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Youth rapid and blitz in Cairo: the FIDE U7 to U17 event runs 8 to 15 December

Published · By TG, the site operator

FIDE has announced its next world youth event, and it is a fast one. The FIDE World U7–U17 Rapid and Blitz Championships 2026 will be played in Cairo, Egypt, from 8 to 15 December. Players arrive on the 8th and leave on the 15th. The organisers place the playing hall in Giza, within the Cairo area, inside a five-star hotel. FIDE published its article on 30 October together with a new registration deadline. The organisers' site gives a different closing date, so check the official pages before you plan a trip.

Six age groups, open and girls

There are six age categories: under 7, under 9, under 11, under 13, under 15 and under 17. Each has an open and a girls' championship, which makes twelve titles in all. Every championship is an 11-round Swiss, so nobody is knocked out and each round players meet others on a similar score. Trophies, medals and certificates go to the top three in each category, and the organisers add special prizes and participation certificates.

Who may enter

Age is counted from the date of birth, and the cut-off date is 1 January 2026. A player must not have reached the age of the category before that date. An under-11 player, for example, must have been born on or after 1 January 2015.

Winners of the previous edition may come back. First-place winners in the under-9 to under-17 sections of the last odd-year event may play again in the same category or move up, as long as they are still within the age limit. The organisers say that these winners also receive a free twin-share room and board.

The time controls

The two formats are set apart by the clock. In rapid each player has 15 minutes for the game, with 5 seconds added after every move. In blitz each player has 5 minutes, with 3 seconds added after every move. The increment is the part to watch. Time saved on quick moves builds up, but every move still needs the same check for checks, captures and threats, and the increment does not make that check optional.

Practise a careful move against the computer →

Practising the pace on this site

On this site the computer game has no clock. The home page labels the computer game “No time limit”, and the Undo button steps back a move while you play against the computer. That makes it a good place to build the check-first habit, but it does not teach the pace of a 5-second increment. To practise that, use a kitchen timer or a phone: set 15 minutes for a rapid-style game and add 5 seconds to your own count after each of your moves. Online games here are different. Each turn has a ten-minute limit, and once the server has accepted a move it cannot be taken back. The FAQ explains the online rules, and the routine for quiet positions gives the checklist to run through on every move.

Sources

Written by the operator of this site from the sources listed above. Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected] and it will be corrected.

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