CUCC 2026 Day 1 Recap

Day 1 of the Canadian University Chess Championship (CUCC) saw 60+ teams converge on a snow-covered Hart House at the University of Toronto. Despite a slight delay to the opening ceremony due to last-minute logistical adjustments, the clocks were soon started for the largest edition of the CUCC in history. This marks the beginning of a grueling three-day, five-round battle for collegiate supremacy.

Crown Section

The feature matches on the live DGT boards saw cross-town rivals University of Toronto A take on Toronto Metropolitan University A, while U of T B faced off against the University of Montreal A.

U of T B enjoyed a relatively smooth evening; a forfeit on Board 4 and a late arrival from the Montreal squad contributed to a dominant 4-0 sweep for the Toronto side. However, the story of the night unfolded on the top boards of U of T A. In a pair of shocking results, IM Nicholas Vettese was held to a draw, while FM Sergey Noritsyn suffered a surprising defeat.

Elsewhere in the section:

• University of Waterloo A (3rd seed) dispatched Carleton University A 3.5–0.5.
• McGill University A (4th seed) mirrored that score with a 3.5–0.5 win over Western University A.
• Other results: The 5th-seeded University of Ottawa A was held to a draw by the 15th-seeded University of Waterloo C.

Reserve Section

With over 10 teams carrying a rating average above 1700, the Reserve Section (U1800) has no clear favourite. Top-seeded Brock University A battled to a draw against Queen's University C on the live boards in a series of highly instructive games. Meanwhile, 2nd-seeded McGill University C and 3rd-seeded Queen's University C both secured 3–1 victories to keep pace with the leaders.

Multimedia & Commentary

Live commentary was provided by FM Koosha Jaferian from the Map Room of Hart House. Koosha analyzed the top games and interviewed several players throughout the evening.

Watch the Replay: FM Koosha Jaferian Twitch VOD

Gallery

Photographs are available from Derek Ma, and are available on the Gallery page or on Flikr.

CUCC 2026 by Derek Ma

Looking Ahead to Day 2

Tomorrow promises high-stakes matchups, including a doubleheader on the DGT boards of the Crown section in Round 2:

• U of T A vs. McMaster A
• U of T B vs. McMaster B

The Reserve DGT boards will feature McGill University C vs. Queen's University D.

Follow the games live here tomorrow.

Schedule

• President's Meeting: 8:45 am
• Round 2: 10:00 AM
• Lunch: 12:30 pm - 2 pm
• Round 3: 4:00 PM
• CUCC Blitz Tournament: 8:00 PM

CUCC 2026 by Derek Ma