The main rules for playing competitive ChGK are contained in the Code of Sports ChGK.

1. No more than 6 players are allowed in active gameplay at any time. A limited number of substitutes per team and substitution of players between games are permitted. One of the team's players is its captain. The captain has special rights (such as the right to lodge protests to the appeals committee between games).

2. Answers are given to the assistant captains (often called "swallows") in writing on cards given to the team before the start of the game.

3. Before the question, teams can be given or shown on screen any supporting materials (text, image, audio, video files and so on) or even a black box. The absence of the object from a black box is generally accepted as a basis for removing a question.

4. 60 seconds are allowed to discuss questions (or 60s total for blitz questions), plus 10 seconds to record an answer (or answers in blitz questions). Once the recording time is up, a player must raise the card with the answer(s) above their head; otherwise, the answer may not be counted. Discussion time begins and ends at the referee's signal; the referee also makes another signal 10 seconds before the end of discussion time as well as another one at the end of the recording time.

5. Scores are determined by the number of correct answers. If the scores are tied, they either share corresponding places or additional indicators can be used (depending on tournament regulations). If two or more teams are tied for prizes, additional questions may be asked until the tie Is broken.

6. If the answer does not exactly match the author's answer, it can be scored either by the game jury (at the game) or by the appeals committee (if a protest is filed) if it meets the credit criteria specified by the question's author, is more accurate than the author's one, contains additional information that doesn't change the meaning, etc.

7. The Appeals Committee considers 2 types of protests: alternative answer protests and question removal protests.

7.1. Alternative answer protests are protests concerned with answers not provided by the question's author, but which satisfies all the conditions of the question (called a dual answer). If the protest is allowed, the answer is credited to the protesting team as well as all other teams giving that answer, or equivalent.

7.2. Question removal protests are protests for factual errors in questions or in answers. If the protest is allowed, the question is excluded and points for answering it correctly are removed from all teams.

7.3. Tournament rules must explicitly allow for protests, otherwise they are not allowed. Tournament rules may allow for protests to be filed in exchange for deposits, which are typically refunded only if the protest is allowed.

8. Consulting source material is not allowed during active gameplay, but may be allowed when lodging a protest.