Crazyhouse World Championship 2025 Tournament Rules

Hello everyone,

This post will go over some of the CWC 2025 ruleset in more detail. As mentioned in the announcement blog post (https://lichess.org/@/visualdennis/blog/announcing-the-crazyhouse-world-championship-2025/CMcYy3sy), we will largely follow the rules of previous editions — including match formats, tiebreaks, candidate points, and more.

Here’s a reminder from the blog post:

“In case of missing rules or unforeseen situations, including Fair Play and conduct issues, organizers may refer to previous CWC editions or act at their discretion.”

Please also note:

All games played on the Lichess platform are subject to the Lichess Terms of Service. Any violation of these terms overrides all tournament rules and will result in immediate disqualification from the event.

Rules Specific to the Arena Format

Shared Accounts:

Participating using a shared or non-personal account is strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification if detected.

Voice Calls During Play:

Joining voice calls (e.g., Discord, Zoom, etc.) during an Arena or a scheduled match is not allowed. This constitutes external assistance and is a violation of Lichess Fair Play.
To avoid suspicion or penalty, please refrain from engaging in any form of voice communication while playing.

Multiple Arena Participation:

Players who have already qualified in one Arena are kindly asked not to participate in any subsequent Arenas. This ensures fair qualification opportunities for others and maintains the integrity of Arena standings.

Qualification to Double Knockout Stage:

The Top 4 players from each Arena will advance to the Double Knockout Stage.
In case of withdrawals or disqualifications, the next-highest-ranked eligible player from the standings will advance instead.

The lists of players advancing to the Double Knockout Stage will be published separately and kept regularly updated in case of any changes.

Rules For Double K.O. Stage

The following rule from previous editions will apply:

If a player voluntarily withdraws or is disqualified by the organisers, their most recent defeated opponent will be offered a second chance to take their place in the tournament.

Anti-Cheating Policy

Cheating detection will be handled by Lichess.
In case of suspected cheating or suspicious behavior, players should contact the organisers before taking action.
The organisers will coordinate with Lichess moderators where necessary. Any player confirmed by Lichess to have violated fair play rules will be immediately disqualified from the tournament.
Organisers will not independently judge cheating cases without official input from Lichess.

Rules and guidelines related to scheduling matches in Double Knockout and Candidates Stages of CWC 2025

Waiting Time:

Players must show up within 20 minutes of the scheduled match time.

First offence: Warning
Second offence: Possible forfeit

Scheduling Window:

Double Knockout Stage: Matches must be scheduled and played within a 2-week window.
Candidates Stage: Matches must be scheduled and played within 1 week. All scheduled match times must be posted publicly in the official forum thread dedicated to the respective stage (to be created prior to the start).

Extension Requests:

In exceptional circumstances, players may request one extension:

Up to 1 additional week for Double Knockout (scheduling window then becomes 3 weeks total)
Up to 1 additional week for Candidates (scheduling window then becomes 2 weeks total)
This extension can be granted only once per stage.

Effort to Schedule:

If one player has made reasonable and documented effort to schedule the match, and the opponent has not responded or made contact, the match may be awarded by default to the responsive player.
All match time suggestions should be posted in the official forum, tagging the opponent with @username. This serves as both a notification and proof of effort.

Code of Conduct :

We believe a respectful environment is essential for creating a safe and welcoming space for everyone involved in the Crazyhouse World Championship. Inappropriate behavior—such as threats, clear verbal abuse, or harassment—towards other participants or the organisers will not be tolerated.

Depending on the severity of the offense, such behavior may result in either:

An official warning
Or immediate disqualification from the tournament

Please note:

The rules listed here are not exhaustive and may be updated or extended by the organising committee as needed.

Hello everyone, This post will go over some of the CWC 2025 ruleset in more detail. As mentioned in the announcement blog post (https://lichess.org/@/visualdennis/blog/announcing-the-crazyhouse-world-championship-2025/CMcYy3sy), we will largely follow the rules of previous editions — including match formats, tiebreaks, candidate points, and more. Here’s a reminder from the blog post: “In case of missing rules or unforeseen situations, including Fair Play and conduct issues, organizers may refer to previous CWC editions or act at their discretion.” Please also note: All games played on the Lichess platform are subject to the Lichess Terms of Service. Any violation of these terms overrides all tournament rules and will result in immediate disqualification from the event. Rules Specific to the Arena Format ---------------------------------- - Shared Accounts: Participating using a shared or non-personal account is *strictly prohibited* and will result in disqualification if detected. - Voice Calls During Play: Joining voice calls (e.g., Discord, Zoom, etc.) during an Arena or a scheduled match is not allowed. This constitutes external assistance and is a violation of Lichess Fair Play. To avoid suspicion or penalty, please refrain from engaging in any form of voice communication while playing. - Multiple Arena Participation: Players who have already qualified in one Arena are kindly asked not to participate in any subsequent Arenas. This ensures fair qualification opportunities for others and maintains the integrity of Arena standings. - Qualification to Double Knockout Stage: The Top 4 players from each Arena will advance to the Double Knockout Stage. In case of withdrawals or disqualifications, the next-highest-ranked eligible player from the standings will advance instead. The lists of players advancing to the Double Knockout Stage will be published separately and kept regularly updated in case of any changes. Rules For Double K.O. Stage ------------------------------- The following rule from previous editions will apply: If a player voluntarily withdraws or is disqualified by the organisers, their most recent defeated opponent will be offered a second chance to take their place in the tournament. Anti-Cheating Policy ------------------------------ - Cheating detection will be handled by Lichess. - In case of suspected cheating or suspicious behavior, players should contact the organisers before taking action. - The organisers will coordinate with Lichess moderators where necessary. Any player confirmed by Lichess to have violated fair play rules will be immediately disqualified from the tournament. - Organisers will not independently judge cheating cases without official input from Lichess. Rules and guidelines related to scheduling matches in Double Knockout and Candidates Stages of CWC 2025 ------------------------------ Waiting Time: Players must show up within 20 minutes of the scheduled match time. - First offence: Warning - Second offence: Possible forfeit Scheduling Window: - Double Knockout Stage: Matches must be scheduled and played within a 2-week window. - Candidates Stage: Matches must be scheduled and played within 1 week. All scheduled match times must be posted publicly in the official forum thread dedicated to the respective stage (to be created prior to the start). Extension Requests: In exceptional circumstances, players may request one extension: - Up to 1 additional week for Double Knockout (scheduling window then becomes 3 weeks total) - Up to 1 additional week for Candidates (scheduling window then becomes 2 weeks total) This extension can be granted only once per stage. Effort to Schedule: - If one player has made reasonable and documented effort to schedule the match, and the opponent has not responded or made contact, the match may be awarded by default to the responsive player. - All match time suggestions should be posted in the official forum, tagging the opponent with @username. This serves as both a notification and proof of effort. Code of Conduct : ------------------------------ We believe a respectful environment is essential for creating a safe and welcoming space for everyone involved in the Crazyhouse World Championship. Inappropriate behavior—such as threats, clear verbal abuse, or harassment—towards other participants or the organisers will not be tolerated. Depending on the severity of the offense, such behavior may result in either: - An official warning - Or immediate disqualification from the tournament Please note: The rules listed here are not exhaustive and may be updated or extended by the organising committee as needed.

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