The roadto Dushanbe
The Road to Dushanbe Online Qualifiers
The series is completely free and open to all chess players from the Republic of Tajikistan. It is organized jointly by World Chess and the Chess Federation of Tajikistan.
Participants compete individually, with rankings determined by their personal results.
Rules and Regulations for the series can be found here.
The online tournaments are open to all chess players holding a Tajikistan Chess Federation ID, regardless of rating and residence.
To register for the tournament, you need to have an account on the World Chess platform. When registering, don’t forget to indicate:
— your real full name
— age
— country (Republic of Tajikistan)
Once logged into the World Chess platform, follow the link to the tournament and click the “Join” button. That’s it! Now you just have to wait for the tournament to begin.
8 online tournaments will be played on World Chess platform between October 1 and October 19. The final standings of the series will be announced by October 22 at the latest.
Event format - Individual Competition
Qualification tournaments will be played in a Swiss System format of 9 rounds, with time control: 5 minutes + 3 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1.
The three best results of a player from all tournaments they’ve entered will count toward the standings. The top-5 players with the highest total from these three results advance to the main event. Additionally, the following will also qualify: the top 1 woman, the top 1 junior (under 20), and the top veteran (60+).
October 1, 2025 (Wednesday) — 13:00 UTC / 18:00 TJT
October 3, 2025 (Friday) — 13:00 UTC / 18:00 TJT
October 6, 2025 (Monday) — 13:00 UTC / 18:00 TJT
October 9, 2025 (Thursday) — 13:00 UTC / 18:00 TJT
October 12, 2025 (Sunday) — 13:00 UTC / 18:00 TJT
October 14, 2025 (Tuesday) — 13:00 UTC / 18:00 TJT
October 18, 2025 (Saturday) — 13:00 UTC / 18:00 TJT
October 19, 2025 (Sunday) — 13:00 UTC / 18:00 TJT
Pairings will be done automatically by the World Chess playing platform according to the FIDE Swiss Rules.
A win has a base score of 1 point, a draw 0.5 point, and a loss is worth no points. This is a Swiss tournament, so you will be paired with the opponent based on your previous round's results. If you don't have an opponent for one round (if the number of participants is odd), you will be awarded a point.
The player(s) with the most points at the end of the tournament will be announced winner. When two or more players have the same amount of points, the Buchholz Tie Break is used.
All winners will receive an official invitation to the the Presidents Cup of the Republic of Tajikistan. Organizers provide:
Free travel within Tajikistan to and from the final venue
Accommodation during the tournament
Participation in the tournament without any registration fees
Conditions for participation in the final
Invitations are granted only to players who confirm their ability to attend in person in Tajikistan on the final dates.
Travel reimbursement applies only within Tajikistan.
International flights must be arranged and paid for by the participant.
Players under 18 years old may only attend the final with a parent or official guardian.
Organizers will provide accommodation for both the player and the accompanying guardian during the tournament.
Strict Fair Play rules apply:
Use of chess engines, outside assistance, or advice is prohibited.
Parallel calls, streams, or any other sources of help during games are not allowed.
Violators will be disqualified and lose the right to participate in the final.
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