Financial support for young players

Objectives

Establish objective criteria for the financial support of talented players to create a cohesive framework for providing financial assistance.

Type of Assistance

Financial support in the form of reimbursement for various costs related to the practice of chess (training, travel, coaching, tournaments, etc.).

Support for achieving a norm

Financial support in the form of reimbursement for registration costs for tournaments organized in Belgium aimed at achieving a norm.

Upon participation in the tournament, players receive an amount up to a maximum of € 200 per norm, depending on the budget allocated by the RBCF for this position (€ 2 000 in 2025).

Once per year per player. An exception is made for players who have already achieved a norm, in order to accelerate the completion of their title requirements.

Talented RBCF players (2300 – 2499 ELO)

Target group: players ranked between 2300 and 2499 ELO on the August 1st ELO list.

Each year, eligible players will share the budget allocated by the RBCF for this position, up to a maximum of € 400 per player. As an indication, the budget for 2025 was € 4 000.

Top RBCF players (>= 2500 ELO)

Target group: players ranked 2500 ELO onwards on the August 1st ELO list.

Each year, players share the budget allocated by the RBCF for this position, plus a percentage of any sponsorship income obtained by the RBCF, according to the distribution key below. As an indication: in 2025, this amount was € 5 000.

• Player ≥ 2500 and < 2600: Weight of 3
• Player ≥ 2600: Weight of 7

The key above assigns a category weight per player. Regardless of the total number of players, the budget is distributed based on the sum of all applicable weights.

If there are 2 players in the 2500–2600 range (weight 3 each) and 1 player above 2600 (weight 7):

• Total Weight: (2 x 3) + 7 = 13
• Each player in the 2500–2600 category receives: 3 / 13 = 23% of the budget.
• The player in the > 2600 category receives: 7 / 13 = 54% of the budget.

Eligible Players

• Age: Players who turn a maximum of 25 years old in the relevant calendar year.
• Nationality & Residency: Players with Belgian FIDE nationality who have played for Belgium for at least 2 years. A player with Belgian FIDE nationality is only eligible if they are demonstrably active in Belgian chess. Specifically, this means that in the past 5 years, the player:
  • Has played at least 30 games processed for standard FIDE ELO (regardless of the country where these games were played).
  • Has participated at least once in an official Belgian Championship (Youth, Experts, Women, or Open).
• Disciplinary record: Must not have been suspended by the RBCF in the past 5 years.
• Compatibility: Can be combined with support for achieving a norm and support for young talents.

The RBCF reserves the right to refuse support to players who have been suspended by another chess federation in the past five years.

Duration of support

Maximum of 5 years per player within each category.

Player obligations

The player grants the RBCF permission to use their name and likeness for promotional purposes.

Payment method

• Players must submit proof of expenses (receipts/invoices) to the RBCF for the relevant amount.
• Payment will be issued by the RBCF upon receipt of the supporting documentation.