Debate. Discover. Do real chemistry.
The UK Chemistry Tournament (UKChTo) is a team competition for sixth-form students who enjoy thinking beyond the textbook. Working in teams of 4 to 6 students, research open-ended chemistry problems, prepare their own solutions, and then debate them with other teams in a friendly, scientific “battle of ideas”.
UKChTo is the national team selection for the International Chemistry Tournament (ichto2026.com and ichto.org). In 2026 the International Chemistry Tournament will take place in the Republic of Korea, 15–19 August 2026
In the UK Chemistry Tournament, teams of students tackle open-ended, research-style problems in advance, make presentations, and then meet at the Tournament to debate their ideas in three distinct roles.
The Reporter presents its solution and defends the scientific reasoning behind it.
The Opponent critically analyses another team’s solution, highlighting strengths, weaknesses and alternative interpretations.
The Reviewer evaluates both sides of the debate and offers an independent scientific judgement.
Each round is a dynamic discussion where chemistry knowledge, clear argumentation and teamwork matter as much as the final answer.
Full rules are published on the Rules page
The UK Chemistry Tournament problem set is now published, and students can begin working on the challenges straight away. All six problems should be solved in advance of the competition, with each team preparing a presentation for every problem. These are open-ended, research-based tasks that assess creativity, reasoning, and scientific communication – they do not require performing any experiments. We encourage teams to start exploring the problems early, discuss ideas within their groups, and develop thoughtful, well-supported solutions ahead of the tournament.
Full list of questions is published on the Problem set page
5th December 2025 – Registration opens
20th January 2025 – Registration closes
10th February 2026 – Teams send a solution for one problem to info@ukchto.org
15th February 2026 – up to 8 teams notified that they can participate in the tournament
14th March 2026 – Tournament in University of Cambridge, Department of Chemistry
What is the cost of participation?
Participation in UKChTo is free for everyone.
Do we have to solve all problems for the selection round?
Your team have to solve and make a presentation only for one problem for the first selection round. You can choose any of the six questions.
What do I need to bring on a day of the tournament?
A laptop with presentations for all solved problems. And a packed lunch for participants
Do we have to make presentations on all problems for the onsite event?
While you don't have to solve all 6 problems (as the rules allow you to refuse from a few of them), you have to prepare a separate presentation for every solved problem.