UK Chess Challenge

The first stage involves school chess clubs holding a qualifying competition to determine the strongest player for each gender-year combination, e.g. U-11 boys, U-9 girls. Each such player qualifies to enter the county Megafinal competition. For schools without chess clubs, there are alternative competitions called Last Chance Saloons that will also enable qualification to the Megafinal.

A one-day Megafinal is held within most UK counties to determine the strongest player from the county or local area within each gender and year combination. Each such player is titled Supremo (boys) or Suprema (girls). The top player plus all those scoring 3.5/6 or better qualify for the Gigafinal.

There are usually 3 one-day Gigafinals—one for Northern counties; one for Southern counties and one for the Midlands . As with the Megafinal, each Gigafinal is held to determine the strongest player for the qualifying region within each gender / year combination. Each such player is titled Ultimo (boys) or Ultima (girls). The Ultimo / Ultima players from each Gigafinal qualify to enter the Terafinal Champions competition. Until 2002, the two runners-up in each category qualified to enter the Terafinal Challengers competition. Currently ( in 2019 ) anyone scoring 4 or above qualified for the challengers .

There is 1 final Terafinal competition—The Ultimo's and Ultima's in each age group (including those who were tied on the same score in first place) play in one of the 5 sections depending on age. A contestant can move up to an older age group on request. The sections are: U8, U10, U12, U14 and U18. There are trophies, medals and money given out as prizes depending on the age group.

At the moment this event has 5 age groups the same as the Terafinal. The top two players (no matter what gender) that have not already qualified will go to the Terafinals. Any players tied on the same score which is the highest will go to the tiebreaks.