The grandest stage of under-18 chess is here as the World Youth Chess Championship 2022 is about to start on the 6th of September in Romania. Let us take a look at everything you need to know about the event including the schedule, how to watch, and prize pool.
World Youth Chess Championship is a chess tournament held annually consisting of three categories. The categories are U14, U16 and U18. Before 2015, there were six categories. Along with the current ones, there were also U8, U10, and U12.
These three were later made a part of the “World Cadets Chess Championship”. All the categories are split into two sections. One is open, while the other is reserved for girls only.
In 2022, the event is returning as an over-the-board event for the first time since 2019. The last two editions of the World Youth Chess Championship had to be conducted online due to the emergence of the Covid-19 Pandemic. It will be an 11-round swiss tournament. The time control for the tournament is set to be 90 min. KO + 30 sec./move.
Defending Champion:
- Under 18 – Nihal Sarin (Open) and Carissa Yip (Girls)
- Under 16 – Volodar Murzin (Open) and Xeniya Balabayeva (Girls)
- Under 14 – Ediz Gurel (Open) and Zsoka Gaal (Girls)
No Grandmaster is participating in this year’s iteration. The highest-rated male player is IM Gines Esteo Pedro Antonio (2505) who is part of the under-18 open section. The female with the highest elo in the girls’ section is Roebers Eline (2375) playing in the under-16 catagory.
When will the tournament be held?
The 2022 World Youth Chess Championship is set to be held this Tuesday on the 6th of September. The event will conclude after 11 rounds on September 16, 2022.
World Youth Chess Championship 2022 Schedule and Time:
| Rounds | Date | Start Time (ET) |
| 1 | September 6 | 08:00 am |
| 2 | September 7 | 08:00 am |
| 3 | September 8 | 08:00 am |
| 4 | September 9 | 08:00 am |
| 5 | September 10 | 08:00 am |
| 6 | September 11 | 08:00 am |
| 7 | September 12 | 08:00 am |
| 8 | September 13 | 08:00 am |
| 9 | September 14 | 08:00 am |
| 10 | September 15 | 08:00 am |
| 11 | September 16 | 08:00 am |
Where is the event taking place?
- Venue: Constanta Exhibition Center
- Location: Mamaia, Romania
The World Youth Chess Championship 2022 is taking place at the Constanta Exhibition Center in Mamaia, Romania organized by Romanian Chess Federation & FIDE.
How to watch World Youth Chess Championship 2022?
- Chess.com (Live Board)
- Chess24 (Live Board)
- Lichess (Live Board)
No official livestream information is available. So, it is not possible to watch the event with the player-cam and live commentary. However, you can follow the games from chess.com, chess24 and Lichess live broadcast of the tournament.
World Youth Chess Championship 2022 Prize Pool:
The total prize fund of the tournament is 10,000 euros. Unfortunately, no information regarding the detailed breakdown of the prizepool is available.
The top 3 players in each category will receive a trophy and a medal as an award for their performance.
