Chess Madness 2026 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 likes on Instagram each round advancing to the next stage.
Dates: March 23 – April 17
How It Works
Schools in the College Ambassador Program can sign up to compete through the registration form. The deadline to register is March 20th at 11PM Eastern. Schools will then be placed in a single elimination bracket. Each round, schools compete for the most likes on Instagram using the hashtag #ChessMadness2026 and tagging the CollegiateChessLeague Instagram account. The school with the most likes moves forward, while the losing school is eliminated. To stay in the competition, schools must be creative and share their post to get as many likes as possible.
Competition Schedule (Eastern Time)
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- Round of 32: March 27 - April 1, 9am
- Sweet Sixteen: April 1, 10am - April 6, 9am
- Elite Eight: April 6, 10am - April 9, 9am
- Final Four: April 9, 10am - April 13, 9am
- Championship: April 13, 10am - April 17, 9am
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Prizes
Top 16 US Schools:
The school with the most likes per round will win an extra 1 month diamond membership to give out. Also all prizes are stackable.
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- Sweet 16:
- 4x 1-month gold memberships
- $25 Chess.com Gift Card
- Elite 8:
- 4x 1-month platinum memberships
- $50 Chess.com Gift Card
- 5 Chess.com Baseball caps
- Final 4:
- 4x 1-month diamond memberships
- $50 Chess.com Gift Card
- 5 Collegiate Chess League Hoodies
- Finalists:
- 4x 3-month diamond memberships
- 10 Chess.com Piece Logo T-Shirts
- Champion:
- 4x 6-month diamond membership
- 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 6-month diamond membership
- Sweet 16:
Get Ready for Chess Madness
The competition begins on March 23. 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.
