Chess Madness 2025 – The Ultimate College Chess Bracket Challenge
Chess Madness is back! Modeled after the March Madness basketball tournament, this annual competition brings together schools from the College Ambassador Program in an exciting bracket-style challenge. Schools will go head-to-head, with the school receiving the most votes on Challonge each round advancing to the next stage.
Dates: March 11 – April 3
How It Works
Schools in the College Ambassador Program will be divided into two groups:
Each round, schools compete for votes on the Challonge links listed above. The school with the most votes moves forward, while the losing school is eliminated. To stay in the competition, schools must share their bracket link widely and encourage as many votes as possible. A Challonge account is required to vote.
Competition Schedule (Eastern Time)
US Bracket
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- First Round: March 11, 10am - March 13, 9am
- Round of 128: March 13, 10am - March 16, 9am
- Round of 64: March 16, 10am - March 19, 9am
- Round of 32: March 19, 10am - March 22, 9am
- Sweet Sixteen: March 22, 10am - March 25, 9am
- Elite Eight: March 25, 10am - March 28, 9am
- Final Four: March 28, 10am - March 31, 9am
- Championship: March 31, 10am - April 3, 9am
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International Bracket
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- First Round: March 11, 2pm - March 14, 1pm
- Round of 64: March 14, 2pm - March 17, 1pm
- Round of 32: March 17, 2pm - March 20, 1pm
- Sweet Sixteen: March 20, 2pm - March 23, 1pm
- Elite Eight: March 23, 2pm - March 27, 1pm
- Final Four: March 27, 2pm - March 31, 1pm
- Championship: March 31, 2pm - April 3, 1pm
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Prizes
Top 16 US Schools:
The school with the most votes per round will win an extra 1 month diamond membership to give out. Also all prizes are stackable.
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- Sweet 16:
- $25 Chessable Credit
- Elite 8:
- $50 Chessable Credit
- 5 Chess.com Baseball caps
- Final 4:
- $50 Chessable Credit
- 5 CCL Hoodies
- Finalists:
- 15 Chess.com foam basketballs
- 10 Chess.com Piece Logo T-Shirts
- Champion:
- A shoutout on the main Chess.com Social Media pages
- Custom Vinyl Board + Pieces
- Sweet 16:
Top 16 International Schools:
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- Sweet 16:
- 4x 1-month gold memberships
- Elite 8:
- 4x 1-month platinum memberships
- Final 4:
- 4x 1-month diamond memberships
- Finalists:
- 4x 3-month diamond memberships
- Champion:
- 4x 3-month diamond membership
- Sweet 16:
Prediction Challenge – Bracket Competition:
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- Best US prediction: 1-Year Diamond Membership
- Best International prediction: 3-Month Diamond Membership
Get Ready for Chess Madness
The competition begins on March 11. Schools should start preparing by organizing their campus communities and spreading the word through exciting events and creative social posts. Be sure to share your ideas and even form alliances with other schools by joining our community in the College Chess Discord Server. With strategic outreach and strong support, any school has the chance to claim the Chess Madness Champion title.
