SGFI National School Games Chess Championship U-17
by School Games Federation of India (SGFI)
National school medal in U-17
The U-17 age group of SGFI's national school chess championship, entered by the state school sports body and medalled on its own.
Mode
In-Person
Fee
₹300
Participation format
Individual
Duration
5 to 6 days at the national championship
Eligibility
Open to bona fide regular school students in Grade 6 or above who are below 17 years of age counted from 31 December of the competition year. For the 2026-27 session that means born on or after 1 January 2010. The squad is picked and entered by the SGFI affiliated unit of the state or union territory, and a player may enter a discipline through only one age group in a calendar year.
- Grade level
- Grade 6 to 12
- Age range
- 14 to 16 years
- Eligibility region
- Available nationwide across India
- Academic requirement
- Bona fide regular student of a recognised school or junior college, studying in Class 6 or above.
- Prerequisites
- Below 17 years of age counted from 31 December of the competition year
- Bona fide regular student in Class 6 or above at a recognised school or junior college
- Selected and entered by the SGFI affiliated unit of the state or union territory
- Birth certificate and previous year mark sheet, each attested by a gazetted officer
See if your child qualifies.
Rewards and recognition
Prizes
Gold, silver and bronze medals
Medals are awarded inside the U-17 age group, separately for boys and girls.
Certificate
SGFI participation certificate
SGFI issues a certificate and an identity card to every entered player.
Recognition
National school championship
Skills your child builds
How to apply
- 1Take part in the school level chess trials run by the school
- 2Go through the district inter-school meet held by the district education authority
- 3Compete at the state school games run by the SGFI affiliated unit
- 4The unit files the online entry and names its U-17 squad for the national championship
Rules and guidelines
- Boys and girls play separate sections in the age group
- Entries come only through the SGFI affiliated unit of the state or union territory
- Players must be bona fide regular students of a recognised school or junior college, in Class 6 or above
- A player may enter a discipline through only one age group in a calendar year
- A player who lives in one state but studies full time in another may represent only the state where they study
Fees and financial support
Fee details
SGFI charges a registration fee of Rs 300 per player, paid online by the state or union territory unit through the unit login on the SGFI site after the online entry. The organising committee provides accommodation, local transport and the technical arrangements. Travel from home to the venue and back is paid for by the participating team, and each affiliated unit must insure its own delegation.
About this opportunity
The U-17 age group of the National School Games chess championship is entered, played and medalled on its own. SGFI sets this group as Junior, for players below 17 years of age counted from 31 December of the competition year.
Entry is not something a family files. The SGFI affiliated unit of the state or union territory selects the squad through school, district and state level meets and submits the online entry. A player may enter a discipline through only one age group in a calendar year, so this group is a closed field of its own.
The championship is contested played over the board in boys and girls sections. Played over the board across the championship days, with the opening ceremony and the first round on the opening day and the final round and closing ceremony on the last.
On arrival the unit hands over two sets of the eligibility papers, and age is verified at the team manager's meeting against the birth certificate and school record. SGFI charges a registration fee of Rs 300 per player, paid online by the unit after the online entry. The organising committee provides accommodation, local transport and the technical arrangements, while travel to the venue and insurance for the delegation are the unit's responsibility.
Rounds and format
Played over the board across the championship days, with the opening ceremony and the first round on the opening day and the final round and closing ceremony on the last.
How entries are judged
Games are won, drawn or lost under the FIDE Laws of Chess, and the final standings rank players by points scored with the tie-breaks the arbiters announce at the technical meeting.
Selection process
The SGFI affiliated unit of the state or union territory selects the U-17 squad through school, district and state level meets and enters it. Inside the championship, medals are decided within the age group, separately for boys and girls.
Frequently asked questions
Who belongs in the U-17 age group?
A player below 17 years of age counted from 31 December of the competition year, which for the 2026-27 session means born on or after 1 January 2010, and studying in Class 6 or above. SGFI calls this group Junior.
Can a family enter directly?
No. Entries come only through the SGFI affiliated unit of the state or union territory, which picks the squad through school, district and state level meets and files the online entry form.
Can a player enter more than one age group?
Not in the same discipline. SGFI allows a player only one age group per discipline in a calendar year, though they may enter a different discipline through one age group as well.
What does it cost?
SGFI charges a registration fee of Rs 300 per player, paid online by the state or union territory unit. The organising committee provides accommodation, local transport and the technical arrangements, while travel to the venue is paid by the team.
What papers does a player need?
An eligibility certificate signed by the school principal and countersigned by the unit, a birth certificate attested by a gazetted officer, and the previous year final exam mark sheet, also attested. Two sets travel with the team.
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