Cosplay Chess

Sakura-Con Cosplay Chess Rules 

Eligibility: 

Cosplay Chess: Arena 

This event is open to all registered convention attendees. You must have a valid Sakura-Con badge for the day of the pre-meet and match in order to participate. 

Cosplay Chess: After Dark 

Participants in Cosplay Chess: After Dark must have a valid Sakura-Con Adult badge and obtain a Mature Audience Ribbon (Valid government issued ID Required to get ribbon) provided by the Convention. Minors are not allowed to participate in mature audience programming per Sakura-Con policies. 

General Information: 

How to Participate: 

Those wishing to participate must complete the following: 

• Online registration form in full. 
• Partial applications will not be considered. 

Registration for Cosplay Chess is not a first-come, first-serve; participants will be selected based on experience, needs of the game, and quality of the costume. 

If selected to participate, joining the Cosplay Chess Discord server is required. The majority of our communication is performed through a Cosplay Chess Discord server due to the community nature of the Discord application. 

• If you, or your guardian, do not wish to join the Discord server, please email us at cosplay.chess@sakuracon.org to make other arrangements. 

If selected to participate, attendance at the pre-meeting is required. Failure to attend may result in replacement in the game(s). 

Cosplay Chess Staff reserves the right to remove anyone from the game(s) at any point. 

Be certain to read rules for Cosplay Chess and all Sakura-Con policies before applying. If you have any questions, please email Cosplay Chess Staff at cosplay.chess@sakuracon.org 

The Game: Cosplay Chess After Dark 

There will be 32 chess pieces, as per an average game of chess. Alternates will be selected in the event participants drop out or miss the required pre-meeting. Battles requiring unspecified extras for special attacks shall need to be approved with a member of Cosplay Chess Staff prior to the event. 

The Game: Arena 

There will be ~27 Preplanned Fights. Alternates will be selected in the event participants drop out or miss the required pre-meeting. Battles requiring unspecified extras for special attacks shall need to be approved with a member of Cosplay Chess Staff prior to the event. 

The Battle: 

1. Chess: When a move is made by the Kings or that results in a piece being taken, a battle will take place. All pieces, except those involved, will remove themselves from the board and the pieces will battle. The use of special attacks and moves is encouraged with approval. 

      Arena: When a Wizard declares their pre-chosen fighter a battle will take place. 

2. The pieces will battle and put on a show for the audience, and the defeated piece will “die” in a dramatic way. Ideal timing for a battle is 1-3 minutes, with a maximum of three minutes. If you think your battle will exceed three minutes, please seek approval from a member of Cosplay Chess Staff. 
3. Chess: After the defeated piece leaves the board, all the remaining pieces will return to their previous positions. The Chess Board will be marked (ei. A1, B2, C3,) so you will be able to remember the number of your space before the battle starts. 

Arena:After the defeated piece leaves the board, all remaining pieces will also leave the board and the Wizard to declare their next pre-chosen fighter. 

4. Any dialogue performed during a fight must be spoken with a handheld microphone. Instructions on using a microphone will be given at the Cosplay Chess pre-meeting. 

5. If assistance of any other kind is needed for your battle, please arrange this with a member of Cosplay Chess Staff before the game. 

The Rules: 

1. There shall be little or no physical contact between pieces not currently engaged in battle. 

• • During a battle, you may not touch the piece you are “fighting” unless they consent prior to the game. 
  • Battles must still adhere to all Sakura-Con policies and must not cause harm (bodily or otherwise) to other participants. 
  • Consent may be withdrawn at any point prior, during or after the event. 
  • If you fail to abide by any Sakura-Con policies, you shall be removed from the game immediately and handed over to Sakura-Con Attendee Services. 

2. All entries must be recognizable characters from manga, anime, video games, or another form of popular media. 
3. All costumes must: 

• • Follow all convention policies (nudity, props, etc. This includes peace bonding. See part C in the policies for more detail). 

• • Be self-contained, with no electrical plugs or other outside support required. A costume must be something that the applicant can move in. If your costume is bulky, heavy, or awkward, an explanation should be included with the application explaining in detail how the design of the costume will still allow for enough movement to participate in Cosplay Chess. 
  • All weapons must adhere to the convention’s weapon policy and must be peace-bonded. If Cosplay Chess Staff believes the player is violating the rules of peace-bonding, that player will be removed from the board and replaced. 
  • No props or stage accessories that leave behind material will be allowed. This means no confetti, no fake blood, no rose petals or anything else that could disrupt everyone’s footing or damage the convention space. 

• • No shoes are allowed on the mats. 
    •  Socks/stocking/slippers. 
    •  Socks with grip are acceptable. 
    • If you are worried that your shoes cannot be removed for the duration of Cosplay Chess, please see a member of Cosplay Chess Staff prior to the event for approval. 
  • You are only allowed to submit a total of two costumes (one per game) for consideration for Cosplay Chess. 
    • If you enter more than two costumes total (one per game) your applications may not be considered. 
    •  You can enter a single costume for multiple games. 
  • Cosplays that have been used for two or more consecutive years may not be considered for acceptance. 
  • Historical, original characters, and celebrity based costumes will be treated on a case by case basis when submitted for consideration. The Cosplay Chess Coordinator might require further information about the historical or original character being submitted or as to why you think the celebrity based character would function in the game. 
  • For our non-MA (mature) content, such as Cosplay Chess Arena, characters from MA source material will be treated on a case by case basis when submitted for consideration for Cosplay Chess Arena. Our intention is to have adult-oriented characters in the 18+ After Dark content. 
  • Cosplay Chess: After Dark Characters canonically under age 18 years old can not be involved in sexual situations 

4. Images of your finished costume must be submitted with your application. In the event the costume you wish to apply with is not currently finished, include reference pictures, pictures of a previous costume and any pictures you can of the unfinished product. When e-mailing costume updates (mandatory if your costume is unfinished at the time of application) to Cosplay Chess Staff, please remember to include your name, character name, series, and date of the costume update. 
5. Participants will be selected based on previous experience (with theater, martial arts, improv groups or with at-convention events such as Cosplay Chess or Cosplay Contest) and based on the quality of the costume. 

6. Any person or persons wishing to have multiple characters as the same piece are subject to approval and critique by Cosplay Chess Staff. Each inquiry will be taken on a case by case basis. The person or persons are subject to be split up based on the needs for the game instead of being placed as the same piece. 

• • You may not request to be multiple characters as one piece.
  • Please note that some participants may be combined into a single piece. 

7. The game and piece placement is subject to change at any point prior to the event based off the needs of the game by Cosplay Chess Staff 
8. Punctuality is important. 

• • If you believe you are going to be a few minutes late, please contact Cosplay Chess Staff via the Discord Channel 
  • If you are 10 minutes late from call time, you may be replaced. 

9. Participants will be chosen and notified of their position approximately a month to two weeks before the convention and will be required to attend a mandatory pre-game meeting at the convention. In the event that you cannot attend the 

pre-game meeting, please email us at cosplay.chess@sakuracon.org to make other arrangements. 

If you do not attend the pre-game meeting, you will forfeit your place and it will be filled by an alternate.

Apply Here for the 2026 Cosplay Chess (Coming Soon)