4-Player Chess Championship Happening This Week, Apr 13-17

Dear variant fans,

The Chess.com 4-Player Chess Championship, our fourth event in the Chess.com Community Championship series, is starting this week and features a $5,000 prize fund.

The schedule is slightly different from usual: the eight qualifiers are spread across four days. Two qualifiers per day are starting at different times to give everyone a chance to participate. 

Qualifiers Format:

• There are eight qualifiers.
• Each qualifier is a two-hour arena in the free-for-all format.
• Players earn 3 points for winning, 1.5 points for finishing a game in second, 0.75 points for the third place, and 0 points for finishing last.
• Time control: 4+0.
• The winner of each arena qualifies for the Final.
• Players who have already qualified for the Final cannot play in subsequent qualifiers.

On Friday, April 17, the qualified players will compete in the Semifinals and the Grand Final. In the Semifinals, players will be divided into two groups of four and contest a 90-minute countdown match, with the top two players from each group qualifying for the Grand Final. In the Grand Final, the first player to reach 7 points and then win a game becomes the winner.

Semifinals Format:

• All games are in the free-for-all format.
• Players are divided into two groups of four.
• Each group plays a 90-minute countdown match.
• Time control: 4+0.
• Players earn 3 points for winning, 1 point for finishing second or third, and 0 points for finishing last.
• The top two players from each group qualify for the Grand Final.

Grand Final Format:

• The four finalists compete in a match.
• All games are in the free-for-all format.
• Players earn 3 points for winning, 1 point for finishing a game in second or third place, and 0 points for finishing a game in last.
• Time control: 4+0.
• The first player to reach 7 points and win a game after reaching that score becomes the champion.

As usual, any member of the Chess.com community can join. You can check the full qualifier schedule and click the Join button to participate.

4-Player Chess is one of Chess.com's oldest and most popular variants. Four players compete over an extended, cross-shaped board with 160 squares. There are many ways to play 4-Player Chess, but the Chess.com 4-Player Chess Championship will use a free-for-all format, where players earn points for capturing pieces (including kings!). At the end of the game, the player with the most points wins. Check out the rule and play some practice games to get ready for next week!

For complete information, check out the event's announcement and the event's page. Read the full regulations here.