtain membership of the English Chess Federation?
You can find out more about ECF membership on the ECF website. Note that whilst our finals do not require membership, some of our qualifier tournaments may do so. In all cases, there is an additional fee to pay if your child does not have membership, as the ECF charges us to rate your child’s games. Please note also that Junior Gold members are free for the first year.
What is the criteria for the London Champion prize?
The London Champion is awarded to the highest placed player (by tiebreak if necessary) who lives within the M25. There is a London Champion title in the U8, U10 Majors, U12 Majors, U14 Majors, U16, U18 and U21 finals. (Rules revised as of January 2026)
What is the SCCU and who is eligible for SCCU prizes?
The SCCU is Southern Counties Chess Union, a constituent member of the English Chess Federation (ECF), which was established before the ECF in 1892. You can find out more about the SCCU here.
If you live in the Southern Counties affiliated with the SCCU, you are eligible for the SCCU prize. Note all players eligible for the London Champion prize are also eligible for the SCCU prize. Currently, the SCCU prizes are given out in these sections: U9 Boys, U9 Girls, U11 Boys, U11 Girls, U14 Boys, U14 Girls, U18 Boys, U18 Girls, U21 Boys and U21 Girls.
What trophies are decided by tie breaks and what are these tiebreaks?
Only the London Champion and SCCU Champion are decided on tie breaks, and these are published in the rules in advance of the tournament. In other cases where there is a tie, each player gets a trophy, though LJCC has discretion if there are very unusual circumstances. E.g., if two players finish 1st on 8 points and three players finish next on 7.5 points, the two winners will both have a first place trophy (which might be a London and/or SCCU trophy). In this instance there will be no second place trophy, but the three players on 7.5 points will each be awarded a third placed trophy.
What should I do if there is a disputed result / something else occurred that upset my child?
Please let us know as soon as possible. Children are also encouraged to resolve issues before the game concludes with an arbiter. However, there will often be the occasional dispute in a children’s chess tournament, especially in younger sections, and sometimes results also may be recorded incorrectly. LJCC and its arbiters aim to resolve these as fairly as possible and in almost all cases LJCC’s experienced team resolves these quickly. In general, the Chief Arbiter’s decision is final.
LJCC has an appeals procedure, and we are always happy to hear feedback on how we can improve our events.
FAQs about entries Back
The finals are over multiple days. Can we play on one day only?
Depending on the circumstances this may be possible. Please email such requests to entry@ljcc.co.uk.
Why is my child’s rating displayed as 0 on the entrants’ page on Congress.org, even though he/she has a rating?
This is probably because your child has a “rapid” rating, but the finals are rated as a “standard” tournament. In short, there are different ratings for different lengths of chess games, which may appear confusing for new chess parents.
However, as long as your child’s name is on the list, please be assured that they are entered for the tournament, and once the Chief Arbiter downloads the list of players the most appropriate rating will be applied to your child before the tournament starts. For the LJCC Finals, this is usually published on chess-results the day before the tournament starts. Please email entry@ljcc.co.uk if you have further queries regarding this.
What is the difference between U10/U12 Major and Minor finals?
LJCC runs two events for Under 10 and Under 12 sections, the Major and Minor finals. We run these finals in two sections due to the high number of players, and we split them so that in each section the level of play is similar, and children get higher quality games. The requirements for qualification, especially the Major section, is high, and qualification can be difficult. Many children take multiple attempts to qualify. At the Finals, the U10 Major and U12 Major sections bestow London and SCCU titles for respective eligible winners.
The restriction for the Minor tournament is also strict, only players who achieved 3.5 or 4 points out of 6 in a qualifier, and no more than this in any other qualifier, are allowed in the Minor section. This means the Minor section is a competitive and enjoyable section where the levels of players are very similar. Qualifying for the Minors is still a great achievement.
When do entries close?
LJCC encourages early entries. We are a charity and entering early gives us an indication of numbers so we can plan accordingly. Note that later entries attract late fees and online entries close one day before the start of the tournament. Very late entries - once online entries close - are subject to extra late fees and are at the discretion of the Chief Arbiter.
I can no longer attend, can I get a refund?
We can provide refunds if they are requested more than 24 hours in advance of the start of the finals. However, we have payment processor fees, so we must charge an administrative fee of £5 for refunds. In light of this, please ensure that your child has qualified before entering!
Can children play in adult congresses hosted by LJCC?
Adult Congresses also run at our Finals. Children are welcome to enter the Adult Congresses but we recommend in the first instance they play in the Junior events. It’s great experience to play against children of the same age. The children’s tournaments are very prestigious, and children build a social network. Children who play in the London Junior Chess Championships often encounter each other at multiple events, and their paths cross later in life at university or in the workplace.
What are EPSCA England Trials?
The Under 12 Major Final is part of EPSCA Under 11 Trials, from which the National Junior Squad is selected from. This is an England U11 Team selected by EPSCA.
Where do I enter the U18 and U21 LJCC finals?
In recent years, the LJCC U21 and U18 championships are merged with the Open section of the London Christmas Congress. LJCC reserves the right to hold these separately if there are sufficient entries.
FAQs for new chess parents Back
What is the LJCC?
LJCC is the London Junior Chess Championships, which has been held in one form or another since 1924. You can find out more on our history page. LJCC runs both children and adult events before and after Christmas. Please note that for all our events, including qualifiers, we expect everyone to play in all rounds in Swiss tournament – it is not a knockout competition. The LJCC finals have time controls which are longer than qualification tournaments, to encourage children to spend more time on their moves. In particular, U10 and U12 finals (and higher age groups) are rated as standard games, and in many cases LJCC finals may be a child’s first standard tournament, a first taste of high level competitive chess over multiple days.
What is the difference between ECF / FIDE / standard / rapid /blitz ratings?
This is unfortunately quite confusing for new parents and players! Standard games are games that are in general where each player has one hour each to think on their moves, Rapid games are when each player has between 10 minutes and 1 hour, and Blitz games are under 10 minutes for each player. Each format has their separate rating system as it requires slightly different skill sets and approaches. Most children’s tournaments are rapid rated, most online games are blitz, and the most prestigious chess competitions are usually standard rated. LJCC provides most children that enter with their first experience in standard games, a first taste of high level competitive chess.
In addition, there are two rating systems, one by the ECF (English rating) and one by FIDE (International rating). Most junior tournaments in the UK use only ECF ratings, but more prestigious tournaments also use FIDE ratings, where there are higher requirements for the tournament to be FIDE rated. This gives six different ratings (in addition to any online ratings, which are separate)
Please check the rules page to find out how each of our events is rated.
What is Chess Notation and is it required?
Chess Notation is the standard way to record a chess game. You can find out more about it here.
We encourage all children to write all their moves in the LJCC finals. We provide chess notation sheets (children cannot use their own scorebooks in the Finals).
Recording moves slows children down and reduces chances of blunders in their game. It is the standard for competitive chess. Note that recording of moves is a requirement in all sections except Under 8 finals, though for very young children in older sections we ask them to do this to the best of their ability. Recording moves allows arbiters to work out what has happened if a dispute occurs. Keeping an accurate scoresheet also allows children to review their matches and learn from their experiences.
What is a bye?
In chess terminology, a bye is when your child does not have an opponent for a particular round. There are two types of byes, mandatory byes and requested byes. Mandatory byes are when we cannot give your child a tournament game due to an odd number of players. Mandatory byes are scored as a full point win. (In most cases the child will still be able to play a rated game if they wish to do so, please see the arbiter in your section.)
In addition, you may request byes on the entry form, if for example your child has another commitment for some time on a particular day of the tournament. In this case please confirm any requests with arbiters on the day also. Requested byes are scored as a half point draw. Players are allowed one requested bye in the tournament.
If a child needs to miss two matches, one can be a requested bye, scoring half a point, the second is forfeited, and will score zero points.
The final match in any section cannot be taken as a half point bye. If you cannot play the final game it is forfeited and scores zero points.