Chess problem solvers meet in Fujairah: the WFCC Grand Prix Final, 27 to 30 November
Published · By TG, the site operator
Chess problems have their own world-level competition, and the next one is a final. The WFCC Fujairah Grand Prix Final runs from 27 to 30 November 2026 at the new building of the Fujairah Chess and Culture Club in the United Arab Emirates. FIDE published the news on 30 October. The contest is for solvers, people who work out the single correct answer to a composed position instead of playing a game against an opponent. The prize fund is EUR 30,000, and EUR 27,000 of it goes to the solvers.
How a solving contest is run
The final has six rounds over two days, three rounds a day, with three problems in each round. The categories are two-movers, three-movers, endgame studies, helpmates, more-movers and selfmates, and each has its own time limit, from 20 minutes for a two-mover to 100 minutes for an endgame study. Every complete solution scores 5 points. Solutions are written in algebraic notation, and solvers may move pieces on a board while they work.
All 18 problems are original and unpublished, and each comes from a different composer. That matters for a practical reason: nobody can have memorised the answer, so the solver has to find the idea from the position alone.
Who takes part
The top 12 in the overall Grand Prix standings qualify, together with the best solvers from six countries that are not already represented among those twelve. FIDE nominates one solver, and the organisers may invite others. The Grand Prix is a two-year cycle of four qualifying events, and the final is invitational. It does not count toward the World Solving Cup, although it is rated and solving title norms can be earned.
A habit from solving that works in games
A solver who gets stuck usually tests a candidate idea, sees why it fails, and tries another. Club players can borrow that. When a plan looks promising in a game, play it through a few moves, see what the opponent can do, and then decide whether to go on.
Try a line against the computer, then undo it →
How to practise this on the site
The site has no solving mode, and it does not hold composed problems. For practice you can play against the computer on Easy, Normal or Hard. The Undo button steps back one move, so you can try a line, look at the reply, and return to the position if it fails. The mate-in-two puzzle from 21 October is the closest thing the site has to a problem, and it is worth working through with the same discipline.
AI games have no time limit, so the solver's clock does not apply here. Online matchmaking is not yet available on the site, and the page says it will open once the game server is connected. Nothing on the site rates players or counts toward a solving title.
What to watch
- Composers may send up to three entries each, by 1 November 2026, to the Chief Arbiter. Six selected entries each earn their composer EUR 500, decided by a vote of the top ten solvers.
- The final regulations and the finalist list, which the organisers publish on the Grand Prix site.
- Whether a live broadcast is announced; the FIDE article does not mention one.
For the rules that matter when you play a full game on the board, the rules guide is the place to start.
Sources
- Fujairah to host WFCC Grand Prix Final: World's best solvers and composers to compete for EUR 30,000 — FIDE, 30 October 2026
- WFCC Fujairah Grand Prix 2025-26 — WFCC Grand Prix (organiser)
- FIDE News — FIDE, 30 October 2026
- Play Chess Online: the home page — chessplayonline.com
Written by the operator of this site from the sources listed above. Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected] and it will be corrected.