GPX Checklist

(2026 Junior Chess Parents Cheat Sheet)

⚙️ The Mechanism

Think of GPX as a weighted batting average. It’s not just about winning—it’s about who you beat and how much time you had on the clock. Quality counts more than quantity.

🧊 GPX ≠ Rating

Rating is History. GPX is Now.

Rating says how good they are fundamentally.
GPX measures how hot their performance is in 2026.

👉 Top 20 GPX get invited to the Junior Closed.

A low GPX often isn't bad chess—it's just the math (wrong tournaments).

📅 Fresh Start

Everyone starts at Zero

Only games played between 01 Jan and 31 Dec 2026 count.

⏱️ TIME IS EVERYTHING

GPX loves long games and punishes short ones:

🧠 A 20-min win is worth only ⅓ of a win. Playing mostly rapid will tank your score unless you are beating giants.

⚔️ WHO YOU BEAT MATTERS

GPX rewards Giant Slayers. It penalizes farming.

👻 The “Inactive” Trap

The Rule

You need 30 weighted games to appear on the log.

Warning: 30 rapid games only count as 10 weighted games! You need to play a LOT of rapid to qualify.

✅ GPX Survival Rules

Do this:

Play 60-min games
Face equal or stronger opponents
Mix long games early

Avoid this:

Rapid-only seasons ⚠️
Easy wins vs weaker players ⚠️