The UzChess Cup, founded in 2024, has rapidly become one of the strongest annual round-robins outside the Wijk aan Zee — Stavanger — Bucharest circuit. The 2026 edition runs from 7 to 15 June at the Uzbekistan Chess Federation’s Tashkent headquarters. Ten players, category 21, $200,000 prize fund — backed by state investment in Uzbek chess that has produced three world-elite grandmasters in five years.
The Uzbek context
Uzbekistan won the 2022 Open Chess Olympiad in Chennai with a team of teenagers, and the country’s federation has since invested heavily in the home circuit to retain and develop top talent locally. Sindarov (born 2005), Abdusattorov (born 2004), and Yakubboev (born 2001) are all products of this programme. The UzChess Cup is the federation’s annual showcase for the home audience — and, as the Sindarov and Abdusattorov ratings have climbed, an increasingly important destination on the world calendar.
Format and prize fund
Single classical round-robin, 9 rounds, no rapid or blitz tiebreaks. Time control: 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest, with 30-second increment from move one. Prize fund $200,000 with winner taking $60,000. A separate Challengers section runs concurrently. Live broadcast on the official UzChess channels and chess24.