Players will face 15 chess boards, each featuring a different Mate-in-1 puzzle. The objective is to solve all 15 puzzles correctly in the shortest possible time.

• Each player must solve all 15 puzzles.
• Only Mate-in-1 solutions will be accepted.
• The timer starts when the player begins the first puzzle and stops after completing the 15th puzzle.
• A 10-second penalty will be added for every wrong answer.
• The final score will be based on total time + penalty time.
• Players must not use phones, chess engines, or any external assistance.
• The player with the lowest final time will rank highest.

If two or more players have the same final time, the player with the fewer incorrect answers will be ranked higher. If the tie still remains, a sudden-death Mate-in-1 puzzle will be used to determine the winner.

The Top 32 players from Round 1 will qualify for Round 2. Players will be seeded based on their Round 1 rankings, and fixtures will be determined accordingly. Round 2 will follow a single-elimination knockout format, with each match played as an Armageddon game.

• The Top 32 players from Round 1 will qualify.
• Players will be seeded according to their Round 1 ranking.
• The tournament will follow a single-elimination knockout format.
• Each match will consist of one Armageddon game.
• White will have 5 minutes, and Black will have 4 minutes.
• There will be no increment.
• White must win the game to advance.
• Black advances with either a win or a draw.
• White or Black is decided with a toss before each game.
• In Armageddon, a draw is considered a win for Black.
• No chess engines, mobile phones, or external assistance are permitted.

There will be no separate tiebreaker in Round 2. The Armageddon format itself guarantees a winner: if the game is drawn, Black advances.