Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) is one of the alternatives to reduce significantly engine emissions for future regulations. This new alternative combustion process is mainly controlled by chemical kinetics in comparison with the conventional combustion in internal combustion engines. The optimization of the engine over the complete engine operation range requires an accurate analysis of the combustion process under all operating conditions; detailed modeling of the HCCI process is an opportunity to realize the engine optimization at lower cost. The combination of CFD computations with detailed chemistry leads to excessive computation times, and is not achievable with current computer capabilities. In this paper, a reduced chemical model for n-heptane is described, in view of its implementation into a CFD simulation code. In the first part, the reduction process to get to the 61-step mechanism is detailed and then the 26-step mechanism is described; this further reduction is carried out under various conditions that include a range of interest in engine applications. The third part is dedicated to extensive validation work in reference to the original detailed mechanism and two reduced mechanisms published in the literature, focusing on the prediction of ignition delay times under constant as well as variable volume conditions. A good and accurate reproduction of both ignition delay times and heat release can be reached with the 26-step model. (c) 2006 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.