Chess rules, team play rules, for watching
Start with the rules you see all the time, then the ones that change results.
Settling an argument? Search all 10 rules
- How does team chess work?
- Who plays on which board in team chess, and who gets White?
- How is a team chess match scored?
- How does a chess team choose who plays in each match?
- What happens if a chess team turns up short of players?
- What can a chess team captain do during a match?
- Can chess players agree a draw in a team match?
- How are ties broken in team chess?
- What medals are awarded at the Chess Olympiad?
- Who settles a dispute in a team chess match?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| GR plus article | FIDE, General Regulations for Competitions (Handbook C.05; last amended 2018). Article 7 is "Team competitions and Team Captain's Role" |
| Captains plus article | FIDE, Captains and Heads of Delegation (Handbook C.10; approved 28 April 2022, applied from 1 July 2022) |
| Olympiad 2026 Regulations plus article | FIDE, Chess Olympiad 2026: Regulations for the Main Competition, with its appendices on tie-breaks |
| Olympiad Pairing Rules plus article | FIDE, Olympiad Pairing Rules (approved 27 October 2021, effective 1 January 2022) |
| Play-Off and Tie-Break Regulations plus article | FIDE Handbook C.07, approved 2 February 2026, applied from 1 March 2026 |
| FIDE Laws plus article | FIDE, Laws of Chess, applied from 1 January 2023 |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from a regulation, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule |
All read in full and checked on 14 October 2026.
The Olympiad stands for team chess here. FIDE has no single rule book for team play. The general points come from two short regulations (GR Article 7 and the captains' regulations), and almost every figure (four boards, one reserve, 11 rounds, two match points for a win, the 30-move draw rule, the 15-minute default time, the medals) is the Chess Olympiad's own. Other team events, such as national leagues, the World Team Championship and the Global Chess League, set their own and are not saved.
Not covered: the Olympiad for people with disabilities (its regulations exist and are not saved), the Swiss team pairing system (Handbook C.04.6), online team events and the anti-cheating measures.
Not covered: the Olympiad for people with disabilities (its regulations exist and are not saved), the Swiss team pairing system (Handbook C.04.6), online team events and the anti-cheating measures.