Chess.com Official 2025 Event Rulebook

In this article, you can find the official rules for all Chess.com events with prize money. Use the table of contents below to jump to a specific event. All prize money events are also subject to the Chess.com Competitive Events Policy and the Fair Play Policy. Players must identify their accounts by adding their full name to their profile page to be eligible to participate in prize tournaments.

To receive payment for the prizes you've won, we have different minimum payout thresholds based on the payment method:

• • For PayPal, the minimum payout is $100
  • For ACH & Wire transactions, the minimum payout is $500

Chess.com will automatically accrue your winnings until the required minimum is reached before we can send you your prize payment.

• Definitions
• Titled Tuesday (Sep 2-May 31, 2026)
• Titled Tuesday Grand Prix 2025-2026
• The After Party
• Freestyle Friday
• Bullet Brawl
• Arena Kings - October 1 Onward
• Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship
• Freestyle Chess Play-ins
• Champions Chess Tour 2025-2026
• Speed Chess Championship
• CoachChamps
• Comet Open
• 2025 Rulebook Archive

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Definitions

Arena - Tournament play consisting of continuous matches for a predetermined window of time, during which players will be repeatedly paired against each other based on the results of previous games in the Arena.

Color - White or black pieces in the context of chess.

Computer Inspection - A fair play measure in which a player must share their screen and task manager (PC) or activity monitor (Mac) on a video conference call.

Environment - The physical space that a player is playing from.

Environment Inspection - A fair play measure in which a player may be requested to show tournament officials the layout and contents of the player’s environment using a camera.

FIDE Title - Grandmaster (GM), International Master (IM), FIDE Master (FM), Candidate Master (CM), Woman Grandmaster (WGM), Woman International Master (WIM), Woman FIDE Master (WFM), or Woman Candidate Master (WCM).

Game - A single game of chess played on Chess.com between two players.

Match - Tournament play between two players that may involve multiple games.

National Title - National Master (NM)

Non-Titled Player - A player not recognized by Chess.com as having a FIDE title or national title.

Physical Inspection - A fair play measure in which a player may be requested to 1) remove any glasses or eyepieces and show them to tournament officials using a camera; and/or 2) turn their head to one side, brush their fingers over their ear, and then repeat this process for the other side.

Single Elimination Bracket - Tournament play where players compete in matches, advance through a bracket, and will not be eligible to move forward if they lose one match in the bracket.

Swiss - Tournament play which consists of several rounds of games or matches, during which players will be paired against each other based on the results of previous games/matches in the Swiss.

Time Control - The total amount of time allocated to each player to make all of their moves during a game of chess. Time Controls are formatted as X+Y, where X is the initial amount of minutes on each player’s clock, and Y is the number of seconds added to a player’s clock when a move is played by that player.

Titled Player - A player recognized by Chess.com as having a FIDE title or national master title.

Tournament Official - Any Chess.com employee, or any other individual otherwise employed or contracted for the purpose of administration or operations of an event.

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Titled Tuesday (Sep 2-May 31, 2026)

Schedule

Titled Tuesday takes place every Tuesday, with start times as follows:

The start time in CET/CEST will always be 17:00, regardless of whether Daylight Saving Time is observed in North America.

* Except on Oct 28: ET start time will be 12:00 p.m. due to Daylight Saving Time ending
** Except on Mar 10-17-24: ET start time will be 12:00 p.m. due to Daylight Saving Time starting

Tournament Format

Players will compete in a Swiss tournament with 11 rounds and a 5+0 time control. There is a planned 6-minute break after round four and round eight. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Draw offers are not permitted until after move 40. Players will be ranked by total points. If two or more players are tied in total points, the following tiebreakers will be applied:

1. Buchholz System (Cut 1), defined as the sum of scores of each opponent, minus the lowest opponent score
2. Buchholz System, defined as the sum of scores of each opponent
3. Sonneborn-Berger score, defined as the sum of the score of each defeated opponent and half the score of each drawn opponent.
4. Points earned in games between tied players (2-way ties only)
5. Number of game wins (including forfeits by opponents)
6. Number of game wins with Black
7. Average rating of opponents (Cut 1), defined as the average rating of opponents, based on Chess.com blitz ratings immediately after the tournament, with the lowest rating removed
8. Player Chess.com ratings immediately after the Tournament

Eligibility

Titled Tuesday is open to all Chess.com members recognized by Chess.com as having a FIDE title or a national master title.

To be eligible for streamer prizes, participants must meet the following criteria:

• Players must be easily identifiable on Twitch and/or Kick by listing their streams in the "Chess" category.
• Players must stream 9 out of 11 rounds of Titled Tuesday.
• Players must have ‘‘Titled Tuesday’, ‘TT,’ or TitledTuesday in their stream title.
• If streaming on Twitch, the streamer must connect their Twitch account to Chess.com.

Fair Play

Players are required to use Proctor (to learn more about Proctor and download the client, please go to Chess.com/proctor), and will be monitored by tournament officials. To abide by this request, players must join the tournament using Proctor and have two cameras set up. One camera must clearly show the player's full face and immediate surroundings beyond the player. No virtual or blurred backgrounds are allowed. The other camera should be placed behind the player diagonally at approximately a 30-degree angle, with the player's desk and monitors clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. The Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection and/or an Environment Inspection.

Broadcasting

Forward facing Proctor cameras may be used by Chess.com, or Chess.com's broadcast partner for the official Titled Tuesday broadcast. The first Titled player to read the rules and email Danny at ireadtheeventrules@chess.com with a screenshot will win $1,000 (Congrats to IM Eric Rosen.). Players may live broadcast their participation in Titled Tuesdays with a 15-second delay. Players are not required to enter emote-only mode, but must have chat closed during games. Players who stream may wear headphones during the event. Players are not permitted to broadcast or distribute any "Fair Play" video conference call, including player cameras and video, in whole or in part, without permission from Chess.com. 

Prizes

Up to $3,000 is available in each Titled Tuesday, as follows:

Standing	Prize Money
1st	$1,000
2nd	$750
3rd	$350
4th	$250
5th	$150
6th	$100
Top Woman	$100
Top 3 Streamers	$100 each

The top woman prize will be awarded to the highest placing woman player.

The top streamer prizes are awarded to the highest placing streamers who don't win another prize, based on the best placement achieved. 

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Titled Tuesday Grand Prix 2025-2026

Overview

The Titled Tuesday Grand Prix is a leaderboard competition where titled players have the opportunity to earn Champions Chess Tour leaderboard points each week. Points contribute towards qualification for the 2026 Chess.com Global Championship and the 2026 Esports World Cup.

Format and Leaderboard

Players compete in weekly Titled Tuesday events from September 2, 2025, to May 26, 2026, which are divided into three splits. There will be an off-season following the three main splits, in which prizes will be awarded, but no points are earned. 

• Autumn Split: September 2, 2025 - November 25, 2025
• Winter Split: December 2, 2025 - February 24, 2026
• Spring Split: March 3, 2026 - May 26, 2026
• Off-season: TBD

Within a split, players are ranked on a Split Leaderboard based on their top eight Titled Tuesday results. There will be leaderboards for all players, women, youth, seniors, and girls. 

• Youth means players born in 2009 or later
• 2010 or later, starting in the Winter Split
• Seniors means players born in 1975 or earlier
• 1976 or earlier, starting in the Winter Split
• Girls means women born in 2005 or later
• 2006 or later, starting in the Winter Split.

The eight players from the Split Leaderboard (all players) who earn the most eligible points in the Winter Split will qualify for the 2026 Chess.com Global Championship. 

Split Leaderboards for women, youth, seniors, and girls will be calculated based on only the players in those categories, ranking them amongst themselves. These leaderboards will be completely separate from the main Champions Chess Tour Leaderboard.

Titled Tuesday Grand Prix Tiebreaks

• Highest placement, followed by second-highest placement, third-highest placement, etc
• Total events played
• In order for an event to be considered as a played event, a player must have competed in over half of the rounds of that Titled Tuesday.

Prizes 

$30,000 of monetary prizes are available, per split (including the off-season), as determined by the chart below.

If a player wins multiple prizes, they win only the highest monetary prize and are removed from consideration for the lower-prized leaderboard.

Qualification Points

Points will be based on placement within a given Titled Tuesday. Results beyond a player’s top eight placements, within a split, will not count. 

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The After Party 

Schedule

The After Party takes place every Tuesday beginning at 3 p.m. ET / 21:00 CET/CEST. The start time in CET/CEST will always be 15:00, regardless of whether Daylight Saving Time is observed in North America.

* Except on Oct 28: ET start time will be 4:00 p.m. due to Daylight Saving Time ending
** Except on Mar 10-17-24: ET start time will be 4:00 p.m. due to Daylight Saving Time starting

Tournament Format

There will be two sections weekly—one for Titled players and one for Non-Titled players (“Untitled After Party”). Each section is a two-hour Arena with a 3+0 time control. Players will earn 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Draw offers are not permitted until after move 40. Consecutive wins will be worth additional points, with the second win in a row worth 3 points and every consecutive win thereafter worth 4 points. Players will be ranked by total points. If two or more players are tied in total points, standard Chess.com Arena tiebreakers will be applied.

Non-Titled Player Promotion

At the conclusion of the Untitled After Party, the Non-Titled player who finishes first qualifies to compete in the following week’s Titled section of The After Party. This player is only eligible to compete in The After Party immediately following the week they qualified. The player must accept their invitation to compete by Friday at 18:00 CEST/CET of the week in which they qualified. If the invitation is accepted, the qualified player is only eligible to compete for prizes within The After Party and forfeits their ability to earn Non-Titled prizes for the week. By accepting the invitation, the qualified player agrees to download and compete in The After Party using Proctor (Chess.com/proctor). If the player declines the invitation, no additional player will be promoted.

Eligibility

The After Party is open to all Chess.com members in good standing. To be eligible for streamer prizes, participants must meet the following criteria:

• Players must be easily identifiable on Twitch and/or Kick by listing their streams in the "Chess" category.
• Players must have ‘‘After Party’, ‘TAP,’ 'UAP', or 'afterparty' in their stream title.
• The player must stream at least 100 minutes of the event.
• If streaming on Twitch, the streamer must connect their Twitch account to Chess.com.
• Competing players must have a minimum of 50 games completed on Chess.com.
• Anonymous players cannot earn prizes. All accounts must be labeled with the player's real name.
• All players must play using accounts that properly reflect their playing strength as measured by rating. All forms of rating manipulation are against site rules.
• No short or unnatural draws without playing an authentic game of chess are permitted. We expect players to abide by the spirit of the competition and play normally at all times. A draw may be offered before time expires in your final game to "beat the buzzer," but only if this game was played in the authentic manner we expect throughout the whole of the tournament, and beyond a minimum of 20 moves. 

Fair Play

Titled players are required to use Proctor (to learn more about Proctor and download the client, please go to Chess.com/proctor), and will be monitored by tournament officials. Non-titled Players competing in the Untitled After Party are not required to use Proctor. Players must join the tournament using Proctor and have two cameras set up. One camera must clearly show the player's full face and immediate surroundings beyond the player. No virtual or blurred backgrounds are allowed. The other camera should be placed behind the player diagonally at approximately a 30-degree angle, with the player's desk and monitors clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. Headphones are allowed for the event. The Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection and/or an Environment Inspection.

Pairing Manipulation: Players are prohibited from intentionally manipulating pairings within The After Party. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Delaying gameplay, forfeiting games, or making strategic decisions with the express purpose of affecting who they are paired against.
• Colluding with other players to manipulate pairings for mutual advantage.

Prizes

Up to $2,000 in prizes are available in each The After Party, as follows:

* Players may only win one prize per event. If a player is eligible for multiple prizes, they will receive the prize with the highest monetary value. If the prizes are of equal value, the Standings prize takes precedent.*

* The top streamer prizes are awarded to the highest placing streamers who don't win another prize, based on the best placement achieved.*

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Freestyle Friday

Schedule

Freestyle Friday is a weekly Chess960 event. Freestyle Friday takes place every Friday, with start times as follows:

Event	PT	ET	CET	IST	China
Sep 9 - Dec 31	8 am	11 am	17:00	9:30 pm	00:00 +1

The start time in CET/CEST will always be 17:00, regardless of whether Daylight Saving Time is observed in North America.

* Except on Oct 31: ET start time will be 12:00 p.m. due to Daylight Saving Time ending

Tournament Format

Players will compete in a Swiss tournament with 11 rounds of Chess960 with a 3+1 time control. There is a planned 6-minute break after Round 4 and Round 8. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Draw offers are not permitted until after move 40. Players will be ranked by total points. If two or more players are tied in total points, the following tiebreakers will be applied:

1. Buchholz System (Cut 1), defined as the sum of scores of each opponent, minus the lowest opponent score
2. Buchholz System, defined as the sum of scores of each opponent
3. Sonneborn-Berger score, defined as the sum of the score of each defeated opponent and half the score of each drawn opponent.
4. Points earned in games between tied players (2-way ties only)
5. Number of game wins (including forfeits by opponents)
6. Number of game wins with black
7. Average rating of opponents (Cut 1), defined as the average rating of opponents, based on Chess.com blitz ratings immediately after the tournament, with the lowest rating removed
8. Player Chess.com ratings immediately after the Tournament

Eligibility

Freestyle Friday is open to all Chess.com members recognized by Chess.com as having a FIDE title or a National Master title.

Fair Play

Players are required to use Proctor (to learn more about Proctor and download the client, please go to Chess.com/proctor), and will be monitored by tournament officials. To abide by this request, players must join the tournament using Proctor and have two cameras set up. One camera must clearly show the player's full face and immediate surroundings beyond the player. No virtual or blurred backgrounds are allowed. The other camera should be placed behind the player diagonally at approximately a 30-degree angle, with the player's desk and monitors clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. The Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection and/or an Environment Inspection.

Broadcasting

Players may live broadcast their participation in Freestyle Friday with a 10-second delay. Players are not required to enter emote-only mode, but must have chat closed during games. Players who stream may wear headphones during the event. Players are not permitted to broadcast or distribute any "Fair Play" video conference call, including player cameras and video, in whole or in part, without permission from Chess.com. 

Prizes

Up to US $1,000 are available in each Freestyle Friday, as follows:

Standing	Prize Money (USD)
1st	$400
2nd	$250
3rd	$150
4th	$100
Top woman player	$100

The top woman prize will be awarded to the highest-placing woman player.

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Bullet Brawl

Schedule

Starting on February 1, 2024, Bullet Brawl takes place every Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. PT / 18:00 CET. 

Tournament Format

Players will compete in a 2-hour Arena with score-based pairings and a 1+0 time control. Players will earn 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Consecutive wins will be worth additional points, with the second win in a row worth 3 points and every consecutive win thereafter worth 4 points. Players will be ranked by total points. If two or more players are tied in total points, the following tiebreakers will be applied:

1. Most consecutive game wins
2. Total game wins
3. Fewest game losses

Eligibility

Bullet Brawl is open to all Chess.com members recognized by Chess.com as having a FIDE Title or a National Master Title.

Broadcasting

Players may live broadcast their participation in Bullet Brawl. Players are not permitted to broadcast or distribute any "Fair Play" video conference call, including player cameras and video, in whole or in part, without permission from Chess.com.

Fair Play

Players in this event are not required to join a video conference call for monitoring

Prizes

Up to US $1,000 are available in each Bullet Brawl, as follows:

Standing	Prize Money (USD)
1st	$400
2nd	$250
3rd	$150
4th	$100
Top woman player	$100

The top woman prize will be awarded to the highest placing woman player.

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Arena Kings - October 1 Onward

Schedule

Arena Kings takes place on the first Wednesday of each month, with start times as follows:

* Except on Oct 28: The ET start time will be 1 p.m. due to Daylight Saving Time ending

** Except on Mar 11-18-25: The ET start time will be 1 p.m. due to Daylight Saving Time starting

Tournament Format

Players will compete in a two-hour multi-club Arena with score-based pairings and a 3+0 time control. Players will earn 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Draw offers are not permitted until after move 40. Consecutive wins will be worth additional points, with the second win in a row worth 3 points and every consecutive win thereafter worth 4 points. Clubs will be ranked by total points, counting their top 30 scores. If two or more teams are tied in total points, the following tiebreakers will be applied:

1. Total points of the top 20 players
2. Total points of the top 10 players
3. Total points of the top 5 players
4. Total points of the top player
5. If the tie remains, the prizes will be split

Eligibility

Arena Kings is open to all Chess.com members in good standing. To be prize eligible, participants must meet the following criteria:

Clubs:

• Clubs must complete the registration form by the designated due date specified in the form to be considered for eligibility.
• To be eligible for the club leaderboard, the club owner must either play in the event or stream the event while providing commentary.
• Approved clubs will be automatically invited to the following months Arena Kings. If you do not plan on participating please email tournaments@chess.com at least 1 day prior to the event start date.
• If a club does not show up for an Arena Kings in which they were eligible, and were added to the club, for they will be removed.
• All clubs that have been removed from Arena Kings must reapply to become eligible.
• Clubs should be clearly associated with participating creators (e.g. as represented in the club logo and description).
• Chess.com reserves the right to accept or decline applications based on club activity/own discretion.

Players:

• Competing players must have a minimum of fifty games completed on Chess.com.
• Competing players must belong to an approved club.
• Anonymous players cannot earn prizes. All prize-winning accounts must be labeled with the player's real name.
• No short or unnatural draws without playing an authentic game of chess are permitted. We expect players to abide by the spirit of the competition and play normally at all times. A draw may be offered before time expires in your final game to "beat the buzzer," but only if this game was played in the authentic manner we expect throughout the whole of the tournament, and beyond a minimum of 40 moves. 

To be eligible for creator prizes:

• The player must stream their games with their board and themselves visible on stream, and their video and audio must be clear. 
• The player must stream at least 100 minutes of the event.
• The player must save their VoDs and be able to provide them to staff upon request to be prize eligible. It is recommended to store them publicly to avoid disqualification.
• “Arena Kings," “Arenakings,” or “AK,” must be in the stream title
• Verbal commentary and/or chat engagement are required. We are specifically discouraging players from streaming simply to be eligible for prizes while not providing any streaming "value."

Fair Play

Players in this event are not required to join a video conference call for monitoring.

Pairing Manipulation: Players are prohibited from intentionally manipulating pairings within Arena Kings. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Delaying gameplay, forfeiting games, or making strategic decisions with the express purpose of affecting who they are paired against.
• Colluding with other players to manipulate pairings for a mutual advantage.

Prizes

Up to $2,500 in prizes are available in each Arena Kings, as follows:

The top five scorers from each club in the top five will receive a one-month Diamond membership. One random player per club with more than 15 scorers will receive a one-month Diamond membership. 

Prizes for the Club Leaderboard will be paid directly to the club owner. All other prizes will be paid directly to the player. Clubs where the club owner is not participating are not eligible for prizes. 

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Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship

Schedule

The Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship consists of eight qualifier events (each a "Qualifier") and a knockout stage ("Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship Main Event"). The Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship schedule is as follows:

Tournament Format

Qualifiers

Players may participate in up to eight Qualifiers. The winner of each Qualifier will advance to the Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship Main Event, which is a double-elimination bracket.

In each Qualifier, players will compete in a seventy-five-minute Arena with score-based pairings and a 3+2 time control. Players will earn 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Consecutive wins will be worth additional points, with the second win in a row worth 3 points and every consecutive win thereafter worth 4 points. Players will be ranked by total points. If two or more players are tied in total points, the following tiebreakers will be applied:

1. Most consecutive game wins
2. Total game wins
3. Fewest game losses

Players who have already qualified to participate in the Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship Main Event are ineligible to participate in additional qualifiers.

Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship Finals

The  Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship Main Event is a double-elimination bracket with the eight winners from the Qualifiers. The players will be ranked based on the Qualifier they won (the first seed is the Arena 1 winner, etc). Matches will consist of four games with a 3+2 time control and alternating colors. The higher seed begins with the white pieces. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. The first player to reach 2.5 points wins the match. If tied 2-2, players will play one game with a 1+2 time control. In the event a tiebreak game ends in a draw, additional 1+2 games are played with alternating colors until a player wins the tiebreaker game. 

Eligibility

Qualifiers

• All players with a Chess.com account in good standing are eligible to compete in the event.

To be eligible for streamer prizes, participants must meet the following criteria:

• Players must be easily identifiable on Twitch and/or Kick by listing their streams in the "Chess" category.
• Players must stream at least 55 minutes of the qualifier.
• Players must have ‘Seirawan’ or 'Community Championship' in their stream title.
• If streaming on Twitch, the streamer must connect their Twitch account to Chess.com.

Fair Play

In the  Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship Main Event, players are required to share their screen and have two cameras. One camera must clearly show the player's full face and immediate surroundings beyond the player. No virtual or blurred backgrounds are allowed. A second camera should be placed behind the player diagonally at approximately a 30-degree angle with the player's desk and monitors clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. Non-compliance may result in a player's removal from the event. Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection, an Environment Inspection, and/or a Physical Inspection at any time in any match in connection with the Seirawan Chess Championship.

Broadcasting

Players may broadcast their participation in the Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship without delay. During the Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship Main Event, players must close their stream chat while games are in progress. Players are permitted to wear headphones during the qualifiers. Streamers are permitted to wear headphones during the Main Event. Players are not permitted to broadcast or distribute the "Fair Play" video conference call, including player cameras and video, in whole or in part, without permission from Chess.com. 

Prizes

Up to $2,500 in prizes are available in the Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship. Payments will be made in United States dollars. 

Chess.com will award $2,500 for the Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship Main Event, according to the table below:

Placing	Prize Money (USD
1st	$750
2nd	$500
3rd	$350
4th	$250
5th (two players)	$175
7th (two players)	$100
Top Streamer	$100

*The top streamer prize is awarded to the highest placing streamer who didn't win another prize based on the best Qualifier placement achieved. The tiebreaker for this prize is the score in the Qualifier where the best placement was achieved. If that's tied, the prize is split equally among tied players.

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Freestyle Chess Play-Ins

Schedule

The Freestyle Chess Play-Ins consist of four stand-alone events. Each event consists of two online qualifiers for non-titled players ("Open Qualifiers"), an online qualifier for titled players ("Swiss Stage"), and a "Knockout Stage." The winner of each Play-In will qualify for the respective in-person "Freestyle Chess" event.

Tournament Format 

Open Qualifiers

Eligible players (see "Eligibility" below) may register to participate in the Open Qualifiers. Each Open Qualifier is a nine-round Swiss with a 10+2 time control. There is a planned 6-minute break after Round 4 and Round 7. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Draw offers are not allowed until after Black's 40th move. The top three ranked players of each Open Qualifier will be eligible to participate in the following Swiss Stage. Eligible players may participate in any number of Open Qualifiers. Titled Players are ineligible to participate in the Open Qualifiers.

Swiss Stage

Eligible players (see "Eligibility" below) may register to participate in the Swiss Stage, a nine-round Swiss with a 10+2 time control. There is a planned 6-minute break after Round 4 and Round 7. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Draw offers are not allowed until after Black's 40th move. The top four ranked players will advance to the Knockout Stage.

Knockout Stage

The top four ranked players from the Swiss Stage and 12 invited players participate in the Knockout Stage, a single-elimination knockout bracket. Each match in the bracket will consist of two games with a 15+3 time control. All matches within a Round start with the same position, with a new position being drawn for every subsequent game, including tiebreakers. Players will be able to view the next position through a conference call screen share three minutes before the start of their respective game and are allowed to self-analyze without engine use before the game begins. All Chess960 positions are eligible, except for the default starting position. Starting positions will not be repeated in the Knockout Stage. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. The higher seed starts with the black pieces. Draw offers are not allowed until after Black's 40th move.

If the match is tied 1-1 after both games, a two-game tiebreak with a 5+2 time control will be played. If the tiebreak is not resolved at the completion of these games, a bidding armageddon game will be played with a base time of 5 minutes. The bid winner receives the black pieces. 

Placement Matches

In addition to the Knockout Stage matches, there will be a 3rd place tiebreaker match and a 5th through 8th place single-elimination tiebreaker bracket. Each match will consist of two games with a 15+3 time control. All matches within a Round start with the same position, with a new position being drawn for every subsequent game, including tiebreakers. Players will be able to view the next position through a conference call screen share three minutes before the start of their respective game and are allowed to self-analyze without engine use before the game begins. All Chess960 positions are eligible, except for the default starting position. Starting positions will not be repeated in the Knockout Stage. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. The higher seed starts with the black pieces. Draw offers are not allowed until after Black's 40th move.

If the match is tied 1-1 after both games, a two-game tiebreak with a 5+2 time control will be played. If the tiebreak is not resolved at the completion of these games, a bidding armageddon game will be played with a base time of 5 minutes. The bid winner receives the black pieces. 

Armageddon

If two players are tied after playing all their games in a match, the armageddon game will decide the winner of the match. If a game of Armageddon is to be played, each player will communicate a "bid" to Tournament Officials via a private message. The bid is the amount of time that the player is willing to play with the black pieces. The maximum allowed bid is equal to the specified "base time" of the armageddon game. All Armageddon games will have a 5-minute base time. The player with a lower bid will receive the black pieces and begin the game with an amount of time equivalent to their bid. The other player will begin the game with the base time. If the bids are tied, those bids will be discarded, and players will submit another bid. Armageddon games are played with no increment. The player that wins the Armageddon game wins the match. If the game is drawn, the player with the black pieces will be the winner of the match. 

Swiss Tiebreakers

If two or more players are tied in total points in an Open Qualifier or the Swiss Stage, the following tiebreakers will be applied:

1. Buchholz System (Cut 1), defined as the sum of the scores of each opponent, minus the lowest opponent score
2. Buchholz System, defined as the sum of scores of each opponent
3. Sonneborn-Berger score, defined as the sum of the score of each defeated opponent and half the score of each drawn opponent.
4. Points earned in games between tied players (2-way ties only)
5. Number of game wins (including forfeits by opponents)
6. Number of game wins with black
7. Average rating of opponents (Cut 1), defined as the average rating of opponents, based on Chess.com blitz ratings immediately after the tournament, with the lowest rating removed
8. Player Chess.com ratings immediately after the Tournament

Eligibility

• To be eligible for the Open Qualifiers, players must complete a registration form and meet the following requirements:
• Their account must be at least three months old
• Have a minimum of 50 rated rapid games played on Chess.com
• Must not be a Titled Player
• Players must be recognized by Chess.com as meeting the following requirements to be eligible for the Swiss Stage:
• Hold at least one FIDE title or national title
• Be one of the top three players from each preceding Open Qualifier

Players who have been invited to the corresponding Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour may not compete in the Play-In. 

Fair Play

In the Open Qualifiers, players must complete a registration form and must be approved by Chess.com prior to the event. In the Open Qualifiers, all players must use Proctor (to learn more about Proctor and download the client, please go to chess.com/proctor). In the Swiss Stage, players must be available to join a video conference call with screen share upon request for monitoring by tournament officials. To abide by this request, players must have video turned on for one or two cameras (as requested). One camera must clearly show the player's full face and immediate surroundings beyond the player. No virtual or blurred backgrounds are allowed. Players may be requested to use a second camera, which should be placed behind the player diagonally at approximately a 30-degree angle with the player's desk and monitor(s) clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. Non-compliance may result in a player's removal from the event.

In the Knockout Stage, all players are required to join a video conference call for monitoring by tournament officials. Players are required to share their screens and have two cameras. One camera must clearly show the player's full face and immediate surroundings beyond the player. No virtual or blurred backgrounds are allowed. The other camera should be placed behind the player diagonally at approximately a 30-degree angle, with the player's desk and monitor(s) clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. Headphones are not allowed for this event. Non-compliance may result in a player's removal from the event.

Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection, an Environment Inspection, and/or a Physical Inspection at any time in any match in connection with the Freestyle Chess Play-Ins.

Broadcasting

Players may live broadcast their participation in the Freestyle Chess Play-Ins with a 60-second delay. Players are not required to enter emote-only mode, but must have chat closed during games. Players who stream may wear headphones during the event. Players are not permitted to broadcast or distribute any "Fair Play" video conference call, including player cameras and video, in whole or in part, without permission from Chess.com. 

Prizes

Up to USD $50,000 in prizes are available in each Play-In. Payments will be made in United States dollars. Payments will be made by the Freestyle Chess OpCo, as follows:

Placing	Prize
1st	$10,000
2nd	$9,000
3rd	$8,000
4th	$7,000
5th	$5,000
6th	$3,500
7th	$2,000
8th	$1,500
9th-16th	$500

The winner of each of the Freestyle Chess Play-Ins receives an invitation to compete at the respective Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour event. If any players decline or are deemed ineligible by Chess.com or Freestyle Chess OpCo, additional invitations will be extended at the joint discretion of Chess.com and Freestyle Chess OpCo. Each Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour event will take place live at an in-person location. The official regulations are available here.

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2025-2026 Champions Chess Tour

Overview

The 2025-2026 Champions Chess Tour (CCT) is composed of Titled Tuesday, the Speed Chess Championship, and the Chess.com Global Championship. Players' aggregate performances will be tracked on the CCT Leaderboard, which will be used to qualify players for the 2026 Esports World Cup.

Points And Leaderboard

Each tournament will award points that are used to rank players on the CCT Leaderboard. Players will be ranked on the CCT Leaderboard based on their total points earned. Points are awarded per tournament in accordance with the table below:

Titled Tuesday points consist of a Player's eight best scores per Titled Tuesday Grand Prix Split. Splits are organized as follows:

• Autumn Split: Sep 2 - Nov 25
• Winter Split: Dec 2 - Feb 24
• Spring Split: Mar 3 - May 26

The top three players of the Speed Chess Championship and the Chess.com Global Championship will automatically qualify for the Esports World Cup. If there are repeat players among the top three, additional qualification spots will not be granted for these events. All remaining spots will be filled by the points leaderboard until there are 12 players qualified.

Champions Chess Tour Leaderboard Tiebreaks

Leaderboard ties will be broken by:

• Highest placement in SCC or CGC
• Second-highest placement in SCC or CGC
• Counting up to eight Titled Tuesday placements per Titled Tuesday Grand Prix Split, the highest placement achieved in a Titled Tuesday Split between September 2, 2025, and May 26, 2026, followed by the second-highest placement, the third-highest placement, etc.
• Chess.com rapid rating immediately following Titled Tuesday on May 26, 2026

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Speed Chess Championship

Schedule

The Speed Chess Championship (SCC) consists of an online main event ("SCC Main Event") and an in-person finals ("SCC Live Finals"). The Speed Chess Championship schedule is as follows:

Tournament Format

Titled Tuesday Open Leaderboard Qualification

Players can qualify for the Speed Chess Championship Main Event through the Titled Tuesday SCC Leaderboard ("Leaderboard"). Standings on the Leaderboard are based on players' 10 best Titled Tuesday scores, counting only events from January 1, 2025, through May 27, 2025. Players can qualify for the SCC Main Event by achieving a final Leaderboard standing of first through eighth.

Speed Chess Championship Main Event

The Speed Chess Championship Main Event is a single-elimination bracket with 16 players. There will be a consolation (Consolation) match between the two players who lose in the Semifinals. If any of the players decline or are deemed ineligible, additional invitations will be extended at the sole discretion of Chess.com.

Match Format

Each Match of the Speed Chess Championship Main Event consists of three timed "Segments," each consisting of continuous games and alternating colors at a specified time control. 

Rounds-of-16 and Quarterfinals

• Segment 1: 75 minutes of Games (5+1 time control)
• Segment 2: 50 minutes of Games (3+1 time control)
• Segment 3: 25 minutes of Games (1+1 time control)

Semifinals, Consolation, and Final

• Segment 1: 90 minutes of Games (5+1 time control)
• Segment 2: 60 minutes of Games (3+1 time control)
• Segment 3: 30 minutes of Games (1+1 time control)

The higher-seeded player will start with the white pieces in Game 1 of each match, with colors alternating thereafter. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Only games that have already started before the timer expires will count toward players' scores. The player who has accumulated the most points by the end of the last segment is the winner of the Match. Players may not forfeit the Match except in the last 10 minutes of the 1+1 segment.

Tiebreakers

If players are tied after all games in all segments have been played, four additional games with a 1+1 time control will be played. Colors continue to alternate from the previous game. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. The Match ends when a player reaches 2.5 points in this tiebreaker, at which time that player has won the Match. If neither player reaches 2.5 points, a single game of Armageddon will be played as per the procedure outlined in the section titled "Armageddon" below.

Armageddon

If two players are tied after playing all their games in a Match, an Armageddon game will decide the winner of the Match. All Armageddon games will have a 5-minute base time. Armageddon games are played with no increment. Each player will communicate to Tournament Officials a "bid" via a private message. The bid is the amount of time that the player is willing to play with the black pieces. The maximum allowable bid is equal to the base time of the Armageddon game. The player with the lower bid will begin the game with the black pieces and the amount of time bid. The other player will begin the game with the base time. If the bids are tied, those bids will be discarded, and players will submit another bid. The player who wins the Armageddon game wins the Match. If the game is drawn, the player with the black pieces will be the winner of the Match.

Eligibility

• Players invited directly by Chess.com
• Players ranked first through eighth on the Titled Tuesday Leaderboard

All players invited by Chess.com to participate in the Speed Chess Championship Main Event, including players who have qualified from the Titled Leaderboard, will be required to execute a participation agreement with Chess.com. Failure to execute such an agreement may result in the rescinding of the invitation at Chess.com's sole discretion.

Fair Play

All players are required to join a video conference call for monitoring by tournament officials. Players are required to share their screens and have two cameras. One camera must clearly show the player's full face and immediate surroundings beyond the player. No virtual or blurred backgrounds are allowed. The other camera should be placed behind the player diagonally at approximately a 30-degree angle, with the player's desk and monitors clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. Streamers are allowed to wear headphones for this event. Non-compliance with Fairplay rules may result in a player's removal from the event. Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection and/or an Environment Inspection.

Broadcasting

Players may broadcast their participation in the Speed Chess Championship with a 20-second delay. Players are not required to enter emote-only mode, but must have chat closed during games. Players who stream may wear headphones during the event. Players are not permitted to broadcast or distribute any "Fair Play" video conference call, including player cameras and video, in whole or in part, without permission from Chess.com. 

Prizes

Up to $250,000 in prizes are available in the Speed Chess Championship. Payments will be made in United States dollars. Prizes will be awarded to participants of each Match based on the winner of the Match, and the win percentage of each player in the Match. For prizes split by win percentage, such win percentage is determined by a player's total points accumulated in the Match divided by the number of games played in the Match. If a player forfeits within the last 10 minutes of the Match, their win percentage will be capped at 35%.

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CoachChamps

Schedule

CoachChamps consists of a one-month-long competition in which coaches will draft teams of four players to each compete in individual round-robin tournaments. CoachChamps takes place at the times below.

Event	Dates (2025)
Draft Day	Sep 10
Round-robin (Group 1)	Oct 7
Round-robin (Group 2)	Oct 8
Round-robin (Group 3)	Oct 9
Round-robin (Group 4)	Oct 10

Unless otherwise specified, all events begin at 11:00 a.m. ET / 17:00 CET.

Tournament Format 

Participants

• Eight (8) coaches
• Thirty-two (32) improvers split into four (4) groups of eight (8) players based on rating:
• Group 1: Players with rapid rating between 0-799
• Group 2: Players with rapid rating between 800-1199
• Group 3: Players with rapid rating between 1200-1599
• Group 4: Players with rapid rating between 1600-1999

Player Draft

During the Player draft, coaches will draft teams consisting of one player per rating group based on current Chess.com rapid ratings and other data provided by Chess.com. Coaches will not be given player usernames and will not have access to player profiles or identities.

The Coaches' draft position will be randomly selected by Chess.com staff, live, and will follow a snake-draft format. The coach who gets selected to have the first pick in the draft will be last in the second round; this process is mirrored for all additional coaches. Coaches may select their players in any order.

Round-Robin

In the round-robin, players will compete by rating group. Each rating group will contain one player per team. Each group is a single round-robin with a 10+2 time control. Players will earn 1 point for a win, 0.5 points for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Round-robin pairings will follow the standard eight-player Berger table. Players will be seeded randomly. Within each group, players will be ranked by their total points. In the event of a tie within a group, players will be given a tiebreak rank according to the following tiebreaks:

1. Points earned in games between tied players.
2. Sonneborn-Berger score, defined as the sum of the score of each defeated opponent and half the score of each drawn opponent.
3. Total game wins.

If players remain tied after all tiebreaks have been exhausted, the total placement points available to the tied players will be shared equally. 

Players earn points for their teams based on their final placements within each group, as follows.

Placing	Points
1st	8
2nd	7
3rd	6
4th	5
5th	4
6th	3
7th	2
8th	1

The team with the most points at the conclusion of the event wins. In the event of a tie, prizes will be split among tied teams. 

Eligibility

• Players selected as improvers of the month.
• Players selected by Chess.com staff based on multiple criteria, including, but not limited to:
• Activity in the improvers club, especially supporting other chess improvers.
• Creation of improvement content, including blogs, videos, social media posts, etc.
• Play activity.

Fair Play

All players are required to join a video conference call for tournament officials to monitor them. Players are required to share their screens and have two cameras. One camera must clearly show the player's full face and immediate surroundings beyond the player. No virtual or blurred backgrounds are allowed. The other camera should be placed behind the player diagonally at approximately a 30-degree angle, with the player's desk and monitors clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. Non-compliance may result in a player's removal from the event.

Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection, an Environment Inspection, and/or a Physical Inspection at any time in any match in connection with CoachChamps.

Broadcasting

Players may live broadcast their participation in CoachChamps. Players are not required to enter emote-only mode, but must have chat closed during games. Broadcasting of any gameplay must also have a delay of at least 60 seconds. Players are not permitted to broadcast or distribute the "Fair Play" video conference call, including player cameras and video, in whole or in part, without permission from Chess.com. Exceptions to any of the broadcasting requirements may be made upon request AND require approval from Chess.com.

Prizes

Up to USD $25,000 in prizes are available to the coaches in CoachChamps based on their respective teams' placings. Payments will be made in United States dollars, according to the following table:

Placing	Prize (USD)
1st	$7,500
2nd	$5,000
3rd	$2,500
4th - 8th	$1,500
Improvers Choice	$2,500

Improvers' Choice award is a live, fan-voted award which will take place on October 10. In addition, all improvers receive a one-year diamond membership and USD $100 of Chessable credit. Additionally, the top-ranked player in each group will receive an exclusive piece of signed Chess.com merchandise.

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Comet Open 

Schedule

The Comet Open consists of two sections (Titled and Non-Titled). Each section consists of eight qualifier events (each a "Qualifier") and a knockout stage ("Comet Open Playoffs"). The Comet Open schedule is as follows:

Tournament Format

Qualifiers

Players may participate in up to eight Qualifiers. The top four players from each Qualifier will advance to the Comet Open Playoffs, which is a double-elimination bracket.

In each Qualifier, players will compete in a two-hour Arena with score-based pairings and a 3+0 time control. Players will earn 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Consecutive wins will be worth additional points, with the second win in a row worth 3 points and every consecutive win thereafter worth 4 points. Players will be ranked by total points. If two or more players are tied in total points, standard Chess.com Arena tiebreakers will be applied.

Players who have already qualified to participate in the Comet Open Playoffs are ineligible to participate in additional qualifiers.

Comet Open Playoffs

The Comet Open Playoffs is a double-elimination bracket with the thirty-two qualified players from the Qualifiers, per section. The players will be ranked based on post-event rating. Matches will consist of four games with a 3+0 time control and alternating colors. The higher seed begins with the white pieces. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. The first player to reach 2.5 points wins the match. If tied 2-2, players will play a bidding Armageddon game with a base time of 5 minutes. The bid winner receives the black pieces. 

Armageddon

If two players are tied after playing all their games in a match, the Armageddon game will decide the winner of the match. If a game of Armageddon is to be played, each player will communicate a "bid" to Tournament Officials via a private message. The bid is the amount of time that the player is willing to play with the black pieces. The maximum allowed bid is equal to the specified "base time" of the Armageddon game. All Armageddon games will have a 5-minute base time. The player with a lower bid will receive the black pieces and begin the game with an amount of time equivalent to their bid. The other player will begin the game with the base time. If the bids are tied, those bids will be discarded, and players will submit another bid. Armageddon games are played with no increment. The player who wins the Armageddon game wins the match. If the game is drawn, the player with the black pieces will be the winner of the match. 

Eligibility

Titled Qualifiers

• To be eligible to play in the Qualifiers, a player must be recognized by Chess.com as having a FIDE title or national title.
• Players must be using Perplexity's Comet browser to participate.

Non-Titled Qualifiers

• All Non-Titled players with a Chess.com account in good standing are eligible to compete in the event.
• Competing players must have a minimum of 25 games completed on Chess.com.
• Players must be using Perplexity's Comet browser to participate.

Fair Play

In the Comet Open Playoffs, players are required to join a video conference call, share their screen, and have two cameras. One camera must clearly show the player's full face and immediate surroundings beyond the player. No virtual or blurred backgrounds are allowed. A second camera should be placed behind the player diagonally at approximately a 30-degree angle with the player's desk and monitors clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. Non-compliance may result in a player's removal from the event. Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection, an Environment Inspection, and/or a Physical Inspection at any time in any match in connection with the Comet Open.

Broadcasting

Players may broadcast their participation in the Comet Open Qualifiers without delay. During the Comet Open Playoffs, players may broadcast their participation with a 10-second delay. During the Comet Open Playoffs, players must close their stream chat while games are in progress. Players are permitted to wear headphones during the qualifiers. Streamers are permitted to wear headphones during the Main Event. Players are not permitted to broadcast or distribute the "Fair Play" video conference call, including player cameras and video, in whole or in part, without permission from Chess.com. 

Prizes

Up to $200,000 in prizes are available in the Comet Open. Payments will be made in United States dollars. 

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2025 Rulebook Archive

Click here to access the 2025 rulebook archive for events that are already over.