Gigafinals (June – September)
The difficulty increases as players compete to qualify directly to the Terafinal or to the Challengers Event
The Gigafinals are a step up in difficulty from the Megafinals and qualifying for this stage represents a significant achievement.
In 2024 there are four Gigafinals; three over the board and one online.
- Scottish Gigafinal (22nd and 33rd June) – players play on one of the days
- Northern Gigafinal (6th and 7th July) – players play on one of the days
- Southern Gigafinal (20th and 21st July) – players play on one of the days
- Online Gigafinal (7th and 8th September) – two day event
Please note that for the ‘over-the-board’ events U8s and U10s play on the Saturday and U12s, U14s and U18s play on the Sunday.
Gigafinal Rules
Players must have qualified from a Megafinal
Players may compete in 1, 2, 3 or all 4 Gigafinals
But you can only compete in one age category (your allocated category, either U8, U10, U12, U14 or U18)
Top boy & girl in each age category qualify directly to the Terafinal (top 2 boys in the Southern and Northern Gigafinals)
Hit the qualification score (5 points) to qualify for the Challengers
Scottish Gigafinal
Date: Saturday 22nd June
Venue: Broughton High School, 9 East Fettes Avenue, Edinburgh, EH4 1E
Date: Sunday 23rd June
Venue: Broughton High School, 9 East Fettes Avenue, Edinburgh, EH4 1E
Northern Gigafinal
Date: Saturday 6th July
Venue: Wright Robinson College, Abbey Hey Lane, Gorton, Manchester, M18 8RL
Date: Sunday 7th July
Venue: Wright Robinson College, Abbey Hey Lane, Gorton, Manchester, M18 8RL
Southern Gigafinal
Date: Saturday 20th July
Venue: Sandown Racecourse, Portsmouth Road, Esher, KT10 9AJ
Date: Sunday 21st July
Venue: Sandown Racecourse, Portsmouth Road, Esher, KT10 9AJ
Online Gigafinal
Our online events allow players to take part and qualify for the latter stages from the comfort of their own home and without the same sort of time commitment required from in-person events.
The Online Gigafinal is a 2 day event. All players play on the Saturday (from 10am) with the competition starting at 10am. The top players from each section will then take part in a second stage on the Sunday with additional proctoring requirements (camera, presence on Zoom etc).
Price: £27
Date: Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th September
Website: www.lichess.org
Eligibility: Open to all juniors born after 31/08/2005 (who qualified from a Megafinal)
Schedule: Both days from 10am (approximately 4 hours). Top players from Saturday will qualify for the 2nd stage on Sunday
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who can take part?
A: Any individual aged 18 or younger who is based in the UK can take part – provided they have qualified from a Megafinal.
Q: Is there a fast-track route to the Gigafinal this year?
A: No – all players must qualify via a Megafinal.
Q: How do I qualify for the Terafinal?
A: The top boy and top girl in each section will qualify. In the Southern Gigafinal there is an extra qualification spot in the boys due to the size of this event.
Q: What is the Challengers Event?
A: This event is separate to the Terafinal – it is a high level 2-day competition run to international standards in a hotel setting and live boards. Ie it is of an equivalent standard to Terafinals previous to 2021. It is high quality standalone event but also a final qualifier for the Terafinal.
Q: How do I qualify for the Challengers Event?
A: The qualification score from the Gigafinals is 5 points. Players can also qualify by finishing in the top 3 boys or girls of their age group category.
Q: Can I play in the Challengers if I qualify directly to the Terafinal?
A: Yes!
Q: Is there a difference between the over-the-board and online events?
A: There are the same number of qualifiers but the format is different. The over-the-board events are single day events (U8s and 10s play on Saturday, Under 12s, 14s and 18s play on Sunday). The online event is in two stages, with stage 1 on Saturday (all five age groups playing on Saturday at 10am) with the top players qualifying for stage 2 on the Sunday which will include greater proctoring requirements (camera and Zoom presence).
Q: Can I play in multiple Gigafinals?
A: Yes players can play in as many Gigafinals if they like – even if they have qualified. Players who have already qualified will not be counted towards the qualification spaces in subsequent events.
Q: Can I play in multiple age groups?
No, players may only play in one age category, even if they play multiple Gigafinals. Players are able to ‘play up’ a section but should request this with the organisers beforehand.
Q: Can I get a refund if I have to later cancel my attendance?
A: We offer a 50% refund on in-person event cancellations where we are notified at least 14 days before the day of the event. There are no refunds for online tickets (ie value passes and season tickets). In light of the above please make sure you can attend before booking.
Q: Can I transfer my over-the-board booking to another event?
A: No, you would need to cancel the original booking and book the correct event.
Q: There are no spaces left at my preferred event, what can I do?
A: We may operate a waiting list in the event of a cancellation, but it may not be possible to play in your preferred event as places are strictly limited. It is extremely difficult to predict exact entries when we are booking venues and this is one of the reasons we are offering an online event.